I still haven't made it to the gym today - but I did mow the backyard.
Does that count?

For lunch I had a delicious bowl of turkey soup I assembled in the crock pot last night; it was ready for me this morning.  And for dessert, some of Patti's leftover German chocolate cake.

I got all of my packages (to Maryland and Texas) mailed yesterday.  

As expected (AND HOPED!) there wasn't much of a line.  

And as an added bonus, the clerk took one look at my packages and brought out the flat rate boxes (I didn't know they came in the larger sizes) and saved me a bunch on shipping. 

While I was gone, Tom and Alex moved all the tree limbs out for pickup Monday.  They were just diving into the leftovers when I got home.  Yummy lunch!

I didn't have much oomph in the afternoon, and sure enough, spent much of it dozing off in front of the TV.

  Then, of course, I was up until midnight last night.

NOTHING planned for this weekend.  

Which is good, because next week is jammed!  

Maybe I'll get some work done on the wedding quilt.  And maybe make it to the gym?  And maybe catch a movie with Lisa.

When I went to bed at a reasonable hour Wednesday night (I was disclplined and turned off Gone With the Wind at 10:00) I never dreamed I'd sleep in until 8:00 Thanksgiving morning!  Pre-coffee (!) I zoomed out to the shop frig to get the 15#  turkey and get it into the oven, then spent the rest of the morning doing all the rest of the little things (peel/dice 10# potatoes, prep the green beans, set the tables, etc.) I finished up around 11:30 (with a clean kitchen and sink!) and then took my shower.  

Here I am with Alex and Lisa. Tom is doing the last minute stuff (mashers, gravy, Stove Top) but took a few seconds to snap this shot, saving us from a selfie.

Hard to see, but I'm wearing my new earrings I got the night before that Lisa and Chas picked out for me. No, neither one of them noticed.

The gang started rolling in a little after noon.  

Joel brought his sweetie Victoria.

Chas arrived, Patti and Gary arrived with the rest of the food, and soon we dug in.  We ended up with only 9 (it turned out that Zach had to be at work at 1:00 instead of his usual 3:00), but still decided to let the kids have the main table (set for 6) while the 4 adults ate at the satellite quilting table.  

We didn't eat poolside this year (although we probably could have - it was in the 70s) because of the mess out there; the pool was drained for the resurfacing and still empty, plus there are tools and pool parts all over the place.  Not as scenic as it usually is!  

But the driveway was full (Lisa's car, Patti's car, Chas's car, Joel's car) which is the way it should be: the more, the merrier on Thanksgiving!

Of course there was lots of food.... but I think that this year we had fewer leftovers than ever.  After we all finished pigging out, Alex showed Victoria the many pix on my computer of Joel (and Alex) when they were little guys.  (The boys became best buds the beginning of 2nd grade, and Patti and I agree that they were adorable when they were younger.)  There was a fair amount of laughter coming from the computer room.

And when Pokey marched past the window, I wish I'd had my camera to snap a picture of Victoria's amazement.

Mid-afternoon, gloriously full, Joel and Victoria headed off to work, and Lisa and Chas headed over to his folks' for their second feast of the day!  Here they are relaxing and gearing up for that.

Speaking of eating a second turkey, how many of you remember the classic Alka Seltzer commercial, The First Turkey?

Later in the afternoon we taught Patti & Gary (and Alex) how to play Mexican Train (thank you, Jeannie!) with our Double 15 set (that has some serious color issues!  Since nobody was feeling energetic enough to count leftover points, we played our own version (counting leftover tiles instead of leftover points) while our dinner settled enough to be able to dive into the desserts Patti had baked.  In case you're interested, I lost the game, reaching 21 first... even though I was the scorekeeper! <g>

We lit the 2nd night candles, and Alex liked his 'blue jean' lounging pants.  Tom whined that he wanted some; at least that's one Christmas present I know he won't be returning!

Patti had brought me over a Chanukah gift: dark chocolate piroulines (they look yummy!) and some peppermint body lotion (it smells yummy - tried it out last night!)

Lisa didn't whine <g> when I opened it....
but she was very interested in the lotion.  

WAIT - I think I'm getting a vision of one of her gifts:

Clean-up was easy yesterday, with so many hands helping.  The kitchen was totally cleaned up and looked like we'd feasted elsewhere.  (And once everyone drifted home I washed the tablecloths, placemats, and napkins; they even were all folded and put away last night.)  So there was NO mess waiting for me this morning when (of course) I woke up at 5:00.  

NO PLANS to do any shopping this weekend, although I do have a bunch of gifts to wrap and pack and take to the post office.  I'm guessing the PO won't be busy today with 'everyone' out shopping.  But I could be wrong; "nobody flies to Denver on a Sunday", right Dad?

Bulk Trash pick up is Monday, so this afternoon Alex is going to help Tom drag the piles of trimmed limbs out to the street.  Then we should have a much nicer view out back (the pile is so large it couldn't be contained in the area behind the trees that doesn't show from the house.)

I've got a bunch of (never-ending) paperwork to do this morning, and then guess I could start wrapping gifts.  Enjoy your Friday!  And IF you're going shopping, try not to get trampled by the other shoppers!

Lisa arrived a little before 3:00, and we went out for a late lunch/early dinner.  She wanted something hot (Tom wrongly guessed that she'd choose Sushi) so we went out to a new Vietnamese restaurant for Pho.

We caught up on the latest stories from school; Lisa certainly has some great inspiration for the script she's writing about a new teacher.

Later (when Alex got back from his camping trip) we lit the Chanukah candles and exchanged some gifts.  I got some very pretty earrings, Tom got a book he wanted, Lisa got a skirt she can wear for teaching, and Alex got some slacks he's been wanting and a shirt in his favorite colors. Everyone is happy.

This morning I made the deviled eggs, and this evening I'm in the process of making the tabouli. (Lisa is off visiting with Bailey, and Alex went home to get ready for 'work' at The Mint.)

The quilt table is almost mucked off, so I'm in pretty good shape for tomorrow.  And of course once I put the turkey in the oven in the morning I'll have time to do stuff while I watch the Macy's parade.  Hope the weather cooperates and the balloons can fly.

Have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING tomorrow!

This morning I saw the hand orthopedist.  The x-rays show considerable arthritis in my thumb joint... NO surprise there!  He did say that the NSAID med I started Monday (for my back) could also help my thumb.  In the meantime, he gave me a cortisone injection; since cortisone worked great on my shoulder I have high hopes.

 I also got a thumb brace.  While it definitely supports the thumb, it does make it difficult to write or do much with that hand.

When I got home I wrapped some gifts. 

Since tonight is the 1st night of Chanukah I figured it was time to do that!

And once I read the paper and enter (yet more) medical expenses on the spreadsheet, I'll get going on my list of stuff to do today to get ready for tomorrow.  I woke up before 5:00, so I could fade early today. Or not!

I visited briefly with Estera this morning (took some egg cartons over) and with Jeannie (she was on her way back from the grocery store as I was coming home from across the street) and then made the dreaded trip to the grocery store.  As I pulled into a spot I noticed that the woman in the next space had her hood up and her jumper cables out.  When I asked if she was expecting someone, she said no.  Apparently she'd bumped her light switch to ON before she went shopping, and came out to a dead car.  I offered to help.

First, I had to figure out where the hood release hatch is (even with help from the car manual, it wasn't that easy to find.)  Next, had to find the support 'stick' to hold up the hood.  But once those two hurdles were cleared, getting her car started was easy.

Once inside the store I found everything on the long shopping list (except bulghur wheat for the tabouli, and healthy-looking fresh green beans) and sailed right up to an empty check-out line!

While I was unpacking the groceries I got a text from Lisa.  She is sorry to have raised my hopes, and sadly won't be here tonight after all.  But at least her room is all cleaned up and ready for her arrival tomorrow.

Still plenty of stuff on my To Do list.  <sigh>  So I guess I'd better get at it...

I started out the day with a shoulder session at PT.  But when Noelle heard that I'm going to be coming 2X/wk for my back, she decided to do an evaluation on my shoulder.  And guess what?  I've graduated!

For my efforts I got an Arrowhead PT shirt, an Arrowhead PT water bottle - and I got to ring the bell.

Next week Noelle will start on my back PT.  

Let the fun continue!

Monday has been a busy day.  Of course it started off at the gym with Jim.  We did an upper body workout now that I've seen the orthopedist.  I was pleased that the workout wasn't as bad as I'd expected; maybe some of the exercises at PT have been keeping some of those same muscles busy?

I stopped in at Walgreen's to pick up my Rx, then came home and showered to get ready for this afternoon's doctor appointment with the spine doctor.

That appointment went well; they took some x-rays there, and Dr. Huston pointed how how there is nice spacing between all of my vertebrae... all except for one disk that is virtually gone.  The plan of action is for me to take some NSAID (twice daily) plus do PT 2x/wk.  Not sure how that will help if the disk has just plain disintegrated, but PT worked for my shoulder so I'm more than willing to give it try for my back.

On the way back from Scottsdale I stopped in at the JoAnn's at Desert Ridge (needed to pick up some fusible fleece for the upcoming class) and was able to also get another item I needed before the Foothills party. As an extra bonus there was another store in the shopping center I needed to visit; that was on tomorrow's schedule, but now I don't have to make a special trip!

I wasn't in the house 5 minutes when Walgreen's called to say my new Rx was ready.  So I ran over there for the 2nd time today and picked it up.  I took my first pill with dinner tonight and am interested to see if it makes a difference - and if so, how much?

(How many of you remember this song???)

Lisa texted me late this afternoon to see 'if it's okay' for her to come here Tuesday night.  (I'd forgotten that her school is closed on Wednesday to give students and staff a day to travel for Thanksgiving.)

OF COURSE she can come home Tuesday!!!

Remember this book?

  

I never could read the last pages of the book - I'd get too choked up.  

Good thing Lisa was an early reader.... she'd have to finish the book for me!

In my defense...

over the years I've heard from other moms who admitted they also could not read that book without having the same emotional wallop.  

I got to play in rush hour traffic this afternoon coming home on Loop 101.  That's another thing to be thankful for... I don't have to deal with rush hour on a daily basis!

Anita called today with the new plan for our mini-reunion in Sedona.  Assuming that date works for Tami, we'll do it in early April.