From Bullwinkle to Biscotti....

The Thanksgiving weekend has ended and it was a whirl of eating, parade watching and whisking Christmas past the Thanksgiving decorations and leftover turkey...whew! It's almost as if the world says "Step aside, Thanksgiving! Make room for Christmas already...The Black Friday sales are WAITING!!!"

Thanksgiving started with a morning prep of the 12 lb. Martha Stewart Young Turkey...http://www.marthastewart.com/turkeycomplete with the fat laden cheesecloth (just as Martha suggested). We then hustled the two kids into the car to see the Thanksgiving day parade on State Street.

Now, unless the parades are Disney style with lights, great costumes and pomp & circumstance or if they are the cute, nostalgic, kids-on-tricycles 4th of July kinds of events, parades are pretty much the same.

Success, though, is when your kids are actually interested in what is creeping down the road vs when they can have a Starbucks soy chai latte!

So, despite the fine drizzle and the pauses in motion, the kids enjoyed seeing the bands with their bad shoes (what is UP with that?!), flag girls and balloon floats of has-been cartoon greats.

Clearly, Bullwinkle and Rocky the Squirrel did not make the cut for New York, so they glided down the street to puzzled looks. My kids have no clue who they are, but liked watching the handlers guide them under the El tracks.

One more comment on the band member's choice of footwear...what self respecting teenager agrees to don shoes that their grandmother wears on a regular basis?! At least some covered them up with spats...

The day progressed to family arriving and the mad dash to prepare the myriad of dishes in a timely manner. We are fortunate to have the best next door neighbors who are like family... We share the holidays and feast preparation together.

It was a fun evening.....

The rest of the weekend we avoided the shopping hordes and opened the Christmas bins. We have a little artificial tree this year, but the kids didn't mind. They actually managed to decorate a wider swath of the tree vs a 2 foot square section with 100 ornaments. Only two broke...bonus!

We decked other areas of the halls........and lit the front porch. Looks great next to the plywood, huh?

Yep, the light really accentuates the STOP WORK ORDER sign on our front door, too. Kind of like the flattering light of a candle on ones face....not so much!


The Christmas season is off to an accelerated start. Lists are swirling in my head...when to make the biscotti, toffee and caramels.... When to ship gifts to NJ.....when to get a bikini wax! This year I have to be the most organized ever, since my husband will be overseas for the next two weeks. So much for help!
Oh well, his biscotti stinks anyway.....