It will be fun to see what Giada thinks of Menzie.  She followed Emily and Arlette around like a little puppy dog. 

Michael and I went to St. Bernard’s today because my sister had a Mass said for Rosemary and Joe.  I cooked a turkey and dressing and made gravy and cranberries yesterday and we have been pigging out for two days.  Friday Michael cooked the peppered Petit Jean ham Mary Ann brought.  I am going to make a pot of beans tomorrow with the bone.  It was not as hot as I remembered and I have eaten tons of it, too.  I still have some pie pastry in the refrigerator so I may make another mince pie or maybe a cherry one as I found the canned cherries I knew I had somewhere when I sent Michael out to buy some for Thanksgiving.  Amy and Brad sent over a tree I had given them a few years back and Michael has it all set up.  It looks really pretty just as it is, but, of course, we will decorate it.  We had Giada yesterday while Amy and Brad were decorating so we didn’t even think about doing anything.  The first Sunday of Advent liturgy nudged me into getting out the Advent wreath and getting down the Christmas dishes and even opening the door to the decorations closet.  It is a good thing Kate and David are coming because it is hard to start pulling out all the Christmas stuff.  It is so much easier to sit down at the computer.

Thanks to Bud and Janelle for a lovely Thanksgiving in Mexia complete with each person down to Teddy giving thanks as suggested by Jamie.  We were especially thankful to have Chris and Paul Beasley and their families join us.  So many memories of the past with their parents and Nannie and Sue and Paul and Jo Bowers.   Larry fried turkeys until he declared himself fried out, but they were delicious, so moist and flavorful.  I always roast mine for drippings, but, as far as the meat goes, fried can’t be beat.  Giada enjoyed being the baby, following around the big kids like Arlette and Emily, who, befitting their superior status, mostly ignored her.  She loved the fire pit and can’t wait until she is big enough to poke it with a stick on her own.  The Cowboys almost pulled it out, not quite, but the Christmans rejoiced nevertheless, winning two of the four quarters football pot.  We still haven’t heard the final results from the six dollar thirty-one game.  All Amy knows is she left Nolan playing her hand.  The odds were not good, however, as she was freeriding while Al had all six dollars intact.