Thanksgiving was last week. That's a good spot to start, because on Tuesday, I was very thankful for Chris.

I had a loooong day. I was sick and Thanksgiving/Bonfire traffic was getting my goat. When I got home, he had gussied up the house, taken some boxes to the donation drop-off spot, had flowers sitting on the kitchen table and smell good candles smelling good. And, the grill was smoking some chicken.




It was a really nice way to be welcomed home.

Then, we did this:




Put up the Christmas tree, sang songs and snuggled Sally. :-) HO HO HO! We're full of Christmas spirit!

Now, abrupt ending... here are some Thanksgiving photos.

Her name is Sally.

And she's the best dog in the world! I'm still not sure how it happened that we got a dog...

Last Thursday was a long one for me. I stayed at work until about 9:30, and so on Friday morning, I was at my desk but slow to get to work. It was only a week ago, but I already can't remember what took me to the website for Temple's animal shelter. Sally was one of the pets of the week. She was listed as a 1-year-old lab named 'Sunny', and Chris and I decided to go see her at lunch.

Driving over, we were both cautiously excited. We were to go on an overnight canoe trip that night and knew that we couldn't get a dog that day. If we liked 'Sunny,' we'd have to pick her up on Monday.

It happened fast. We walked into the shelter, asked if we could meet her... and out came the sweetest, cuddliest, smiliest dog on earth.

She was wiggling with excitement and instantly snuggled around our legs. We sat down and she climbed in our laps. She never jumped. Never barked. She wasn't aggressive around the other dogs, and she was beautiful.

We left saying thanks to the shelter employees for letting us meet her, and walked out the door. We ended up driving around town for about 20 minutes before we decided she couldn't stay at the shelter any longer.

We went to Wal-Mart to get her a kennel, a collar/leash, dog food, shampoo, a bone and some balls-- and went back to pick up our puppy dog.

Turns out, she was a stray, so Sunny wasn't her name after all. Good thing, because Sally fits her perfectly.

She obeys sit, stay, down, and 'get in your house.' She's so calm, she retrieves, she LOVES water, and she is so smart.

I can say 'where's your ball, Sally?' and she goes and gets it.

She ended up going canoeing with us on Saturday and did a GREAT job. She sat quietly and obediently in the middle.

She's a great dog!

I think she'd be the perfect therapy dog.

Chris and I like her sooooooooo much. She's a good good goodgood girl.

Woke up to a chilly house this morning.
Socks needed.
Sweatshirt required.
It's a quiet cold--not like the cold that wears windpants and rustles all over town. Nope, this cold is silent and has long wrapping arms that smell of pine cones and cider.

I can't quite believe it.

Something big happens at the midnight that separates Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Christmas starts to settle in.

I know. I know. We're still celebrating Thanksgiving. But, in my mind, they go together, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thankfullness/Our rescue.

They work better together than turkey and stuffing.

So, while we'll wait until December to put up a tree or hand the lights... Christmas time is here!

Kate may deny it all she wants. Fall is here.

Therefore, it's time to recap.

2010--it was the summer of…


name changes
life changes
address changes

monday morning drives and sunrises
watching the sky change
watching the fields change
watching the city limit signs change

the accordion fold
invites, address & postage stamps

long strips of frayed fabric
hot glue and patterned paper
bundt cakes--more than a baker’s dozen

generosity
boatloads of generosity
the.thank.you.note

mornings, meals & talking of meanings at S. Dexter
the nutrition challenge
picking up coffee, again
the travel mug

seven blue dresses
bird houses and wind chimes
hunting polka dotted mixing bowls and the perfect-shaped ice cream scoop
trips and more trips to Hobby Lobby

finding the prettiest white dress in Waco, on campus, in the world
and wearing it.

lace

the walk down the aisle
the ring on my finger. the ring on his finger.

love
gravity
gratefulness

Meal Plan Monday:

Chris and I went to CS on Saturday to get the rest of my 'uff from Kate's house. Bus since I forgot the key, we went to the grocery store instead. Yep. Uh huh.

Here's what we're having for dinner/lunch this week:

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers http://homecooking.about.com/od/vegetablerecipes/r/blv87.htm

Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/grilled-chicken-with-lemon-basil-pasta/

3 Mini Meatball Sandwiches
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/16-minute-meal-3-mini-meatball-sandwiches/

Grilled Chicken Pineapple Quesadillas
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/05/grilled-chicken-pineapple-quesadillas/

Caramelized Onion Chicken Pizza
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/03/caramelized-onion-prosciutto-pizza/

Pepper Jack, Chicken and Peach Quesadillas
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=2001878&iid=edit-dt-080510

Yum, right?

I made dinner rolls yesterday, but omitted the egg yolk asked for in the recipe because we were out of eggs. Time machine needed-- I had thrown away three yolks that morning. CC ran to the corner store when he found out, and I added the yolk in halfway through the bread machine's cycle. They're pretty dense, but "have good flavor," to quote a kind soul.

Shoot.

I also made black beans yesterday in the crock pot for this week's use, and chopped/ground some venison in the food processor for the meatballs! I really really really like venison. I also made the pizza dough in the food processor. Second coolest kitchen tool... still number one, my friend, the mixer.

And I read half of a book.

I love Sundays. Good times. Good times. Oh, and I love food. Good meals. Good meals.

Uh, hopefully, anyway!

There was a skunk on the track tonight.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

There was a SKUNK on the track tonight.

On the first lap.
It was dark.
And CC and I are trotting along.

When we see what looks like a cat.
With a white stripe on its tail.......

RUN, GO! IT'S A SKUNK. MOVE IT! GO!

There's a skunk on the track.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!

Every time we came to the end zone, we would slow to a trot and look.

Do you see it?
There it is, RUN!

Or, there it is, CUT THROUGH THE GRASS!

In two miles, we did that eight times.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

This is a funny town.

I have a new work e-mail.
How do I feel? Wow.