The Day After, Happiness is...

Mincemeat stars, mini-cranberry bread muffins and coffee...


and



cooler temperatures. I'm sure the "cold" won't deter the holiday shoppers today, and my husband and I are even braving the mob in an attempt to replace the Christmas tree the last set of movers "misplaced" somewhere between Kansas and Texas. I've already purchased some holiday trees from Target along with some birchbark ornaments and decor, but until we have the tree up (not until December 1), I have some time to pack away the harvest decor, do a good winter cleaning around the house, and get our annual holiday letter typed up and printed for our Christmas cards.

This year I discovered the best way to prevent the fridge from being stuffed to the brim with leftovers from turkey dinner: invite five soldiers away from home over for dinner and set the twenty-five-pound turkey with all of the fixin's in the middle of the table between them. The meal was delicious, the company was good, and I even managed to add "new mixer" to my Christmas wish list after my husband broke ours making REAL smashed potatoes. To think, several of our guests, including my husband, were deployed overseas this time last year. "Thankful" is just the beginning of the description of emotions the kids and I have been feeling since June.

One of our dinner guests was a soldier from Singapore. He'd never had pumpkin pie, so I was very pleased that I made the pie myself, cinnamon crust and all (sorry Mrs. Stouffer) for his first experience.

We're off to Lowe's. Enjoy a turkey sandwich for us, will you?