Thanksgiving 2015 - Thankfulness Trees

Dinner last night with our friend Alyn and her 7-year old son Elis. Elis wanted us to make thankfulness trees. He made them in school and was excited to show us how. He had the project all set up for us. After making the tree out of a brown paper lunch sack we added leaves on which we wrote down the things for which we are thankful. Very sweet. Elis did a great job of walking us throught the project.

Thanksgiving 2015 - Thanksgiving Morning

I had such a good sleep last night which is so appreciated considering the quality of my slumber has been less than optimal lately due to the stressfulness of work.

Quiet morning journaling while drinking coffee. Dale and Athena look so sweet together. Very cozy.

I colored the Strib's turkey again this year with (I think) impressive results, checked out the holiday issue of Martha Stewart living while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and sipped on Fulton's Harvest Pumpkin Pie Liqueur.

Thanksgiving 2015 at Jax Cafe - With Mom

Dale took this picture of Mom and me at Jax Cafe.

Thanksgiving 2015 at Jax Cafe - Pecan Pie

Dessert didn't come with Dale's dinner but it did with Mom's and mine. She ordered the pumpkin pie but I went with the pecan which I haven't had in ages. It was great.

Thanksgiving 2015 at Jax Cafe - Thanksgiving Salmon

Mom and I both ordered the turkey dinner. Dale ordered salmon. He told our waiter, Jim, that he just had to be the iconoclast. When Jim brought our food he set Dale's plate in front of him and said, "Here you go Mr. Fancypants." I found that amusing.

Thanksgiving 2015 at Jax Cafe - Old Fashioned

Mom arrived at our place at 3:30 so we could make our 4:00 reservation. I ordered a brandy old fashioned and Mom and Dale both had wine.

Thanksgiving 2015 at Jax Cafe - Something Different

From Dale's blog:

"We've been struggling with what to make for Thanksgiving. Certainly turkey, maybe cranberries, stuffing and sweet potatoes but it seemed unexciting somehow. So yesterday we decided to make something completely different. Reservations. Best. Decision. Ever. It has freed up today completely, and while I love to cook, this year preparing Thanksgiving dinner just seemed like another chore."

Both of us are exhausted. It was so freeing to take planning and executing Thanksgiving dinner of our plates. I got the idea on Sunday when a friend at church told us he and his husband would be going to the Normandy Kitchen for the big day. I didn't say anything to Dale right away but we toyed with the idea when we were at the Red Stag Tuesday night. Dale brought it up again yesterday morning as we drove to the gym. I made reservations for Jax after we got home. 

Thanksgiving 2015 - Yours, Mine and Ours

Watched Yours, Mine and Ours with Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda from 1968 on T.V. Haven't seen it in years. The scene where Lucy inadvertently gets drunk is a scream.

Thanksgiving 2015 - Holiday Cocktail

Thanksgiving martini sipped while watching Yours, Mine and Ours. Dale got a kick out of the scene where Lucy says her drink is delicious. I got quite a kick out of it too.