POST-THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS

We had a nice, quiet, restful Thanksgiving here at Catalyst's Castle.

To those who may be interested, we feasted on roast pork loin (done in a crockpot), mashed potatoes and gravy, Judy's humongous pan of dressing, Trader Joe's mashed sweet potatoes and cranberry/orange relish, a small relish tray of celery, Kalamata olives, and sweet pickles, capped it all with a nice bottle of Argentine Malbec and finished it  (a bit later) with my pumpkin cheesecake.

That sounds like a lot for just two people but we do pace ourselves these days and while the pork and dressing categories were indeed huge, SWMBO says she'll freeze about half of them for Christmas dinner.

Now, easing into the weekend, my beloved Arizona State University Sun Devils got waxed by their in-state rivals, the Wildcats of the University of Arizona last night.

I watched the first half and recorded the rest to see today.

After that disappointment I was hooked into watching "The Game" today between the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and their rivals, the Michigan Wolverines.

After a slow start, Ohio State won and remains undefeated this year.

As the second half played out, snowfall grew heavier and heavier and the field was covered in white by the time it was over.

Then I tuned in one of the many weather channels and learned that much of the Midwest is being hammered with a November snow storm.

This made me, once again, give thanks that I live in the land of near eternal sunshine.

Here's what our sky looked like today.

In words lifted from an old Irving Berlin standard "nothing but blue skies do I see."

And our volunteer friend, Snappy the Snapdragon just keeps on blooming.

I still remember some of those snowy Novembers from my early days in North Dakota.

That weather is for youngsters.

I'll take Arizona.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Oof.

Or, as we Upper Midwesterners used to say, Uff-dah!

I trust all of you people who celebrated with a huge feast yesterday are feeling the same way today.

But remember, it's only once a year.

So you might as well have at it and eat and drink as much as your resisting bodies can hold.

I'm a tad worn out so let's get right to the business at hand.

So that's that.

Now here we are in the middle of a four-day weekend, Black Friday sales, trying to recovery from Feast Day, looking forward with dread to the onset of winter, or whatever.

But I trust in the face of all this confusion you will endeavor to have an exhilirating weekend.

And never forget to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . oh, yeah . . . )

FEASTING DAY

 

Whether you're celebrating or not

I want to thank you all for "being there"

and wish you a very

Happy Thanksgiving!

(now let's eat)

THE FINAL DAY

Well, as Jerry Jeff Walker (might have) said, "It's down to the bendin' end."

Only this last day to prepare for Thanksgiving here in the U.S. of A.

I made a Pumpkin Cheesecake this morning and it's chilling for tomorrow's feast day.

The glorious Judy, aka SWMBO, and I will be alone with no friends or family to clutter up the house and engage in arguments.

And even with all my talk of turkey coming up to this day, we'll be having our traditional dinner of Roast Pork Loin with, as the BAD put it in an email the other day, all the usual "fixins".

So as y'all are stressing out over The Big Day, let me give you a few laughs along the way.

This last one is for all diners who hate it when different parts of the meal touch each other.

You know who you are.

TOMATO HARVEST

Our nighttime temperatures have been dipping closer and closer to the freezing point lately.

So this morning I was out on the patio taking a look at our tomato vines in their big barrel and thinking.

I came back inside and said to Judy, "I think maybe it's time to harvest what's left of the tomatoes, even though they're all still green, and rip out the plant for this year."

She said, "I think so too and I'll do it."

I said, "Well, I was going to do it but I just wanted to clear it with you."

She said, ever more firmly, "I will do it."

Recognizing that SWMBO voice, I said meekly "Okay" and scurried off to my den.

Some time later she came into the room and said, "The tomato harvesting is done and all that remains is for you to haul the scraps of the vines to the trash."

And I did.

Here's what we got for our her labors.

Those on the plate in the rear are from earlier harvests and today's crop is in front.

Did I hear someone say "Fried Green Tomatoes"?

All in all, it's been a good year.

We've eaten quite a few of the larger red ones and the yellow pear tomatoes surprised us with their growth and flavor.

So here it comes again, 

"Homegrown tomatoes

What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes?

Only two things that money can't buy

And that's true love and homegrown tomatoes."

- - - Special thanks to songwriter Guy Clark

TWO TO GO

 

THUUUUU-REEEEE DAYS LEFT