So, it's been busy around here, and Thanksgiving was over a week ago, but here I am posting about it just the same.
Let's see, what happened?
My dad came to visit from South Carolina. Only, instead of arriving on Wednesday night like he had originally told me, he got here on Monday afternoon! Eek!
Victoria came to stay with us for the same week as well, because her mom, Veronica, was in the hospital giving birth to this little cutie:
Melodie-Grace, born 25 November 2014
I was kind of a wreck during that whole week (but I dutifully took my bipolar meds and tried my best to keep myself together), because:
1. We all had the flu,
2. Chloe ended up with pneumonia,
3. My dad was visiting us in Miami for the first time,
4. He's a total neat-freak,
5. My house is a perpetual mess,
6. I had a ton of cooking and baking to do for Thanksgiving,
and,
7. There's this humongous side-drama bullshit going on simultaneously that few people know about, but I don't really want to go into right now.
So!
It was fun, to say the least...
All Dad wanted for the week was some beautiful Miami weather, as a respite from the 30s he was experiencing back home in Aiken. Tuesday, he got his wish, so we went over to Biscayne National Park, which my kids have nicknamed "Remora Beach," and had a little bit of fun and a photo shoot.
Victoria joined us at Remora Beach, and the kids really just wanted to play in the water. Dad did not: it was pretty cold! And, like me, he is not fond of the cold. So, we did a little of that and a little walking around the park as a compromise to the children.
Despite having pneumonia, Chloe felt well enough to get off the couch and go with us. That day, anyway, was not bad... but I shouldn't have let her. She spent the next three days after that in complete misery, crying and barfing and aching and not eating and ugh! She lost a full pound, and for a tiny 13-year-old, it was a pound she could ill afford to lose.
We walked around the whole lagoon area, and the kids stopped and exclaimed multiple times over the fishies swimming in and around the mangroves. Sophie tried to tell me that she saw a barracuda, but having snorkeled with them myself many times, I simply did not believe her. I'm glad I didn't say as much out loud, though, because I would have eaten my words:
It was only a juvenile, but there it was, in living color, right in front of me! Oops. Sorry, Sophie.
Dad wanted me to take photos of him for his online dating profile. He's looking for his soulmate in his 70s, and I agreed to help him out!
Anyway.
On Wednesday, we were going to go to the pool, but it turned a little chillier, and Chloe became sicker, and I needed to bake my pies. We didn't, therefore, go.
Thursday, of course, was Thanksgiving Day. We don't have television service, so we couldn't begin my favorite way and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. However, my high school alma mater's current marching band performed in the parade, and they were pretty good!
It's actually C.W. Baker High School, not Baldwinsville HS, but close enough, eh?
We had a pretty good Thanksgiving feast with homemade everything. Can I tell you what it was, for posterity's sake? Good, I'm gonna:
Breakfast
- Mimosas, for the adults (OJ for the kids)
- Bacon & eggs
- Banana Muffins with Sugar & Spice Butter
- Lemon-Raisin Scones with Cranberry-Orange Butter
Snacks
- Spinach Ricotta Dip on Crostini
- Pickle & Olive Plate
- Mixed Cheeses and Crackers
- Chocolates
- Mixed Nuts
Dinner
- Rob's Famous Turkey and Gravy
- Wine/Sparkling Grape Juice
- Stuffing
- Corn
- Cranberry Relish
- Potato-Leek Casserole
- Cheddar-Pepper Biscuits with Thyme-Shallot Butter
- Broccoli Custard
Dessert
- Dutch Apple Cream Pie
- Pumpkin Pie with whipped cream
- Strawberry Mascarpone Custard
I have to give credit to the November 2014 issue of Martha Stewart Living for several of the recipes, as well as for the front door decoration at the top of this post.
I love that woman!
Anyway, Dad left with a cold of his own (sorry, Pop!) on Friday morning instead of Saturday as planned. Maybe he'll come back, maybe we scared him off? I don't know.
All I know is, I am now hungry and all that yummy food is gone.
I hope you all had a lovely holiday with your loved ones, too.
Fin.
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