EWWWWW

Today my best "girl" friend said that sometimes she thinks I love her more than my husband. (Eww). What do you say to that? Of course I love her.

She's the one person who knows me better than I know myself and yet she still likes me. She actually thinks I'm a good, fun, person to be with.

I don't believe that there is one aspect of my life that she doesn't know. She knows my every weakness, vulgarness, fatness, bad hairness, ruined teethness, abusive personess, scaredness, not wanting to go to churchness, vengelfulness, want to killsomeoneness, devastatedness, ugly thoughtsness, can't breatheorgoononemoreminuete personess and she still loves me.

I told her today(which prompted the you love me more remark)that if she dared to have the audacity to actually die and leave me alone in this god forsaken world that I would be only minuets behind her. Why she would go from that to the 'love more' remark...

Just because I have to call her everytime there's a crisis in my life. Just because she's the only woman friend in this world that I trust. Just because I know that she always will take my side. Just because she would drop everything to be there for me. Just because she knows each and everything about my children and still thinks that they are perfect and gorgeous and smart and talented. Just because she loves my house and my style(she actually thinks I have style)and thinks I'm pretty inside and out. Just because she calls me and then lets me talk for the next hour or two without getting a word in or even talking about why she called me in the first place...

For all those justs and more I can't imagine life without her. If that means that I love her more than Dale when then I guess she's right. But it still kinda grosses me out.

For Me

Last week my son Trevor asked me why I didn't advertise on the blog(personally, I don't know where they'd put an ad. I've used every available nook and cranny I can find). To my surprise, the very next day I heard a bit on the Today Show talking about how people actually make a living at this. Two criteria; they must have a passion for what ever they are putting on the blog and it must be something that appeals to a larger audience.

Initially, I started this out as an on-line journal. I really didn't want to edit it(what would my sister think?) or make apologies(of course I wasn't talking about you!). What I wrote would represent what I was thinking at that very moment. The next day I might wake up and wonder what drugs I had taken but still a moment in time...no explanations. I've kept to that rule. For the most part. I have done some mental screening. Mostly to protect the guilty. But you know, I'm 54 and I have a lot to share.

So today marks a new day. I'm not sure about the advertising. But I am sure about this: My blog has always been about me evolving and taking everything that I have ever experienced, (by choice or not) to become a more authentic and responsible person. Maybe part of that responsibility includes sharing. Even the dark and scary parts.

Fair warning...you may not like what I have to say. You may not agree. You might think I'm writing about you.

This has the capacity of being the best thing I've ever done...for me.

I'm Finally a Scrapper(of sorts)

I have literally spent hours 'scrapbooking' on the blog the last couple of weeks! I actually commented to a co-worker who does traditional scrapbooking that this couldn't be any less time consuming. I did a little research and found out that there are actually two camps. The traditional scrapbooker and the hybrid or digital scrapper. Who knew?

The following is an excerpt:
The gap between traditional and digital scrapbookers has already narrowed in recent years with the rising popularity of digital photography.
Traditional scrapbookers downloading images from their cameras onto the computer quickly found they were able to view, edit and share their images through Web sites like Kodak’s EasyShare Gallery, Flickr and Google’s Picasa. Social networking through blogs, camera phones, message boards and sites like MySpace.com also drove the movement to share digital images.
Image creation and manipulation software like Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements has also helped traditional scrapbookers design pages faster and easier. And in some cases, the results have been better-looking. With computers, scrappers can make straighter lines, generate neater-looking lettering and experiment more without having to commit. Virtual papers and embellishments, which become available as soon as digital designers create them online, have also allowed traditional scrappers to acquire the trendiest, latest products without having to wait months for them in stores.
But many traditional scrappers, still preferring the tactile nature so inherent in scrapbooking, see hybrid as the way to have the best of both worlds. They use digital elements to create part of their pages and physical embellishments to finish the job.
Digital scrappers have also gone traditional. Many of them — frustrated with the flat, fake look of virtual ribbons, flowers and tags — started printing out their pages and pasting real buttons or bows over the ones they’d digitally created. And even though the industry has responded with more photo-realistic adornments, many digi-scrappers have decided they like the mix. Now, many of them are printing out their cyber designs and turning them into 3-D gifts like cards, albums and even decoupaged home décor.
by Lisa Hutchurson

I love the less expensive scrapbooking(unless you consider time money) also the ability to share immediately with family and friends. . I also feel like I'm finally learning a 2nd language...HTML. It's exhaustive but so rewarding to figure something new out!

Ditto

Why we love Thanksgiving, the best holiday of 'em all.
by Mitch Albom
I'll take Thanksgiving.
You can have Halloween, New Year's, Christmas, Fourth of July, Easter, Hanukkah and any day dedicated to presidents. You can stack them all up on one side, and the turkey and I will stand on the other. I'll take Thanksgiving.
It is, to me, exactly what a holiday should be. For one thing, there are no gifts. You never have to worry about what to get someone for Thanksgiving or how much to spend. There are no lectures about "greed" or "commercialization" or how we're "forgetting the spirit" of Thanksgiving. No way. The spirit of Thanksgiving is eating. Who could forget that?
Secondly, it comes with football. What other holiday does that? New Year's Day? But at least with Thanksgiving, you don't have a hangover.
There is no "right" place to go on Thanksgiving except home. There is no church or synagogue. No graves that must be visited. No trekking out to watch fireworks. You just sit on the couch, or sit at the table, and you laugh and eat and laugh and burp and ta-da you are credited with knowing the "true meaning" of the holiday.
Also, it comes with a parade.
Did I mention the dressing? Not the turkey dressing. The human dressing. There isn't any! Oh, sure, maybe you put on a nice pair of pants. Maybe. But who really dresses up for Thanksgiving? You can celebrate in a sweatshirt. Can you say that about New Year's Eve? Not unless you're a lonely, pathetic loser.
And Thanksgiving doesn't require some smarty-pants history known only by your geeky cousin from Baltimore. Uh-uh. There's no quoting Lincoln or Washington. No reading from the Declaration of Independence. What do you need to know about Thanksgiving? The Pilgrims and the Indians had dinner. Pass the gravy.
Thanksgiving never moves. It is always on a Thursday, strategically placed so that you might as well take off Friday as well, since Saturday and Sunday are next, and, while you're at it, maybe half of Wednesday just to pick up everyone from the airport. Thanksgiving gets you half a week off. What does Labor Day get you? Monday?
And there is no shopping on Thanksgiving, unlike Memorial Day or Presidents Day. Sure, there are Thanksgiving sales, but you do them on FRIDAY! How cool is that?
Also, there are no masks. You don't beg for candy from strangers. And nobody eggs your house.
Tell me there's anything better than a meal that goes all night, that doesn't have an event tied to it, that doesn't come with a bill at the end.
Tell me there's anything better than only having to catch up with your aunts, uncles and cousins to feel like you did the holiday proud.
Tell me there's anything easier than passing plates.
Tell me there's any better place to appreciate what you have than in a kitchen filled with good smells.
Tell me there's a better invention than "the kids' table."
And what holiday not only condones but pretty much expects you to fall asleep on the couch?
So let's sum up. No costumes, no presents, no services, no tuxedoes, no time limit, no guilt trips, and all the food, naps and football you want.
I'll take Thanksgiving. After all, no one tries to sit on the turkey's lap and ask for an X-box.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

De Je Vu

About 7 days ago (or one week, or 168 hours, or 10,080 minutes, or 604,800 seconds) I was coming down with an illness. This illness is commonly referred to as "the common cold", but there is nothing common about the common cold. It's not everyday that you wake up not being able to breathe from your nose, or wake up to a headache that makes you wonder if aliens hit you in the head during your sleep.

Why is it that when ever a long week-end, a holiday or a vacation is on the horizon I get sick?

I'm never sick during the week. I may feel like death warmed over, but I still have that little voice inside my head saying "You're not that sick"...

Of course, it's Saturday and I have well over 50 people coming to our home for Thanksgiving on Thursday. I can't be sick!!!

Yet, I can't breathe, my head hurts, I'm cold one minute and hot the next, and if that's not enough, I bit the side of my tongue and it's killing me when I talk. I'm sure I'll be well enough by Monday to go back to work, but what about everything I need to do this week-end?

We've had one project after another to do because we changed one thing in our house last week.

We bought new carpet.

That meant painting the bedroom, which made the hallway look dirty, so we painted the hallway which made the entry way look worse than the hallway because there's more light and the living room paint didn't go with the carpet in the first place so we had to paint the living room. Nearly every room in the house is torn apart when all I really wanted was new carpet.

In the middle of all this Justin wants to come over and watch the football game, even though I told everyone that this week-end is sacred.

He brings popcorn and M&Ms knowing full well that I'm trying to lose weight before Thanksgiving...so now I've blown my diet.

You know, this time last year we were all sick...but with the flu! Remember? I called it Thanks-heaving Week-end. Maybe the cold is an improvement? Most colds last 10 days, I'm a few days into this...

Dale just called me in to look at the paint I picked for the living room...all that comes to mind is baby poop. I'm worse than I thought.

The Etiquette Grrls...

Thanksgiving Dinner Etiquette

Dear Reader, the Etiquette Grrls can think of nothing so Festive and All-American as a Lovely, Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner! (And, Dear Reader, the Etiquette Grrls are Experts on Things Festive and All-American, not to mention Things Lovely and Traditional.)

We are aware, however, that for many of Our Peers, Thanksgiving Dinner may take place not at one's Ancestral Home, but at the home of a Dear Friend, or a Dear Friend's Parents, or, perhaps Most Nerve-Wrackingly of all, One's Petit(e) Ami(e)'s Parents.

Everyone knows his or her own Family's Quirks and Traditions, yet, when one is a Guest at Thanksgiving Dinner, one will undoubtedly be exposed to Other People's Potential Wackiness. And of course, even in the midst of the Traditional Family Dinner From Hell, Dear Reader, you would not wish to be Rude. The Etiquette Grrls have thus compiled a helpful Guide to Thanksgiving Dinner, which should help alleviate your fears and allow you to Be Seated at any Thanksgiving Table with the Utmost Confidence and Decorum.

What You Should Wear
Of course, the Dress Code for any event is the decision of the Hostess. However, the Etiquette Grrls can understand, Dear Reader, that you may not get any Dress Code Guidance from your Hostess. We have, upon occasion, been told by Dear Friends whose Homes we were visiting, "Oh, just wear anything, my Mother won't care." Anything? Should the Etiquette Grrls show up in Ballgowns and Mink Stoles? Might we, if we owned Sweatpants and made a habit of wearing Tennis Shoes for Non-Athletic Activity, show up in Gym Attire? Please, Dear Reader, if you are Bringing Friends Home for Thanksgiving, clue them in about How Dressed-Up your family gets!

If the meal is being served in the Early Afternoon (customary for Thanksgiving), we think it is appropriate to dress in Nice, Dressy Clothing that is Still Appropriate for Daytime. For Girls, this would be a Pretty Dress, or Blouse / Sweater Set and Skirt, or a Suit, with Accessories to Match. Boys should wear a Jacket and Tie with a Nice Button-Down shirt and Dressy Pants, or a Suit, and Good Shoes. Both Boys and Girls must avoid anything Sparkly, Garish, Tight, Revealing, or (Horrors) Dirty. If Thanksgiving Dinner is at Night, dress as you would for a Regular Dinner Party. One word of caution: Do remember, however, that most Thanksgiving Dinners are Family Affairs, and you are likely to be seated across from Someone's Grandmother, so you might wish to dress a Bit More Conservatively than you might at a Typical Swanky Dinner Party Thrown by Your Best Friend.

On-Time Arrival
First, although the Etiquette Grrls know many of our Dear Readers will be traveling Vast Distances to arrive at the Holiday Table, this does not give anyone license to be grumpy, moody, or snippy upon arrival. Yes, of course I-15 was a Sleet-Covered Stretch of Hell and it took an hour and a half to go from Syacuse to Sandy No, no one wants to discuss this at length. And please do, Dear Reader, make Every Effort to leave Early Enough so that you will actually Arrive When You Are Supposed To! Otherwise, your Hostess will be Quite Flummoxed. (And as anyone who has been a Hostess for Thanksgiving will tell you, preparing a Big Turkey is Stressful Enough, thank you.) Also, of course, you should Bring a Little Something for your Hostess. , any nice little present will do.

"Weird" Thanksgiving Foods, Etc.
The Etiquette Grrls have Heard Talk of homes where Traditional Holiday Meals are Non-Existent. While we do appreciate Originality (and have, ourselves, Made the Departure from the Sit-Down Turkey Dinner), we believe that anyone planning to Branch Out should Make This Matter Known when the Invitations are Issued. Just because you, Dear Reader, have Gone Vegan, is no reason to surprise all your Hungry Guests, to whom, in previous years, you served a Traditional Meal, with something called "Tofurkey." (Which, frighteningly enough, the EGs are Not Making Up.) If you plan on Replicating Down to the Most Minute Detail the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving Feast, you should, similarly, Warn Your Guests, who might be Un Peu Surprised to find Salt Cod on their Plates.

Dear Reader, should you Find Yourself at a Thanksgiving Dinner at which Any of the Above Crimes are Perpetrated, you must still try to Be a Good Guest and Attempt to Eat What You Are Served. Even if it is Wasabi-Brushed Coconut Turkey Kebabs. Be Polite, and know that next year, you'll have Quite the Horror Story to Tell.
If you yourself have Culinary Foibles which Restrict What You Eat, you must still Not Be Rude about it. Most Thanksgiving Dinners feature several different dishes, from which even the World's Most Picky Eater should be able to fashion an ample meal.
All Guests absolutely must Refrain from making Editorial Comments on the Meal as It Is Served. ("Dear God, are those MARSHMALLOWS on the Sweet Potatoes? Ugh, I think I'm going to be Sick.") Yes, the Etiquette Grrls might agree with that sentiment, but no, we wouldn't dream of Voicing It at the Table.


Behaving Yourself at the Table
Of course, all Normal Rules of Table Manners apply. Get your elbows off the table, use your fork and knife properly, don't drink from the Finger Bowls, etc. If the food is Passed Around, take a small portion of dishes that appeal to you and offer the platter or bowl to the person seated beside you. Do not, upon spotting Butternut Squash prepared Just the Way You Like It, reach across the table, grab the bowl, and plop a Mountain of it onto Your Plate, whilst yelling, "YES! THE SQUASH IS ALL MINE, AND NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE ANY!" If you have a preference for a particular kind of turkey meat, that is all well and good, but do wait until the platter reaches you or until the person serving asks you if you would like white or dark meat. You are not allowed to "place dibs" on a Drumstick, and, should you not get one, you are most definitely not allowed to Sulk or become Surly. And finally, while most Thanksgiving Dinners the Etiquette Grrls have attended offer a Splendid Variety and Amount of Food, we remind our Dear Readers that Gluttony is Most Unbecoming. Even if you are a Strapping Young Lad home from a College where the food is Unspeakably Awful, you should not attempt to Stuff Yourself as if this were your Last Meal. There will be food left over, and you will, we are sure, be able to make a sandwich after the Touch Football Game to Tide Yourself Over.


Thanksgiving Traditions
Again, Dear Reader, if you are bringing Guests to your house, please do Fill Them In on any Family Traditions they may encounter. Guests, however, must Play Along with any sort of tradition, whether or not they have been given Advance Warning or find the Tradition in Question to be, in their opinion, Quite Odd.


Whatever your Religious Beliefs, if any form of Grace or Blessing is said, you must Be Respectful. If you do not know how to participate, follow the lead of others, looking appropriately solemn. If you are asked to Say Grace, Make a Toast, etc., you must comply, no matter how much you hate Speaking in Public. (It is probably good, for this reason, to Be Prepared and have something Short and Sweet ready to say, Just In Case.) Similarly, if you Fancy Yourself an Orator, and you are Dining at Someone Else's House, do not Usurp the Floor from that family's Patriarch or Matriarch. Nobody really wants to hear your Toast in the Form of a Villanelle, or Elaborate Sermon on the Meaning of Thanksgiving, so please, just Pipe Down, Cicero.


To conclude, Dear Reader, the Etiquette Grrls wish you a Very Happy Thanksgiving, and we hope your Holiday Dinner, wherever it is held, is Pleasantly Devoid of Rudeness!

Day Dreamin

My day dream, is of me walking into a room full of people singing. As I walk up the aisle I start harmonizing and singing like no other. Of course, everyone stands up and starts clapping and crying at the same time. It's amazing!

Flash back to real life..

A few weeks ago Dale and I sang in church. I had my first solo and..."yikes". Basically nothing came out of my mouth. I kept looking at Dale cross-eyed wondering whose voice was coming out of me.

I'm not sure my ego will every completely recover.


Today I discovered this video on Facebook of a bunch of guys singing on the subway. Man...This is my dream.

Letting Go

Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.

Carrie Fisher

It's revealing to look at the word itself. "Resentment" is close to "re-sentiment" -- "sentiment" meaning "feeling" and "re" meaning "again." So, resentment is literally "feeling again." This gets to the heart of resentment: recycling old negative feelings, revisiting old wrongs done to us by others.
It's as if each of the offending incidents is captured on videotape in our minds. Resentment, in effect, is mentally replaying the scene countless times each day. As we do so, real wrongs grow worse, and wrongs that are merely imagined assume a life of their own.
This mental habit extracts tremendous costs.

After all, resentment does nothing to change the person we resent. Nor does it resolve conflict. Instead of freeing us from the wrongs of others, resentment allows those people to dominate our thinking -- a kind of emotional bondage.

Try defusing resentment with the following:

Describe resentments in writing. You can note the people you resent, the actions that offend you, and how your live has been affected.

Once they're down on paper they no longer seem so huge or powerful. In fact, on paper a lot of resentments look downright stupid. . . . These are the very same resentments that seemed completely reasonable and justified--and powerful--while they were in your head."

Look at your role in the resentment. Examine the original incident that fueled your resentment and ask: Did I do anything to cause this situation or make it worse? If we're honest, the answer will often be yes. Be willing to live without resentment. People can get a perverse satisfaction in feeding their resentments. Many times the only thing that keeps us from being free of resentments is the fear of being without them.

Pray for the person you resent. If you will ask in prayer for everything you want for yourself to be given to them, you will be free. Ask for their health, their prosperity, their happiness, and you will be free. Do this, even if such a prayer seems like mere words at first. Try it every day for two weeks and you will come to mean it. This technique literally squeezes resentment out of our minds, because positive concern and resentment simply cannot coexist.

Remember: It's not about the offending person...it's about you...recognize that you can continue to identify with whatever it was that threw your life out of balance causing so much pain and humilation, or you can decide that you simply are no longer that hurt person....

you choose to be a person without bitterness and resentment. For your own good. For your own inner freedom and growth. And particularly in order to make space inside of you.

As you choose to turn your back on the bitterness and resentment, you no longer need to use up energy to keep up those feelings. Now your energy can be channeled towards totally different - life-giving - endeavours.

Hell.....o

I've been in blog hell...o for the past two weeks.

In trying to set one up for our family I made a test blog. It seems that the HTML format I'm use to has now been replaced with what is suppose to be easier, but the lack of flexibility with it is making me crazy.

In going back and forth searching for new templates I can't tell you how many times I messed up my own blog. So for those of you who visit occasionally you'll notice a slightly new look. After several hours of trying to find what I somehow lost, I decided to start over.

I've ended up with a user friendly family blog...

http://thechristensenstory.blogspot.com/

It's on the new system( it's a little stiff for me but I may just need to learn the language) that I think will be quick and easy for the grandkids.

Now if I can just get everyone to participate.

Sharing Traditions

If you’re tired of the same old trip to the mall to see Santa, or the usual Thanksgiving Day routine, try some of these traditions.

Whether it’s putting a new twist on an old tradition or creating a brand-new family holiday, you’re sure to find some inspiration from these great ideas from reader's of LDS Living Magazine.

Thanksgiving Traditions:

The Gratitude Tree
In the fall, our family goes on walks to find colorful leaves. After collecting several of our favorites, we seal them in clear Con-Tact paper to preserve them. We put up our artificial Christmas tree on November 1 (without decorations), and every day until Thanksgiving each family member chooses a leaf, writes one thing he or she is grateful for, and hangs it on the tree. As the leaves accumulate, it’s easy for our kids to see how many blessings we have in our lives.
Jennifer Barnes Chicago, Illinois

Turkey Bowl
My husband comes from a rather large family, and many of his brothers and sisters live nearby. Every year, on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the adults gather for a game of flag football—better known as the Turkey Bowl. The losing team has to wash all the Thanksgiving dishes. With about forty people gathering for the feast, the stakes are high and the game is always exciting! The Larson Family San Jose, California

Five Kernels of Corn
One of our favorite sermons by General Authority Sterling W. Sill involves five kernels of corn. On Thanksgiving, we would place five kernels of corn on each person’s dinner plate. During the meal, each family member took the opportunity to pick up a kernel and express gratitude for a particular blessing. We continued around and around the table until we had each shared five blessings we were thankful for. It was always a tender moment when a missionary son would send his thoughts via mail to be shared at Thanksgiving dinner.
Karen Duffy Auburn, Washington


Family Feathers
On the first Sunday in November, my children cut out construction-paper turkey feathers. With a little help from Mom and Dad, they place them in envelopes and mail them to all of their cousins and grandparents. Each person writes on a feather something he or she is thankful for and mails it back to us. After Thanksgiving dinner, our children take turns reading the feathers aloud and taping them on a piece of poster board with a turkey drawn on it. It’s been a wonderful way to help our family feel blessed and at the same time feel more connected to relatives who are not able to join us for the holiday.
Lisa Smith Salt Lake City, Utah


Giving Day
On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, our family participates in what has become know n as “Giving Day.” I gather old clothes and shoes, and our children each fill a box with some of their toys to donate to the local women’s shelter. This is a great way to teach our children to think about others. Plus, you’ll clear some room for next month’s Christmas presents! Julie Phipps Boise Idaho


Christmas Traditions:

Sleeping Under the Tree
Our family sleeps in sleeping bags under the Christmas tree on December 23. We’ve been doing it for thirty years now, and it’s great fun. Everyone looks forward to it!
Brian Palmer

Santa’s Workshop
Our family sets aside a day at the beginning of December to transform our playroom into Santa’s workshop. We all sift through the children’s toys and collect the ones that are in good condition but have not been played with in quite some time. We wash them with soap and water and do any minor repairs such as brushing a doll’s hair and putting in a pretty ribbon, or sewing a small tear in a hand puppet. When all the toys are ready to go, we either take them to Good Will or a local homeless shelter. Our kids feel good about sharing their toys with kids who are less fortunate, and we enjoy a little extra storage space—at least until Christmas morning!
Susan Johnson New York, New York


Personal Ornaments
Every year I buy each child an ornament signifying what they had an interest in for that particular year. One year my son loved playing a card game. For his ornament, he had a card decorated with a string! Once my children marry, the ornaments go with them.
Charlotte Roberts Hickory Creek, Texas

Christmas Eve Books
When I was a fairly young mother, this quote by Strickland Gillilan struck me deeply:
You may have tangible wealth untold; Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. Richer than I you can never be— I had a mother who read to me.
I, too, had both a mother and a grandmother who read to me—something I cherished. With that in my heart, I determined that perhaps something I could do that would be more lasting than other trendy gifts at Christmas would be a specially selected book for each member of my family.
I would listen all year and choose a special book that perhaps focused on a hobby, told a story I wanted them to experience, or, many times, a specific book that they hoped for. Once it was chosen, I would sit on Christmas Eve day and write a personal note in the front cover that spoke of my impressions over the past year.
After the other traditions are carried out, the gift-wrapped books would be given and opened one at a time. Each person would then enjoy their title and read their note from me. Through the years, as my children grew, they began surprising me with a book of my own. It has become one of our most bonding and cherished traditions.
M. Steed


Three Gifts
My husband and I decided before we had our children that Christmas would not be all about the presents they are receiving. So we started a tradition with our first child, and it has continued with the next two. We each receive three gifts to represent the three gifts given to Christ from the Wise Men. Not only does it cut down on expenses, but each Christmas morning we can remind our children of the wonderful night of our Savior’s birth.
Alethea Carpenter Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

New Years Traditions:

Piece of Cake
My husband served his mission in Greece, and for New Year’s Eve we use the old Greek tradition of Saint Basil’s cake, or as we call it, the “New Year’s cake”—a big cake with a silver dollar inside. At midnight, we cut a piece of cake for each friend and family member. The one who gets the dollar carries an extra bit of good luck into the New Year
Anita Grover

Pots and Pans
My mother would always run to the front porch yelling Happy New Year and banging the pots and pans together. I don't think I've missed a year of 'Pots and Pans' for over 40 years now!
Myra Christensen

Tradition

Every Thanksgiving Night for probably more than 20 years now, we have had family come to our home for "Pie Night".

It started with my brothers and sisters and their children and now has grown to our children's spouses and children. It is the most enjoyable night of the holiday season for me. To have the people that I love gathered in our home sharing stories of their lives, seeing the change in the children.

Since it's in our home we are hastily cleaning up thanksgiving dinner and putting the left overs away.

One year a few of us decided pie just wasn't enough and late in the evening I started pulling out leftovers! The favorite was a broccoli casserole that our youngest son always made.

Several years later a favorite cousin of his couldn't make it for Thanksgiving Pie and had mentioned to him how much she missed his casserole. That Christmas he made it again just for her.

He passed from this world at the tender age of 17.

Sometime later I received a letter from his cousin(Debbie) sharing one of her favorite memories of him . It was of course on "Pie Night". He was leaning across the kitchen counter, hands spread wide on either side of him, a huge smile on his face... making sure everyone was getting enough of his casserole.

A Thanksgiving has not come and gone since without "Tay's Broccoli Casserole".