And one more for the Giving

Can i really abbreviate Thanksgiving like that? I already do with T-giving. I dunno, Jen.

Does anyone else kind of love this lady?

So, are you Black Friday shopping? I kind of want to, but not to buy anything, just to observe, kind of like i'm on a wildlife safari.  I've never been on one. 

Today I went to Trader Joe's and chatted with the ever-friendly check-out person. This girl was cute and had a nose ring. She and I discussed each recipe we were making for Thanksgiving.  She said she was making some good mashed potatoes but not her mother's best recipe because the people she's having dinner with don't necessitate the "special recipes" which was funny.   I said I was making some sweet potatoes with ginger snaps on top. She asked if i was going to do a trial run and i said "Nope. I'm just going to throw caution to the wind and go for it."     She also said she was making some pumpkin bourbon ice cream? now, i have never had bourbon but i have to say this sounds pretty tasty.  Could you get intoxicated from ice cream? What am i saying? Not sure this is a question of "if" but "how often."  I mean, it's ice cream.   However, I recently tried some blackberry chocolate ice cream. Wasn't my favorite. I like the fruit + chocolate combo but though i appreciated the effort, this one was just too confusing. 

Also making a cream cheese apple pie and possibly a blueberry sour cream pie.  Sean and I recently had a quarrel about apple pie. I may have accidentally broken his heart a little bit.  I told him, "I mean, apple pie is just apple pie. It's nothing special. I mean, it's good, sure, and very American.  But in the end, it's just apple pie. Have you ever been like, 'this apple pie is AMAZING'??"  He just stared at me and said quietly, "I didn't know you felt this way" and then it got a little awkward.     I have known apple pie was near and dear to his heart, but i guess i'd kept my feelings a secret all this time.  I hope it doesn't drive a pie-shaped wedge between us.      

What do you think? A necessary classic (or just a classic) or one of the best pies of all time?  <-- i can hardly type that last part. c'mon. who are we kidding, people.

Today the meter ate one of my quarters and i shook my fist a little at it. You'll get yours one day, meter! You'll get yoouuuursss!  Then i ran down the street for about 5 blocks so as not to waste my meter-time and realized i think i have an awkward run. I really wonder. Because i felt awkward. I was like, what the hey? What is my body doing? have i never run before?  This shows you how much exercise i get.  I think it's a detriment to one's health to run in the cold.  One time i ran my guts out--seriously, ran like i've never run before. I think i could have won the olympics--to catch the bus. It was in the winter. I thought i was going to DIE.  My chest hurt so bad. I said, "just give me the heart attack and end this agony!!"  but the bus driver wasn't listening.  Just kidding, Sean was there too.  He wasn't listening either.

Also for Thanksgiving we're making a salad.  Half green, half red lettuce. Some asian pears + a couple red ones. Some pomegranate, avocado, and grapefruit with a poppy seed dressing. This is a Christmas Salad (that's what it's called) and the proper way to start the holiday season, i always say.  With a salad. 

I read Julian a Little Golden Book about farm animals who recall the first Christmas and the donkeys say something like, "one of our brothers took them to Bethlehem.."  and i sort of got something in my eye.  I like cute Christmas books. I do.  Sue me.

We just bought a little table to put in the living room. On target.com.  I told Sean i was nervous it would be too big and he just said this to me in g-chat:

Sean:  I will make any needed adjustments right away.  On the back porch.

you WILL be pleased, or my name isn't trusty brown.

Dear Trusty, 

You'd better live up to your name.
Or else,

Jen

It's cold out there today. I just took the recycling out and separated it into bins. You'd think it'd be wise to do this in the house and then i could just dump each one in the can and not have to touch each item, but a) i don't wanna, and b) my recycling is very clean, and c) if i did that, i wouldn't be able to retrieve the rubber bracelet, magnet of the letter R, or triangle magnet i found in them today. Thanks Julian. Things like this please me so much these days. 

Happy holiday.  I'll try to post soon so we're not all deprived.  Just because it's a holiday doesn't mean i can take one too.  Or my name isn't Mrs. Trusty Brown.