Thanksgiving Leftovers....

 

And Then...

I Hate to be the Bearer of bad Tidings, Dear Readers, but two days after Thanksgiving, Helen came down with a cold. She never gets sick, but took herself to bed with a runny nose and a cough. Charles was worried, but she told him not to worry, she would get over it soon enough if she could get some rest. That meant she didn't want him to hover. So he left her to rest.

Frankly, he didn't know what to do with himself!

They did everything together.

So he checked on her often.

And when she developed a fever,

 he insisted they see a doctor right away!

The doctor told them as kindly as he could

 that it appeared she had caught Covid.

"What?" said Charles, aghast.

"But we have been so careful!" he declared.

"We have seen nobody but close Family for the Holiday!"

"Well," said the doctor, "That is how it happens usually.... 

somebody else has not been quite so careful!"

So they returned home with the instructions to take the decongestants

 and keep an eye on her temperature and call him if it got worse.

Since she was vaccinated,

 he assured them she was not in danger.

When Charles told Joanna and Victor

 the results of the visit to the doctor,

 they were just as shocked.

"How could that be?" said Joanna. 

"We have all been so careful for so long!"

"Maybe we should check with Sallly May," said Victor. 

"Just to let her know what is up."

When Sally May heard that Grandma Helen was sick, 

she was alarmed. 

And she hated to think she might have

 caught Covid at Thanksgiving Dinner!

"I just talked to Mama," she said to Chip. 

"She says Grandma Helen has caught Covid!"

"You don't think...." she started to say but trailed off.

 

 "Well," said Chip, "Dad has been coughing all week,

 although he pretends he isn't."

"And I suspect he never wears his mask

 when he goes out to the corner market...." he added.

"Darn...." he continued, "should we all take tests? 

Is Grandma Helen okay?"

Well, Dear Readers, Joanna spent all week nursing Grandma Helen.

And slowly but surely, she is feeling a lot better.

Helen insisted she didn't need so much attention... 

and she didn't want anyone else to get sick!

Joanna insisted that she was just making sure everything was okay

 and nobody else seemed to be having symptoms.

"I just don't want to make any trouble for anyone..." said Helen.

"I'm really feeling a lot better."

She said this every day.

"Well, tomorrow we'll bring you downstairs

 to sit if you feel like it" said Joanna cheerfully. 

"I think that sounds like a good idea..." said Helen.

"We can see in the morning how you feel...." replied Joanna.

She certainly didn't want to rush things... 

but she was sure Helen would enjoy getting out of bed for a while.

Well, Dear Readers, I hope you will not worry for Helen.

She is getting better by the day

 and is only embarrassed that after being so careful for so long...

 she caught Covid after all!

Thanksgiving Leftovers of a very different sort!

Time To Talk Turkey....

 

Gobble Gobble Gobble....

It Was Sally May and Chip's turn to host Thanksgiving Dinner, Dear Readers, and Sally May had been preparing the dinner for days. It had been a while since the Family had all gathered at their House, and Sally May was eager to share the Traditional meal in her own home. Chip's Folks practically lived with them ever since the Covid pandemic, but it would feel so much more wonderful to have her folks there too. She loved Chip's parents, but there was no substitute for her own Family.

Chip's folks, Blanche and Ernie were happy to watch TV in the living room.

Chip was happy to sit with them. 

He was sure Sally May would not need

 his help in the Kitchen...

 

But as the hours passed and nobody arrived, she began to worry.

Was anybody coming?
 

Meanwhile, over at The Lovely Old Dollhouse, 

Helen was worried about the Weather.

It had snowed overnight and the roads would be slippery.

"Are you sure their driveway will be plowed?" she asked Charles.

"Well, it didn't snow very much" replied Charles.

 "Only a few inches fell, they might not even need to plow" he added.

That did not reassure Helen!

"But their driveway is a little steep...!" she declared.

"What if we get stuck?" she added, clearly worried!

"Oh, I am sure we will manage just fine," said Charles, soothingly.

 "We will go over with Arthur and Pollyanna" he added. 

"They are young and know what to do."

 

Pollyanna and Arthur spent a lot of time

 up in the attic in Pollyanna's craft room. 

They knew they were not needed in the kitchen. 

"Sally May just called," said Pollyanna. 

"She is wondering where everybody is" she added.

"I guess she thought everybody knew

 she was making the dinner for 2 o'clock!"

"Well, I guess we better get going!" declared Arthur. 

"It is already one thirty!"

"I hope the pies are finished!" said Pollyanna.

 

Charles and Helen were thinking the same thing. 

"I think it is time we went to Sally May's house" declared Helen.

"Are the Pies ready?" she asked.

"I just pulled the Pumpkin Pie out of the oven" called Joanna.

"We'll wrap them up and follow you right over..." she added.

"I can carry the Pumpkin Pie on this platter" said Victor.

"That way we won't have to wrap it..."

"We better get going..."said Arthur.

Sally May went to tell everybody that the guests would arrive shortly...

"Maybe we should turn the volume down on the TV..." she hinted.

"You know your folks turn it up pretty loud" she added. 

"I'm not sure the others will want to hear it..."

"Don't worry, Hon," said Chip. 

"I'll take care of it when they get here."

"What are you watching...?" asked Helen loudly

 when they arrived a few minutes later.

"It's just old reruns of "I Love Lucy..." said Chip,

 turning the volume down a bit.

"Goodness...!" declared Helen. 

"I never watched those shows" she added.

(The Lovely Old Dollhouse did not have a TV...!)

"We can find something else if you like..."said Ernie kindly.

"Don't bother on my account" said Helen. 

"I believe it is almost time to eat anyway" she added.

Pollyanna and Arthur followed them in. 

"I think I'll go help Sally May in the kitchen" said Pollyanna.

"I'm sorry we are so late!" she said. 

"Tell me what you need me to do!"

"If you could carry the vegetables out to the table...." said Sally May.

"Are the Pies coming...?" she added anxiously.

"Mom and Dad are bringing them" said Pollyanna.

"They'll be here in a minute!"

"Here we are!" cried Joanna, entering with a pie.

"I'm so sorry we mistook the time!" she added.

"I don't know what happened!"

"And here's the Pumpkin Pie!" declared Victor.

 "It is still hot from the oven!" he added.

"I'm sure it will cool enough while we eat dinner" said Sally May smiling.

"I'm just so glad you are here!" she added.

She carried the Turkey out to the table.

"Do we have everything...?" asked Pollyanna.

"I want to eat!" declared Annabelle loudly.

"Hush darling, you can gobble all you want

 after we all say Grace" said Sally May.

"Let's call everyone in," she said to Pollyanna.

The whole Family crowded in around the table.

"The food smells Divine..." declared Helen.

"Who will say Grace...?" she asked.

 

 

"I think our Host, Chip, has the honors..." 

said Charles, nodding to his Grandson-in-law.

Chip cleared his throat... 

(he was not used to being the center of attention)

"For the Bounty set before us, 

and the Family with which to share it, 

we humbly give our thanks" he said.

 

"Amen!" added Charles.

"Here here!" said Victor.

"Gobble Gobble.... !" said Annabelle.

At that, Everybody burst out laughing!

"I will carve the Turkey declared Ernie"

Sally May had nothing to say....

 she felt a lump in her throat 

at the Love surrounding her.

She spared not a thought for the dogs in the kitchen...

....Guarding the Pies!

"Don't even think it..." said Honey to Oreo...

"You heard them.... they are too hot!"

"I guess we have to wait for crumbs.... ?" asked Oreo.

"You have so much to learn...." sighed Honey.

Well, Dear Readers, Once again... 

Thanksgiving Dinner is almost Late!

But I hope you all have a Wonderful Thanksgiving.... 

and if you don't celebrate the Holiday, 

I hope you will find Plenty to be Thankful for anyway.

And perhaps you can even "Gobble gobble" a little bit too!

(And for those unfamiliar with Turkeys, 

a large bird native to  North America, 

the "voice" of the bird sounds like

 "gobble gobble... gobble gobble.."! 

I kid you not!)

Stitching.....

 

Updates....

The Seasons changed rather abruptly in this part of the World, Dear Readers, bringing a shocking taste of Winter the day after Halloween. This following after weeks of warmer than usual temperatures and virtually no hint of frost. Fortunately, the offending white stuff melted rapidly, but it left that keen awareness of Impending Winter!

It definitely hastened the falling of the remaining leaves....

and turned my focus to cozy indoor pursuits!

Like stitching mini carpets...

You can see from the first photo that I have

 nearly completed the Baktiari carpet!

All it requires is the last couple of rows 

of edge stitching and binding and then the fringe.

I have been working on it all year,

 but had to "stitch less" while my

 sore arm was mending last spring.

And since it is so nearly finished, 

I have launched a couple of new projects to take it's place!

This is the very beginning of a quite Ambitious project...

This is another kit by Phyllis Stafford,

 who also designed the Baktiari carpet kit.

It is also stitched on 40 count silk gauze

 and the finished size will be 8x10 inches.

I expect this to take me a long time to complete, 

and I will warn you now that I am 

re-designing the central portion of the kit.

I just feel that the "central medallion" 

needs to be much more prominent.

And because this is one of those "tiny stitches" kits,

I also started a larger, easier on the eyes carpet kit.

I thought it interesting how similar the start was for both carpets!

This is another of Janet Granger's kits, a wool carpet...

It is unusual in that it is square and will be 9x9 inches when done.

It is described as a William Morris era style and the colors are quite bright.

As you can see, I've made good progress already!

(Sorry the photo is dark.... it's been a cloudy day...)

 

So that is my Stitching Update, Dear Readers...

Two new engrossing petit-point carpets

means Hours of cozy stitching 

Are in the Forecast!