On Black Friday

On the Friday after Thanksgiving (otherwise known as Black Friday), as is our tradition, my dad and I hit the streets of Huntsville for all manner of dollar saving deal. Let me tell you, they were few and far between this go around. I suppose this would be a good time for me to rant for a brief minute about how our society has clearly lost their minds and apparently values a sale and a profit over time with family and friends. I just find it ridiculous that stores are now opening on Thanksgiving Day and it gets earlier and earlier every year and soon stores will probably just stay open the whole day. I, for one, much preferred it when stores opened at 5:00 a.m. and you had to get up in the wee hours of the morning to make it to the store and stand in line for a good deal. I guess no one else feels that way though because the madness just gets worse every year. 

Anyway, we went out on Friday morning, leaving my house around 7:30 a.m. Our first stop was Dick's Sporting Goods, which is where we stop every year because they have golf balls and gloves on sale and my dad loads up for the next year of golf. We also bought some hand warmers in anticipation of the football game that evening being cold. 

When we were done at Dick's, we headed over to Verizon. It was time for my dad to upgrade for several reasons. One, it was literally time for a contract renewal and two, he was still using a Blackberry which is basically a useless phone in today's age on Android vs. iPhone. So, he switched to an Android and got the Samsung Galaxy S5. So far he is loving it and I am so glad! He also got a tablet so he can play games on a larger screen, etc. I haven't heard him say much about it but hopefully he is liking it as well. I would say the time at Verizon was a well-spent success. 

After Verizon we went to the mall but didn't spend too much time there. We didn't have anything in particular to get, there were a ton of people there and we were both tired and ready to get a nap before our planned evening adventure. So, we left not long after we arrived and we didn't even stop for breakfast which is typically our routine. 

That afternoon, around 3:45 p.m., we left for the big city of Gadsden to watch Madison Academy play Glencoe in the semi-finals of the state championship. We both had a feeling it would be a close game and despite MA's prowess, neither of us felt confident they would win. So, we went in case it turned out to be the last game of the season, and let's face it, because we love football and wanted to go. 

We stopped for dinner along the way and got to the game about 20 minutes before kickoff. It was freezing cold outside which seems strange considering it's so warm now. The game was the best one we have seen all year. It was tied at the half and tied again late in the game. With just 16.9 seconds remaining,MA kicked the field goal for the win. It was so exciting and a fun night and great win. I was so glad we were there. Now, we'll head to Auburn on Thursday for the state finals. 

When the game was over, we made the journey back home, and I dropped my dad off just a few minuted before 11:00 p.m. which was a lot earlier than I anticipated us returning.  It was a fun full day and evening.

On Thanksgiving Day

Well, it's December, which is beyond hard to believe; but, here we are and I hope you are well on your way to being ready for Christmas. First things first though, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I can honestly say that this year's Thanksgiving was the best I've had since I was a kid. It's been a long while since I've really enjoyed a Thanksgiving and this year took the cake. 

Many years ago, all manner of Parker would congregate together on Thanksgiving for a big meals and lots of loud talking; but then people started getting married and having babies and long story short, it's been a hot minute since we've all spent a holiday together. Last year, my dad and my cousin Chris decided we needed to bring the tradition back and that is exactly what we did this year. 

The gathering was at the home of my parents and we were slated to start at 4:00 p.m. This was a big change for our side of the family because we usually eat around noon, but I, for one welcomed the later start time as it gave me more free time that morning and early afternoon and also allowed people traveling from out of town more travel time. I got up early in the morning and rolled out my rolls and did a few other things and then got all bundled up in multiple layers and drove two miles up the mountain to the Land Trust Parking Lot. 

The Land Trust sponsors a Thanksgiving morning hike every year (this was the 21st year in fact!) and I had decided that I was going to participate. For one, I needed some physical activity before spending the rest of the day eating and sitting (although the sitting part didn't really happen) and for two, I thought it would be nice to have some solitude before the chaos of the afternoon ensued. I mean, let's face it, I had no idea what the afternoon would hold and I figured I would be much better equipped to handle it after some fresh air and exercise. Thirdly, I want to get as much in as possible before my knee surgery and figured this would be a good way to get in some more exercise before I have a few weeks of not so active activity. I expected there to be maybe 10 or 20 people on the hike, but, in fact, there were 101 people and six dogs, Pippa not included. I didn't take The Pip because I figured she would be wild, I didn't want to scoop her poop (although I'm not sure if you have to) and she had just had a bath recently and I didn't want her to get gross (maybe I'll give it a try with her on another day). 

The hike started was scheduled for 9:00 a.m. but was a little late getting started because everyone had to get signed in and they also gave some door prizes for the people who lived the farthest away and the youngest and oldest. The oldest was an 86 year old man and a woman who was older than 80 but younger than 85 was a close second and they both did really well on the hike. The hike went from the mountain down to three caves with a couple of stops along the way, including the old railroad bed that was used to transport people up and down the mountain in the late 1800s. In total, it took about an hour and a half and I was glad I did it. It was cold to start but after we got going, I was really warm and even shed some layers. I really enjoyed the hike and learning some more about the history of Huntsville and will definitely go on another Land Trust hike when I have the chance. 

After the hike, I went back home and finished up my cooking and then laid down for a nap of sorts. I don't think I ever really got to sleep, but it was nice to lay down and take a load off for a while. I finally got up, showered and made myself presentable, finished up the food, loaded it up in the car and headed over to my parents' house. 

Folks soon started trickling in and we got started with a Thanksgiving prayer a little after 4:30 p.m. In all, there were 41 people in attendance and an abundance of food. We could have fed another 20 people I think. People stayed for hours which was such a welcome change from the past when people ate and then ran out the door. We still had some folks to leave as soon as they were done eating, but most everyone else stayed and I think the last person left some time after 8:00 p.m.

I got some of the kitchen cleaned up before heading home and by the time I got home, I was worn out, and that was only the first day of a four day weekend. The rest of the weekend was just as busy and I have so much more to tell. Fingers crossed, I can find some time to write all about it because some of it will definitely make for good blogging material. 

The Hustle and Bustle

The past few days have been crazy for me and I'm sure they have for you as well. I've been trying to get ready for Thanksgiving and have had a million other things going on as well. I guess not really a million, but it sure seems like it. 

Sunday night at church we had a special Thanksgiving service and afterwards I headed over to my friend Kristen's house (along with some other friends) to make Christmas sweatshirts. We are all participating in the Galaxy of Lights Fun Run this coming Tuesday and I thought it would be fun for us to make a tacky Christmas sweatshirt to wear. Kristen and I ordered iron-ons with our name on them and the other girls made reindeer shirts. They all turned out cute/tacky and I'm looking forward to us wearing them when we go to the Fun Run. 

Monday after work, I had a doctor's appointment. I mentioned a while back about my appointment with the vein doctor. I went to my second ultrasound on Monday so they could prove to the insurance that I have some varicose veins and that I need to have them repaired. It will probably be early next year before I do anything about it, if I do. I think I want to, but the thought of wearing stockings for two weeks is less than appealing. So, we'll see. 

After my doctor's appointment, I went by my cousin Lauren's house to pick up my bag of yearbooks that I had left at her house. I ended up talking to her for about 30 minutes or so. Then, I went by the home of Paul and Leah to have dinner. Leah's parents and brother are in town from Texas and she had a lot of leftovers from a wedding Paul was in this past weekend and so we all ate some delicious food and enjoyed some fellowship. I had grand plans of starting some cooking on Monday, but after stuffing my belly at Paul and Leah's. cooking was the last thing I wanted to do. 

Tuesday after work, I went by Hobby Lobby where I ran into none other than Paul and Leah and her parents and they invited me over for dinner again. I grabbed the things I needed (I am making a Christmas tutu for the Fun Run) and then swung by Publix to get a handful of items for a pie I have decided I want to make. As much as I wanted to go by Paul and Leah's for dinner, I knew I should be disciplined and go home instead and so I sent her a text and said I was going to be responsible and go home and get some things crossed off my list. I did just that and started some of my cooking for Thanksgiving. 

That brings us to Wednesday, which is currently today, but probably isn't today by the time you read this. For the past few years, I have gone to a movie on the eve of Thanksgiving and that is exactly what I did this year too. After work, I caught the 4:30 p.m. showing of Mockingjay Part I. I have so been looking forward to this movie and it did not disappoint. My cousin Jan met me there so we could both have some down time before finishing up our cooking. 

I went home after the movie and got a big chunk of cooking done so that there wouldn't be much left for Thursday. This year we are having a larger group than normal for Thanksgiving and I think we are all looking forward to a good meal and a good time together. Hope you and your family have a great day as well! 

I Love The Winter Weather

Well, in case you missed it, the whole country has been under a massive freeze this week. Some of us are lucky enough to thaw out over the weekend and next week before the next round hits. Others of us, however, aren't so lucky. When I lived in Niagara Falls a long, long time ago, I saw my fair share of snow. I cannot even imagine the amount of snow they have right now. I wish I could see my old apartment building. I'd love to know how tall the snow was at my former home.

Here in Alabama w haven't had any snow, but we've had quite a chill. One day this week it was colder in Huntsville than it was in Alaska. That doesn't even remotely make sense. It's like we skipped fall all together. Admittedly I love the cooler weather. I'm a big fan of sweaters and coats and hats and gloves and scarves and all the other fun accessories that come this time of year.

The bad things about it being cold outside is that it is steaming hot at work. I'm tempted to buy a portable air conditioner it's so stinkin' hot! I (and others) have emailed the head maintenance man asking for him to turn down the heat; but alas, our pleas fall on deaf ears. Today, I wore a short sleeve shirt under my sweater and cost and early in the morning, I had already shed the sweater and despite the fact I was in short sleeves, I was still hot.

I don't know if it's the combination of cold outside and sweltering hot inside, but something had got a lot of folks at the office coughing and hacking and not feeling well, myself included. I stopped by the Quick Care after work on Wednesday because I had a sore throat and wanted to nip it before it got worse. I also want to make sure I'm 100% well before my surgery lest it be cancelled. As it stands now, it's scheduled at a perfect time and I want to do everything I can to make sure it happens when it's scheduled. I got a shot of antibiotics and oral antibiotics and hopefully I'm well on the way to feeling better.

Soon it will be December and I have not even had pictures taken for my Christmas card. My cousin (who usually takes our photos) has been busy getting married and setting up a new home and our schedules haven't meshed. So, this weekend, my friend Kristen is going to take photos for us. Fingers crossed we have at least one that's Christmas card worthy.

I've got a full weekend of random activities planned, including shopping for Thanksgiving and maybe even getting a head start on cooking. Speaking of which, we are having a little Thanksgiving potluck at work on Friday and I'm looking forward to enjoying some delicious food with my work family. It will be a great way to kick off the weekend and the holiday season!

Thanksgiving Weekend 2013 Recap

Happy December everyone! Can you believe we have reached the last month of the year and that there are only 28 days left in the year as I type this? It doesn't seem possible, but it is. 

I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. Mine was rather low-key and uneventful which was nice. I was in charge of making the dressing, rolls and coleslaw and also made a dessert. I believe that this year's dressing was my best ever. It's never the same twice, but this year's was top notch. Hopefully I can duplicate it at Christmas time because last year's Christmas dressing might have been my worst ever. 

We ate at 1:00 and after about an hour, half the guests had parted ways and gone to their next destination. My grandmother and another lady cleaned up the kitchen and I helped only marginally. I really don't even know if you could consider it helping. I left about 3:45 and took some food over to my Aunt Linda who did not get out because she had eye surgery earlier in the week. When I got there, my cousins Chris, Amy and Bennett were also there and we all got sucked into watching Family Feud. So, after about two hours of the Feud, I headed home to deal with my wild as a buck dog and the messy kitchen. 

On Black Friday, my dad and I got out for a little while. We have been hitting the Black Friday sales since I was in college and used to wake early in the morning to score gift cards and giveaways. Now that the sales start on Thursday (ridiculous) we miss out on what few freebies there are and so this year we got our latest start ever at around 9:00 a.m.

Our first stop was Wal-Mart and we got a front parking spot which would have been unheard of two years ago. I bought myself a small Christmas tree for my den and an even smaller on for my bedroom. The trees were not expensive and were an additional 30% that Friday, so I got both for $27.50 - not bad. I got these because I decided that with Pippa around a regular sized tree would not be a good idea. Instead I put the small tree on top of the chest in my den so that she (in theory) wouldn't be able to reach it. I am also not putting out my favorite Grinch pieces because I don't want them to end up broken. Hopefully next year they can make a return appearance. 

After our Wal-Mart stop, we went to Dick's Sporting Goods because my dad likes to load up on the $5 golf gloves and golf balls. I bought some socks because the majority of my athletic socks are worn thin or have holes n them and I am way overdue for some new ones. We then went by Belk where we were lucky to find a parking spot. I had bought myself a new purse a few weeks ago and when my grandma saw it on Thanksgiving she asked if she could have it. So, I went and bought her the exact same one. They only had one left so it was a lucky find. 

We left Belk and went to another Wal-Mart and then went back to the first Wal-Mart we had been to that morning and finally my dad decided on a TV for my mom. This is not a surprise as he delivered it to her upon our return. The rest of Friday was spent doing a whole lot of nothing - just TV watching and laundry and a little cleaning. 

Saturday morning I took Pip to the vet to get her weighed and buy a heartworm pill for the month. She weighed 32.6 pounds, which is only eight pounds more than she weighed in October. I'm beginning to wonder if she might not turn out as big as I had originally thought. I guess time will tell. That afternoon was the now infamous Iron Bowl which I watched at my Aunt Linda's with Chris and Bennett and Amy (for the last quarter or so). Alabama played terrible so I wasn't really surprised they lost. I guess that's why they play the game. 

I went home afterwards and watched a movie and did some laundry and then called it a night. Sunday was more of the same - church and being lazy and church again and then Monday I returned to work. 

Hope you enjoyed a happy Thanksgiving with those you love and that your plates and hearts were full.

Thanksgiving 2012

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. Mine was good and busy and it’s hard to believe it’s already over and we are all now focusing on Christmas.

After working the recount last Monday and Tuesday, I went back to my “real” job on Wednesday. After work, I came home and mixed up a large pan of dressing and rolled up some apple dumplings. Seems like I did a few other things as well but I can’t remember what all it was. I took a break to attend church and then came home and did some more food prep, including mixing up two batches of bread dough for homemade rolls.

Thursday morning I got up early and made some coleslaw and a pie and 24 mini pumpkin cheesecakes. I broke off the bread dough and made rolls. I finished cooking the black-eyed peas and baked the dressing and rolls and around 1:00 my brother and granddad came by to help me load everything up and take it over to my parents’ house.

I arrived at my parents’ house around 1:30 and was surprised to find that everyone was already there seeing as how we were scheduled to start at 2:00 and my family is usually never on time. As it turns out my mom told everyone we were eating at 1:30 –well, everyone but me; when she and I had talked previously we had decided on 2:00. I made everyone wait until 2:00 to start eating – we were still waiting on a few others to arrive who I told 2:00. Eventually we were all there and we got started on a delicious meal.

That evening I broke one of my life long rules of not going to the movies on a holiday and went to see Breaking Dawn Part Two with my cousin Ashley and her husband Andy. The movie was pretty good and perhaps I will post a review later this week.

After the movie I went home and enjoyed a little down time before going to bed to get some rest before heading out on Black Friday. It was one of the best Thanksgivings we have had in a long time – nice and relaxing and tension-free, just the way it should be. Hope yours was just as nice!

Happy Thanksgiving 2012!

Well, here we are at Thanksgiving - didn't we just celebrate this holiday? I'll tell you, it sure doesn't feel like Thanksgiving, especially with these 70 degree days. Despite the warm temps, which some of you probably are thankful to have, we have a lot to be thankful for this year - jobs, homes, families, friends, the list could go on. Wherever you are in these great United States, I hope you are with family and friends and that you too have a lot for which to be thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving from me and The Tide!

Thanksgiving Weekend

I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. Ours was rather low key this year with a whopping seven people in attendance. The food was good and ended up being almost all gone by the time people took home leftovers and my dad took some plates down to the hospital to some friends.

Friday morning, my dad picked me up at 4:15 and we headed out for our annual Black Friday shopping. We first went to the mall and received $10 gift cards that the mall gave away. From there we went to Office Depot and each bought printers and jump drives. I also bought some paper and my dad got some ink cartridges. After Office Depot, we made stops at Dick’s, Shoe Carnival, Bed, Bath and Beyond and Kohl’s. We bought a few things along the way and ended the morning at Gibson’s where we had breakfast and ran into many people we knew.

Friday night my dad and I headed over to Greenhill (close to Florence) for the Madison Academy game against Rogers. The Mustangs won and are headed to the state finals in Tuscaloosa on Thursday and we plan to make the trek down south with them.

Saturday I did some decorating at church for a shower as well as some house cleaning and set up the Christmas tree. I watched the Alabama-Auburn game at my parents’ house and we grilled burgers. Then I came home and did a little more cleaning and watched some more football.

Sunday was church and a wedding shower at church and I made a batch of Erika’s white chicken chili. Now it’s Sunday evening and after four days off from work, I’m wishing for just one more.

I’m feeling a lot better from the pneumonia but the medicine I took for it has left me in a lot of pain so I’m anxious for it to leave my system so I will hopefully be feeling better. The medicine has a tendency to tear tendons and has attacked my body like nobody’s business. I pretty much ache from head to toe and am still exhausted on top of that. So, while my lungs are feeling better, my body still isn’t at 100%. Hopefully I will be back to normal within the next week because I am anxious to get back to the gym and to a normal routine.

So, that’s all the news from my corner of the world. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are well on your way to putting a dent in your Christmas shopping.

Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Happy Thanksgiving 2010!

There will be mostly radio silence here on The Chronicles of Nat for the remainder of the week. I hope each of you have a nice Thanksgiving and that there will be plenty of food on your plates and warmth in your hearts! Happy Thanksgiving from me and The Tide!

Happy Thanksgiving from Nat!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. When I was a young girl, we would travel to Florence, AL to spend the day with my mother’s grandparents (my great-grandparents). We would start the day at the McGee’s where my great-grandfather Tack would play the harmonica and pull on our toes. I loved the smell of Granny’s house and I loved to play on the columns that adorned her front porch. They were made of tree limbs and were knobby and painted white. My uncle Donny would sit outside and smoke and Granny would dip snuff and we kids would play in the leaves and skip rocks across the pond out back.

After eating lunch with the McGee’s, we would head over to the Roberson’s and visit with my grandfather’s mother, sister and step-father. Sometimes we would peck at the piano and sometimes we would just lie in the floor and tell stories and talk about whatever was on our mind. Regardless of what we did or what we talked about, it was always good quality time.

When it came time to drive back home to Huntsville, we would shimmy over to my paternal grandparents’ house and visit with what was left of the Parker crowd. After eating all day, I wouldn’t eat much of anything there, but my dad always managed a little extra room for my grandmother’s dressing.

As I got older and our family started having families of their own, and my great-grandfathers passed away, my parents started hosting my mother’s family. We would prepare all the food and they would come and eat with us and after the feasting and the fellowship we would again venture over to the Parkers to visit with all the folks there.

Throughout the years our Thanksgiving has continually changed. When I was in college, my parents invited wayward hockey players over for Thanksgiving dinner as well as people from church who had no family in town or no one to visit. We’ve had guests at our Thanksgiving table from Latvia, Canada, and Tennessee, but no matter who was at our table, the time was always enjoyable and memorable and definitely a time to be thankful.

This year, we all share in the cooking duties and this year there will be one face missing from our table that I’m sure will weigh heavy on our hearts. But it will allow us time to reflect on the good times and look forward to the future times with that loved one. And although he will be missed, we also know that he is safe and he is warm and he is not hungry and we pray that God will bless us by bringing us together again soon.

So, Happy Thanksgiving from Nat! May your day be memorable and may you be thankful not only on Thanksgiving but on every day of the year.

I will leave you with a few Thanksgiving quotes that I found today:

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving." -W.T. Purkiser

“Praise God even when you don't understand what He is doing.”
- Henry Jacobsen

“Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.”
 – Theodore Roosevelt

“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.”
– Cicero

“Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.”
– Aesop