Better than pumpkin pie

Is there anything better than some homemade Pumpkin-y goodness on Thanksgiving? And with a dab (or 4) of whipped cream. Yummy! I think there just may be...

For years I thought that for the holidays to be complete, or "real" you had to have every member of your family present and dressed for the occasion. As I grew up, my family redistributed itself. Family members moved away and we all slowly started our own traditions.

I was feeling very homesick this year for my family in Oklahoma, and not exactly jumping for joy when my boyfriend asked if my daughter and I would like to go to see his granny, who lives in an assisted living facility, for Thanksgiving. Be generous, was my only thought. The days quickly approached, and it was announced that we would be having Thanksgiving dinner in the dining hall where granny lives. BE GENEROUS, was again my thought.

We arrived in Sun City, and took a pleasant ride to the dinning hall. We were surprised to find that the food was very good. Cooked to perfection and the portions; just right. I sat eating my holiday meal, with my family and a 90 year old woman I'd just met, listening to those around us. "This is my family" "Have you met my daughter?" "This is my family". The smiles were all around. The energy was love and happiness.

I was the one who was on the receiving end of generous. These people shared their family with us. I was one of the luckiest women on earth. Not only did I have those I love so much with me, a delicious hot meal, but I was surrounded on all sides by love, pride, and family.

I do hope that I will be so lucky to have Granny be generous with more holidays to come. And I know that they will always be better than pumpkin pie.

Frog Burps and Rebel Red

I feel like a rebel! I never thought I'd be writing something that makes me think of a what I'm sure a frog burp must sound like. Blog. Yep, sounds like a froggy burp to me. Okay, so maybe it's just writing this that has given me a new spice in my life, or maybe it's my toes, but at least it's a start! My once dismal digits, that were often a perky pink are now the most amazing candy apple red! Pretty at the Premier red to be exact. Can you say OPI??

There's something about red toenails that makes me feel like a sultry, sexy rebel. I've worn many hats in the past how ever many years. You know the daughter hat, the wife hat, the mom hat, the list of hats is one that would make any self respecting milliner proud. Some of those hats have been sassy, some have been subdued, but by and large most of them have been, well what can I say? Beige.

Beige is a safe color, good girls wear beige. It goes with anything and clashes with nothing. It's NICE. Nice? Nice?? I don't want to be NICE!! I want to be exciting, captivating a social butterfly, trend setter a rebel! Those hats however do tend to make it hard to navigate the road to rebel status. So in celebration of this bright red start on my road to rebellion, I've scheduled my next pedicure for the night of the Bliss Affair. Who knows, I may get really wild and have my fingernails painted to match my toes!