Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Thankful Tuesday

I have a feeling many of us will be otherwise occupied on Thursday, so I decided this week will be Thankful Tuesday. 

I am thankful that we had very prolific tomato plants this summer. I can't can on my glass stovetop but I did freeze gallon bags of whole, cored tomatoes that I am cooking into pasta sauce. 

I drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of my pot and add diced onion. You can add garlic, but we like just onion. 


I sprinkle with lots of salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, extra basil and oregano. 


I heat to boiling, then let simmer for an hour or two, occasionally mushing them with my potato masher. 

Here is tonight's offering with some ground beef over ravioli. 


Right now I am trying to cook down a bag a week since I need to clear space in the freezer. Today I was able to put my holiday supply of Christmas Tree ice cream bars in, but we are hoping to get a beef quarter in January and I need the space. 

Here is a comforter that I ordered a few months ago. I actually ordered a twin size and a full/queen. They are heavy comforters, but I didn't like the way they look in the room. I washed them, put them in a closet and forgot about them. Until I needed Christmas decorations.  


I am thankful we have enough warm blankets and when I found them, I decided they needed to go to someone else. My daughter contacted a social worker who is moving a homeless shelter family with two boys into an apartment and is passing them along. I am thankful for the social worker, a home for the comforters and so happy that these boys will have a home for Christmas. 

I am thankful for the time I can spend with my grandchildren.  Many of my friends think we are crazy to be full-time daycare providers for the grandchildren (and sometimes I do wonder about us, too), but the youngest had some solo days this past week and helped me bake. 


He was very happy to help make brownies from scratch.  Who knew you didn't need a box!


The next day we made apple breakfast bread and he was very good at mixing. 


Next year the next to the youngest will enter all day kindergarten and the youngest will attend preschool from 8:30 to 2:30 four days a week. And the year after he will attend all day kindergarten in another town. Our daycare time has gone by so quickly. 

I am thankful for the bounty of food and family we will enjoy this year for Thanksgiving. And I am thankful we have the resources to provide this. 

One of my favorite Thanksgiving stories was when I went back to work when our five kids were in elementary school.  I could not afford Thanksgiving groceries until I got paid on Wednesday. I left work at 4:30 and went straight to the bank. Then I went and bought everything for the meal the next day, including a frozen turkey that I knew I would be thawing in the bathtub all night. The store was the normal madhouse you would expect and when I got back to my car, it turned out that customers had started a new row and I was trapped in a triple parked lane with a row ahead of me and a row behind me.  And there I sat with a frozen turkey to be thawed, 10 pound bag of potatoes to be peeled, 5 loaves of bread to be diced with a bag of onions and a bunch of celery, cans of green beans and mushroom soup and pumpkin pie filling.  Waiting for someone to move a car.  And waiting.  And waiting.

I am thankful I have the funds to shop ahead. 

I have mentioned before that I am on a board that assists clients with financial challenges. This really gives me an opportunity to appreciate all my blessings.  I had a particular client this week that needs a few prayers for her health and some doors to open for some assistance to put her and her family back on their feet.  Even with the improving economy, many families are struggling with working enough hours with health challenges and childcare challenges, retired families with a limited income and other circumstances that are unplanned and expensive. 

I am thankful our community and businesses work together to try to assist those in need. 

Wishing a Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone! 

7 comments:

  1. Miss Merry, your tomato pictures were positively mouth watering, especially the last one with the pasta! Your grandson looks like one happy fella, and that breakfast bread looked delicious... I could almost smell it! I'm glad you finally made it out of that parking lot with that early dinner, and I am enjoying your blog. I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving too. :^)

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  2. IF I could have provided day care for my Grandchildren, I would have done so. I think you are not crazy in doing so. In fact you probably have had a great influence on their lives and they will never forget that.
    I have a new grand child due in the next month and my regret is that she will be 4 hours away from here like the others!
    I've become a surrogate Grandma to a lot of other young children which has been so much fun for me.

    Also, I want to thank you for helping those who are in need.
    Your post reminds me that I should write about the time we couldn't afford a Thanksgiving Supper! LOL!
    I've been there, so many years ago!

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  3. I think it is wonderful that you can take care of your Grands, they are so lucky. Maybe you will get a new baby...you can always hope:) Happy Thanksgiving!

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  4. I think it is wonderful that you have so much time with your grans . . .they grow up so fast. You will always hold a sweet and tender place in their hearts because of these loving hours together.

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  5. Loved this post as it really does put things in perspective...I am happy to say that I joined a newly formed community group in our church and we will be hosting events to foster a sense of community in our own parish...We did a coffee social after Mass this past Sunday and it was a great success...We will be hosting it monthly now. It is great to get back out there, so to speak...Our twins are supposed to come at the end of this year so we are very excited...Being grandparents is something that i thought would never happen and did not even count on but now we will be getting 2 for the price of one!! LOL! Thanks so much for always stopping by!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

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  6. Your pasta sauce looks delicious.

    I'm sure your grandchildren love the time with you and will really treasure all of the memories.

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  7. Your involvement in your grandchildren's lives will bless you all of your (and their) lives. You've done a good thing there.

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Thank you so much for stopping by to visit! I love your comments and suggestions and read them all. Due to spam, I will now have to approve all comments. Sometimes it takes me a hot minute to authorize comments due to grandchildren commitments. I apologize but I can't let those scammers get the upper hand!

Miss Merry