Thanksgiving Memories and Other Stuff

Good morning and welcome Through My Back Door. We are having Cracker Barrel coffee this morning and it is soooo good. I am glad you came to visit me and hope you will just relax and visit. I hope when you come Through My Back Door, you feel welcome and know that I love having you.
It is amazing how my back door has changed. It now looks like this

It used to look like this

Now I am waiting for the front door to change. It will soon have a screen door like this

This is one of my favorite doors in Williamsburg. My dream is to go see it decorated for Christmas one year. all of Williamsburg, not just the screen door.lol
I have been so busy this fall. We went to the beach in October and then I went over to visit my friend Sandi Stevens at her home, Daybreakplace in W. Va. Another friend Nicole Rosier came over too and we had such a good time. I left there and went on to Ohio to visit my good friends, and to see family. I loved every minute of it.
On Thursday while I was there, Nina Meachum, Gayle Ferguson, and Linda Rebtoy, and I met and went to lunch and antiquing. What a wonderful day! Nina has the most spectacular home I have ever seen. I am going to ask her to let me do a blog on her house. I have to say she is spectacular too!lol On the right is from back to front, Gayle, Nina, and Linda. That is my friend Nancy behind me. I look horrible as I forgot my makeup  and looked a mess the whole time. I didn't kn ow I was vain until that happened.lol As Debbie's minister said one time, "Any old barn looks better with a fresh coat of paint"

I was home for just a few days when it was time to leave on my card groups annual get away. We have played 32 years and you know them by now. We went to Pigeon Forge and I must say the weather was wonderful. We shopped a bit on Thursday then went to the cabin and chilled until Friday night when we went to the Lodge at Buck Berry to eat dinner.

There we are with the handsome moose looking over our shoulders. Fran is missing this year as she had gone to visit her daughter, son in law and granddaughter in another country. FYI  In this group are 2 Bettys, 2 Linda's, and 2 Regina's. go figure.
I am now home for the winter. It is always fun to go and always nice to get home. This has been the other stuff and now for Thanksgiving memories
We always had the same ritual for Thanksgiving. My Dad and Curtis always went rabbit hunting early on Thanksgiving morning. When the boys got old enough they went along. One year my Dad was very ill and we weren't doing Thanksgiving.  Curtis, the kids and I celebrated alone. Determined to keep up tradition, Curtis and the boys loaded up to go hunting. I was going to take them, because our beagle would always come back home if they walked. I took them quite a way and drove back home. It wasn't long until I saw Sam slipping in the back gate. He was not a hunter, nor was he ever. I don't remember if there was any hunting done on Thanksgiving after that. I cooked my first ever turkey that year. Wish I had a dollar for everyone I have cooked since. If we were going to my folks for Thanksgiving, which we always did except that year, and then later I started hosting it and my family and Curtis' family always came. However when we went to my folks my Dad was always on the porch and he always said the same thing, "Where have you been? You should have been her 15 minutes ago". We still say this on holidays and still get a laugh.
Another Thanksgiving memory was one year Doug told me not to buy a turkey. He was going to a turkey shoot and would provide the  turkey. Imagine my shock when he brings in a very small turkey to feed over 20 people. We went back to Krogers and found a large fresh turkey and he never knew it wasn't his. I guess he thought it was like the loaves and fishes. Nothing like memories is there?
Do you ever wonder what kind of memories you are making? I do. I have the best memories of my grandparents, and my family traditions. I hope one day my grands will remember the fun times we have had and I also hope they will remember the values we have tried to instill. I know one thing, they all remember coming to my house and having ice cream for breakfast.
Well this will be my last post until after Thanksgiving. I am going to start my Christmas decorating this week. I love the holidays. Everything about them. I find I miss my Daddy so much at Christmas. That will be another post.
I am so happy you come Through My Back Door where life is good.
betty
PS: Let us pray for France and all the families of the victims
PSS: I have a special young man who has been deployed for 7 months on a ship. Not good with all that is going on. Would you please pray for Alex and  MaryKate?
PSSS: Looking forward to having you come visit during Christmas