about thanksgiving and my cute little scarred pies

our holiday was cozily quiet and low-key...other than that crux-of-a-moment

when all of the food is about to be ready and we're all running around the kitchen

trying to remember which timer was for which dish, and which dish goes in which dish.

my pies got a little scarred thanks to my slovenly use of tinfoil. oh well. they had character. and tasted delish.

there were only eight of us this year. so there was plenty of food, and plenty of opportunities for post-feast naps.

we finished out the night watching a little movie about a fox. 

i quite like a quiet holiday.

hoping yours was festive and restorative.

today we ventured down to the basement for christmas decorations...more photos to come.

{photos by ceej}

grateful for it all...especially the pies

the food preparations started today as i'm sure it did at many of your homes.

this is it. the holidays are here...yippee! earlier today it was ella; now it's johnny.

my pumpkin pies turned out, other than the scars from peeling back the foil;

the banana cream pie might need a re-do as the pastry cream has not set quite firm enough...

oh, perfection! how i hope you never touch this kitchen.

i am truly grateful for it all: this life, this earth, the people i love and who love me,

the bad days just as much as the good days, the frustration as much as the triumphs...

and the pies. i am grateful. this life is enough.

i hope you enjoy your harvest feast tomorrow.

we'll eat to our soul's delicious content,

and make our way to the mountains the following days

to ski with friends. should be a satisfying weekend.

how this sweet forest finally brought some holiday cheer around here

i have had plans to make sugar cookies this morning all week.

tomorrow my cute little piano students have their recital,

and i want them to have a fun little treat after all the anxiety.

though i had plans to make these treats days ago

i had no idea this would put me in a holiday spirit...

there is a chance of snow, the clouds are here,

and vince guaraldi was calling my name.

we usually have a "family rule" that there is no holiday music

until after thanksgiving...but i couldn't resist today.

so it feels absolutely lovely, cozy, and festive in our home today.

this weekend will be a mix of busy and idle. 

can hardly believe that thanksgiving is next week.

have a lovely weekend, dear readers.

happy halloween!

it's here! so very excited about this holiday this year

because we're living in a place that has fall again:

the leaves have fallen everywhere, the air is cold,

and the smell of the heater working is in our cozy little home.

over the weekend we got to work

and made tombstones for the front yard,

a scary witch silhouette for the window,

and spooky ghosts that are guarding our door.

while watching ghost busters {gets funnier every time!},

we made a batch of apple-cider doughnuts,

and had hot cocoa with homemade marshmallows...

there has been lots and lots of sugar in this house

{sort of looking forward to tomorrow when the sugar will go away until the next holiday}.

tonight we'll be passing out candy for the first time in our seven years of marriage...

i've wanted to do this every year, but it just hasn't worked out for one reason or another.

i'm trying to get my hands on a copy of this movie so we can watch

it between doorbell rings and knocks demanding tricks or treats.

we'll also be having some squash soup and trying to finish up

those apple cider doughnuts...probably while reading something poe-ish or brothers grimm-ish.

as soon as i find my camera i will

post photos of our graveyard.

{photos from my phone of our weekend with friends in spring city}

st. patrick's parade...i think st patrick drives a mini car and wears a scarf

in preparation for tomorrow's holiday,
we attended a little st. patrick's day parade last saturday
{truly, we were there to see our cute little niece with
her irish dance troupe...loved seeing them skip around, holding hands}.

i kept my eyes peeled for the man himself, mister st. patrick.
there were lots of dogs, woofing to my sheer glee, lots of shamrocks,
and lots of fire trucks...

near the end of the parade was a man in a little car wearing a scarf.
this, i decided, must be the man. and i was glad.

st. valentine brought us lots of sweet things...

dessert after lunch. a chocolate before the ballet. and chocolate cake after the ballet.
sweet indeed. my fave was having ceej home for lunch so we could surprise each
other with little gifts and notes. i especially love my surprise from ceej of pretty
potted flowers...i get to keep those as long as i'm a good little steward, and they
can sit on the new desk that ceej is currently constructing for me.

this year, i bought the sweet treats...i am trying to hold on to as many small moments
of nothingness as i can. we are busy, and i need time to sit and let my mind wander as
i stare out the window, walk around the block, or listen to violins or the piano call to me.
so, down to our fave bakery i went and took home two treats, because choosing one was
impossible. cookies and cake. and both were delicious. both were rich. but my tummy
handled it all quite nicely. thank you, dear tummy, for making my sweet valentine's
that much more enjoyable.

...photos of the ballet coming tomorrow...