Checking out for a few.

I'll be out a few days. It's not that I don't love y'all, but I'm going to be loving on my people. I also have to take the extra time to make certain that the child doesn't try to leave in just tights again. :)

So, I feel a little behind. I'm not overwhelmingly so, but I feel I am. When I look over the past 3 1/2 weeks, it looks like this:

- Sick for a week, having had to take off a day.
- Worked 44 hours instead of 24 hours the next week, making up for the day I lost and some.
- This past week was spent on the nature tree demo, including 13 hours worked from home and 2 3/4 hours worked on Sunday.

That brings me to this week. I managed to get to the grocery this evening, though dead beat tired. I decided that though the frozen turkeys were on sale for 59 cents a pound, it was well worth the extra 90 cents/lb to buy a fresh one. To my delight, I found that they ran out of frozen and marked the fresh down to 99 cents per pound to try to soften the blow. That made me so happy!

Though I usually go to the local discounter for the produce for my coleslaw, I opted to purchase it at my local grocery 5 blocks up. I figure that by the time I go to that store, that is time lost I don't have, I'll spend extra I don't need to and they may be out of the items I need anyhow. The buck or two extra it cost is worth the savings of money, time and sanity.

I've also made the decision to dry the clothes in the dryer for another week. Get me past this week. To my credit, I did hang two loads on the line. I just haven't had the time to rotate the laundry.

Hubs has taken on the project of redesigning shelves in the basement, so he is hard at work. The work that he has gotten done! He has our big Target wire shelves set up, so now I look like a grocery. He made one shelf for appliances and little used dishes. I have a food shelf and a cleaning shelf. How that makes me happy.

While at the grocery, I decided to buy a baked good for the Post Office Thanksgiving. Our local post office has a Thanksgiving dinner for any strays that don't have a place to go. As a PTA project, K-'s school provides all of the desserts for the dinner. Though I said I would bake, I've run out of time. They are getting a gorgeous strudel. I'm cheating, but I am providing.

I also decided to purchase Libby pumpkin for the pie, rather than use the pumpkin that I have stored in our basement. Right now, I haven't the time to cook the pumpkin and process it for a pie, but I will in a few weeks. Until then, Libby to the rescue.

Tomorrow is uniform free day, so I have a nice, comfy cotton dress for K- to wear. Hooray for no polyester uniform to have to iron.

I'll be out until Monday, so as to take time to slow down, show thanksgiving and love on my people. My plan Thursday through Sunday is:

Wednesday evening:
Bake pies and cornbread.
Prepare stuffing for turkey (celery, onion, apples, carrots and herbs).
Dress turkey and have ready to place in the oven Thursday morning.
Tidy house and clean bathroom.
Set rolls out to rise before bed.

Thursday:
Sleep in.
Bake rolls.
Roast turkey, bake cornbread stuffing, steam potatoes for mash, cook corn and make glazed carrots.
My parents at 2 PM. Bring 24 rolls and ramen noodle cole slaw.
Enjoy a holiday movie and games with my people.
In-law's over for pie in the evening.

Friday:
Black Friday shopping with my sister. My shopping is done, so I'm going with her as support staff and a fun girl thing to do.
Decorate the Christmas tree!

Saturday:
Jammie day?
Decorating done?
Make some kid bracelets to sell.

Sunday:
Church door greeter at 8:30 AM.
No choir practice in evening.
Roll around in our need to do nothing.

Please have a wonderful balance to your week. Take a moment to stop. Sit and truly think of what you are thankful for. Don't be stressed out. The world isn't going to end if the stuffing is a little smooshy or if your carrots are underdone. Laugh and be happy that you have precious time together.

See you on Monday, my friends.

Smiles are included above.