End of November activities

Many of my next posts will be about activities and thoughts on Christmas as this is important to me at this time of year. This week is a great time to plan your Christmas activities. I often get out the collection of advent calendars to prepare for December. I also put away the fall decorations and start bringing out the Christmas and winter ones.

Create your own advent calendar. In each square for the 24 days leading up to Christmas, put in an activity for your family. This itself is a great family activity. Things you might want to include in your calendar: carol singing with friends at a nursing home; secret Santa gift/food delivery; volunteering at a food bank; baking cookies; cookie exchange with friends; sorting through old toys and clothes, then donating them; watching your favorite Christmas movies together; lights and decorations outside the house; lights and decorations inside the house; getting a tree; viewing Christmas lights and decorations together; Christmas party; Christmas services at church; addressing Christmas cards.

With such a calendar, you can more easily see which days might be hectic and have low key meals on those days. In addition, you can fit everything in a little better when you know when to expect it. If your kids have special activities at school, parties or concerts, these can be the family activities as well. Share the load with other families and friends which decreases the burden on you and builds your network of friends and love.

Menu planning November 25-December 1

• Sunday
  Roast chicken and root vegetables (make broth out of the carcase)
  Broccoli
  Apple pie
• Monday
  Turkey vegetable soup using broth from last week's turkey
  French bread
• Tuesday
  Chicken stew using Sunday's leftovers and broth, adding celery and peas
  Green salad
  Crackers
• Wednesday
  Chili on brown rice topped with cheddar cheese
  Green salad
• Thursday
  Sloppy Joes using leftover chili
  Fruit salad
• Friday
  Macaroni and cheese
  Green beans
• Saturday
  Pizza
• 
  

Thanksgiving thoughts

For me, Thanksgiving week is a time for counting blessings. I live in such abundance. My garden produced an enormous amount of vegetables, many of which are in the freezer for use throughout the winter. I have a wonderful family: children, grandchildren, cousins, aunts, uncles, mother, sisters, neices, and more extended family. We're mostly friends and love and support one another. I have a special and wonderful husband. I have a comfortable home, comfortable income, challenging and rewarding career. I have great friends, many opportunities to provide service, and the ability to provide that service. I'm blessed with excellent health, a good mind, a love of reading and lots of books to read. I'm grateful for my talents and strengths for the opportunities they bring to serve, and for my weaknesses for the opportunities they bring to grow. I feel blessed to live in the United States and to have traveled within the states this year and to other wonderful countries in the past. I'm grateful to speak languages other than English for the appreciation of the beauties of language and of the other cultures it has brought me. Most especially, I'm grateful for my faith and the foundation that religion provides in my life.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving season.

Thanksgiving week activities

This is a great time of year to look at the numerous blessings we enjoy. We live in a time of such abundance. As you prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, if you are in the US, spend some time reflecting on this abundance. Read the fall chapters of Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. They have so much prep work just to make it through winter in tact. Discuss with your kids how different it is today. Did you have a garden this year? Have you been to a farmer's market? I think we're more grateful for our food and other blessings when we know how much work goes into creating them.

Create Thanksgiving cards to share with your loved ones. You can use the traditional drawing a turkey by outlining a hand or perhaps cards showing the things your family is grateful for. Creating a centerpiece of harvest items can be a great reminder.

Contrast our current Thanksgiving activities with those of the past. Read the Thanksgiving chapter in Farmer Boy, also by Laura Ingalls Wilder, or in Eight Cousins, by Louisa May Alcott. They had a feast and had to work very hard to create it. Have the whole family help in some of the holiday cooking preparations-maybe in making pies.

Have older children do some online research to find out what was served at the first Thanksgiving in Massachusetts. It sure is different than we normally serve now, unless you normally include such seafood as eels. If you live in New England, this is a great week to visit Plymouth. The Mayflower was tiny-imagine spending weeks in such close quarters. The plantation settlement was pretty small as well. Even our smallest houses today are huge compared to these homes.

Although they didn't spend the day watching Football or shopping, games were included in this first Thanksgiving. That's another area older kids might enjoy learning about. It wasn't just spectator sports, most of the men were involved.

Delayed menus November 19-25

Things have been crazy, so this is somewhat delayed.

• Sunday
  Salmon-make at least 2 extra servings
  Artichokes
  Potatoes au gratin
  Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
• Monday
  Salmon noodle casserole (like your favorite tuna casserole, but use Salmon)
  Green salad
• Tuesday
  Hot and sour soup
• Wednesday
  Quick tomato soup
  Grilled cheese sandwiches
• Thursday (whatever your traditional dishes are)
  Turkey (make broth out of leftover bones) and gravy
  Roasted potatoes
  Mashed yams
  Green bean casserole
  Pumpkin pie
• Friday
  Hot turkey sandwiches
  Leftover veggies
• Saturday
  Turkey enchilada casserole
  Green salad