Considering........

Considering there was no BIG family get together yesterday, I really had a very nice time.  Most of the time my kids celebrate Thanksgiving with their in-laws.  Some of the time, over the years, I have been invited to their homes--not for the last two years.  It had become a very sad day for me, especially since Fred died.

Then--my little sister moved back "home" and because her son celebrates the day with his in-laws, she has invited me the last two years.

I arrived about 11:30 and she was sitting at her kitchen island working on a craft that I recognized immediately.  A Christmas craft I hadn't done in well over 25 years.

"I was looking in some Christmas wrapping paper boxes that I haven't looked at since we moved.  Look what I found!  The pattern for petal balls!"

She had the gold and red foil paper already cut into the shapes we needed and we started putting them together.

"The last time I tried to make these, I got them all goofed up.  I made like three "hats" and then didn't know how to put them together," I said.

" Remember five on top or one hat, then five for the botton, another hat and then you take five separate ones and glue them to the top and bottom."

"Yes, now I remember!"

We learned how to make these 44+ years ago when our mother was shown the pattern by a friend.  We made them later--with my kids.  We made them every year because you couldn't store them or keep them from being crushed.  

Tiny ones, middle sized ones and large ones, in gold and red, silver and blue.  Whatever our Christmas color scheme was going to be.

Yesterday, we worked on a middle sized one.  It was nice, sitting there together, talking while we worked.  I had a really difficult time, trying to glue each petal together.  My shaking right hand makes that kind of intricate work nearly impossible.  Susie had to finish mine for me.

She is going to hang hers from the kitchen chandelier over the island.  I can't wait for my girls to see them on Christmas Eve.  They are going to scream with "Oh.  I remember those.  Grandma Dorathy's Petal Balls!"

 Mine looks rather like my girls did when they made their first ones at 6-7 years old.  Sad.

I used to help my little sister out with everything.  How to color and cut out paper dolls.  How to cook and take care of a house and what to do to take care of her babies.  Now, the roles are quite reserved.  She has to help me glue paper together!!!

"I so love getting old and decrepit!" said NO ONE EVER!!

After our craft session, we sat down  to eat.  Never turkey as my sister doesn't like it.  They eat so much chicken that they want something different on Thanksgiving.  A pork roast--pork is definitely NOT one of my favorite meat, however, (you don't say that to your hostess) so I ate it and baked potatoes and Brussel sprouts and corn from their garden and pork dressing.  AND the best apple pie I have had in ages.

Then, we chatted about the genealogy discoveries I had found and after about an hour of that, we played a game of UpWords.  I love playing cards and board games.  When I lived in Saginaw, Ernie and I used to play cards or UpWords or Backgammon or Scrabble every night after supper.  I miss not having anyone to play games with.

It started getting grey and cloudy outside, so I started home around 3:30.  It seems strange that this time of year, you notice it is starting to get a bit "dim" outside and the next two minutes, you turn around to look again and it's pitch black!!

I got home about 4:15 and it was difficult driving the last few miles.  It was a really nice day and just the right amount of togetherness.

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I wanted to start decorating today.  Had to clean, dust and vacuum first and by the time I was done with that, my back, neck, shoulders, hands and legs were hurting.  So I only put up a little bit.  Just as long as I have it done so the outside and tree lights can go on Monday December 1st.  

Tradition ya know.

Purdy.

I don't if many of you follow Donna over on http://cottagedays.blogspot.com/.  Her husband has been battling cancer for quite a long time and is now in Hospice.  I think a few of us know how it feels to have a sick and/or dying mate around the holidays.  It just seems to make it all that much harder to bear.  A prayer for God's comforting arm around her shoulders, might be a nice thing to do for her.