The big day is here

I told my husband I wasn't going to drive myself crazy cooking this year.  To make matters easier, I did make noodles, but I made them ahead and froze them.  They will be cooked today.  I also chose to use Pioneer Woman's mashed potato recipe yesterday, put it in the refrigerator as she said to do, and will warm it up today.  Those are the only "cooked" things I made.

Watergate salad is easy.  So is layered salad.  They are done and in the refrigerator.  All I have to make today is a fruit salad that we like.  I made the usual Oreo Dessert, which isn't cooked; several people would be very sad if I hadn't.  It's the only dessert I made, hoping someone else brought something too.

Ever since the grandson who bought this place from us met his fiancee, we have had a two-family Thanksgiving in the shop, which thank goodness is heated.  It's a pretty jolly get-together with all of us there.  

Our daughter's arm decided to give her a fit over last weekend.  She won the fight with cancer several years ago, but it was in the lymph glands, so her arm has to be wrapped most of the time, which can't be fun, especially in the heat of summer.  It's dangerous if that arm gets an infection.  The doctor got her in and gave her the meds that help get her back to normal.  If it had not worked, which it did, thank God, she would be in the hospital again.  By the way, she didn't miss work, just like she didn't miss work through radiation therapy for I-don't-know-how-long except for when she actually went to do the radiation.  She doesn't talk much about all this, and I often forget how much she goes through with this "gift" cancer left her with.  I'm pretty sure she will be with us today, but the pills she takes to get rid of the infection messes with her stomach, so she likely won't enjoy what she eats; however, she won't complain about it.  I am reminded of the fact that Rachel could have died, but she didn't.  That is my biggest reason for thanking God today.

So I wish all of you a pleasant and delicious day.  If you have good health, please remember that many folks don't, so realize how blessed you are.  I'm thankful for all the people who come to my blog to read the mostly insignificant things I have to say.  May God give you all a happy thanksgiving.  

Having fun with the goats

 Someone commented on my blog a while back, asking me to get some pictures of me leading my two goats.  Yesterday my husband and I got that done.  You will notice that they are now almost the same size, mother and daughter.  The daughter's horns haven't grown as long as her mother's yet, though.  Yesterday I let them eat grass and weeds for 45 minutes or an hour, and I enjoyed every minute.  Thelma, the mother, doesn't take to being led as well as Louise, but I took them quite a long way yesterday without any real problem.  Toward the end, Louise even tried to lead me!  She was getting downright sassy!  

They can't be out of their pen because the grandson's dogs might chase them, so we buy hay for them.  That's why they act so hungry; they aren't starving, it's just that fresh grass tastes a lot better than dry hay.  So, when I can, I take them out to the pasture.  They are happy to let me hook the leashes to their collars.

Gabe is watching me with the goats

It's a good thing I have midget goats.  They are easy to handle.

When I first started thinking about leading them to grass, I thought I'd have trouble getting them in and out of the pen by myself, but it really hasn't been that hard at all.