Tuesday, November 15, 2016

THANKFUL THOUGHTS...









This year
 is just flying by.

 In a few days
 it will be Thanksgiving 
and then, shortly,
 Christmas.





We will be spending 
Thanksgiving in Santa Cruz
 with Tami and Tim.

 Jake will be in Spain
 and Tami has just started a new job. 
 She has volunteered 
for many years 
at the animal shelter 
and they finally
 have hired her full time. 
 She has been waiting 
for this chance for a long time 
and is over the moon but,
 as a newbie, 
she will have to work on 
Thanksgiving Day and 
the day after...





...since we celebrated 
our family Thanksgiving early,
 before Jacenda left for Spain,
 we are doing something different
 this year. 

 The four of us
 are having dinner at 
The Crow's Nest,
 a great restaurant situated at 
the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor. 
 It will be nice and relaxing
 with none of the fuss 
that goes along with 
preparing a big meal.  
Afterwards 
we will go back to the kid's house 
where Tim has made a
 surprise dessert.





Even though we won't be home, 
I still have like to decorate.

 The Captain made a riser 
for the dining room table
 out of an old fence board 
and the Harvest Family 
stands there 
among the fruits (and vegetables) 
of their labor...





...the Captain and I 
eat our dinners 
in their company 
each evening.






I picked the last of
 the hydrangeas 
and added them to a straw wreath form 
where I hope 
they will dry nicely 
while the teddy bears
 are enjoying a picnic 
in the tiny pumpkin patch 
underneath.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Thank you all
 for the nice birthday wishes 
and I wanted to share with you 
my gifts.

 Although I picked
 them out myself,
 it still is a thrill for me
 when the Captain puts me in front
 of the doors to Home Goods 
and bids me to 
go forth
 and conquer!






A pretty Christmas pillow.
  Love the shade of red 
and what resembles a pattern of 
snow flakes...






...cute plates 
for dessert or
 a Christmas salad...






...a sweet little cake stand 
just the right size for
 Cinderella...







...and a vintage tin Santa 
with pink cheeks and 
a cheery smile.





Found this 
pretty harvest garland 
at Michael's 
for half price...






...and a grape ivy plant, 
picked up at an antique shop, 
along with one other gift 
that I will surprise you with 
at another time.






Hope you have a wonderful week.


...Judy...






Sharing today with:
























17 comments:

  1. Hi Judy, I am starting to feel a little better. It takes time. My head and ear still hurt and I get a headache everyday. Happy birthday. Loving your pretty gifts. How fun to shop at Home Goods. You found some great treasure. Your Thanksgiving dinner will be great, even at a restaurant.

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  2. Judy, So glad you enjoyed your birthday. Captain was very good to you. :):) I like the treasures you found. Your little Harvest Family is the cutest thing. I have never seen that before. Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving. Bless you, xoxo, Susie

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  3. Judy- FUN birthday presents...the best kind- you get what you want that way. lol
    I am glad you are going to be with some family for the Holiday. We usually celebrate on Thanksgiving Eve...but this year there is a change up --and we are rolling with the punches because we need to---lol

    My mother-in-law loved to go out for Thanksgiving dinner at the Holiday Inn downtown. lol I liked to cook and do it at my house (and she didn't like to cook at all--and couldn't--lol) so about every 3rd or 4th year we would do the Holiday Inn routine. I hated it because there were no leftovers the next day!!! ugh!!!!

    Love the center board to your table. Cute as can be. xo Diana

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  4. Oh my - what fun decorations. Your dinner sounds delightful too. We will have the whole family plus some extras - I can smell the turkey already. I like your blue table settting - it is perfect with the little pumpkin - and the teddies are delightful - and such lovely gifts. You conquered well. I adore adore adore the cake stand. My cousin bought me a holiday bundt pan that looks like a christmas wreath (early so I could use it this season) and I must find the perfect cake stand for the wreath bundt cake, my grandson is coming to help me bake it. Happy week ahead my dear friend.

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  5. Beautiful post, birthday girl! Glad you have a fun shopping spree. What a great idea! Love your Thanksgiving touches. We will be here, hosting Thanksgiving dinner for relatives in from AZ and a few other friends. Non traditional meal as usual.

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  6. Love all your sweet birthday gifts Judy. Glad you had fun picking out exactly what you want.
    All your Thanksgiving decor is so unique and pretty. Enjoy your dinner for Thanksgiving at the Crow's Nest sounds fabulous.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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  7. Happy belated birthday Judy! Congrats to Tami for the new job, that's great! Sorry you won't be with all the family this year but it sounds like you have a good back up plan! Nice birthday gifts too! Bernideen and I celebrated Janice's birthday today, Janice from Curtains in my Tree. Have a great week!
    Gina
    Gina

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  8. Happy belated birthday, Judy!! I think HomeGoods is the right place to choose gifts! Gosh, love that place and so wish it were here when I was a young homemaker. The prices are fantastic.

    Your holiday plans sound perfect. Having dinner out can be quite fun. We did it one Easter when it was just three of us instead of six. It made a new and wonderful memory!

    Jane

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  9. I love your fall decorations.. Have nice time in Santa Cruz..

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  10. Hi Judy,
    I love all the pretty things you picked out. And that riser that the Captain made is wonderful. Your plans sound fun and I love the idea of going out and no mess to clean.
    Have a great day! xo, T.

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  11. You have decorated so beautifully.. I love it all.. the big turkey, the tiny pumpkin patch, the wreath (gorgeous)... and the Give Thanks sign at the end. That's the least I could do... love that sign. I don't decorate too much as no room for anything, unless I remove all my knick knacks to put up new ones.. and I don't like to do that as I do it at Christmas. I guess should just do it now and keep them put away until after Christmas? hum.m.m.m. light bulb going off! Being with your family is the best thing about Thanksgiving. I love to eat out once in awhile as all the cooking wears me out and then I can't enjoy just sitting down with my family. I do love a potluck but my 3 sisters all live at the far edges of the state! sigh.... your birthday gifts are lovely too, especially that red pillow and the Santa tin. Hugs...

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  12. Hi Judy, all your birthday gifts are wonderful. I love the vintage tin. The riser the Captain made is fabulous. What use you will get from that treasure. Congrats to Tami on her full time position now. Thanks giving dinner sounds wonderful for you all. No fuss and just relaxation. You deserve it. Enjoy and have a great weekend. xo

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  13. Judy, your gifts are all lovely...and the give thanks sign is fabulous!! It is chunkier than I imagined, but I love it. May have to get one of my own! Your Thanksgiving plans sound great...it's really all about being together in whatever capacity you can. Our holiday will be a bit different this year, too. The older kids are scattered around the country and having babies of their own now...it's ok, all good!

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  14. Judy,
    Lovely gifts!!
    I adore the Christmas plates and tin!!
    Thanks so much for stopping by!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

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  15. Hi Judy,

    Happy Belated Birthday!! It looks like you had a very nice one. :) Love the goodies you picked out at Home Goods (my favorite shopping place).

    Your table looks lovely; I really like the rustic pilgrims. It sounds like you'll have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday in Santa Cruz. Congratulations to Tami on her new job! I love your hydrangea wreath, by the way.

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and thanks for your visit this week!

    Warm hugs,

    Denise at Forest Manor

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  16. I'm so glad you had a fun birthday Judy! Homegoods is such a fun place to shop, and you got so many lovely things.

    Enjoy your holiday with your family.

    xxx

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  17. I do hope you enjoyed your birthday, you chose some sweet gifts for yourself! May all the Blessings of God be yours this Thanksgiving week! Enjoy! Cindy xo

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Your comments are so special to me...Judy