Pies and Sports and Turkeys and Trees

And that sums up this Thanksgiving weekend.

My Thanksgiving break officially started at noon on Wednesday. Grades were done, paperwork was filed, and I was off to enjoy a few days before our next term begins. I ran a few errands: The post office was easy and sane. The credit union was horrible. Let's just say their customer service is really, really bad. As soon as I pay off my car, I'm never doing business with that particular institution again!

Anyway, I dashed home, grabbed my stuff and headed for the parents' house. I had a pecan pie to make. My luck continued to be not so great. It took three tries to get the crust just right. I felt a little like the three pigs must have felt. Luckily, things improved. Dad and I went to the OSU basketball game against UNC-Charlotte. The Beavers won! And we got to see one of my favorite past players. AC Green was sitting court side, and I wonder if it's odd for him to be back at Gill, seeing his banner hanging from the rafters.

Thanksgiving was the family dinner. My sister and brother-in-law hosted. We talked and watched football. Our number was 11 this year, and we ate very, very well. In addition to the traditional turkey feast, we had four kinds of pie. Leftovers of both turkey and pie were to follow us for days.

Mom, Traci and I made our Black Friday run. We were up and out the door by 4:45 to pick up some gifts. It was short day for us this year. We were home by 1:30, and I crashed. The rest of the day is pretty non-existent.

Saturday is our traditional "Get the Tree Day." Mom's tree has to meet specific requirements in size, shape and variety. We ended up at a u-cut place run by my 8th grade math teacher. It's always a little odd to run into my old teachers, even many years later.

Sunday evening....the tree is decorated. Wreaths are hung and I have to decide how much more of the Christmas decoration plunder to haul out of storage and unpack. But not tonight. I have homework to do.

Fire Starters

During the holidays my family goes through an abundance of candles. We like the way they smell, and how pretty they look. But not all candles are created equal, and some leave behind a lot of wax when they've finished burning up the wick.

A few years ago I had so much leftover wax and it seemed so bad to just throw it away. I know...I could go buy new candle molds and wicks and make recycled candles, but with so many scents, I just couldn't justify that plan. Instead I took some initiative, a coffee can, shredded paper (another increasing byproduct of life) and started making fire starters which we use during summer camping trips.

I spent an afternoon last weekend making a new batch. It's easy, but time consuming. Leftover wax is melted in a coffee can over low heat on the stove. White that's happening, I crumple up handfuls of shredded paper and put them in paper cupcake cups. When the wax is melted, I pour it on the paper a few at a time letting the wax begin to settle up a bit before pouring the excess onto a new cup. It's labor intensive because I haven't figured out a good way to really soak the paper without using a muffin pan, which may be something I try in the future.

Veteran's Day Parade

The Albany Veteran's Day parade is one of the largest in the United States. Many times my family has stood on a downtown sidewalk watching the parade honoring the men and women who have served our country for generations. It's a really wonderful parade.

This year, I did more than watch. The DAR chapter that I am a member of participated and I chose to join them. We had a fabulous day.

Meanwhile, my family took their usual place on the sidewalk and cheered us on.

No NaNo this November

That sounds kind of cryptic doesn't it? November is National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo to writing fans and afficienados. I attempted my first NaNo in 2007, but didn't get too far with my 50,000 word goal. In 2008, I was two months into a new job, so writing was the last thing on my mind. 2009 was an awesome year. I met the goal! So, I was really excited to start this year's challenge.

And it didn't happen. I tried. I really did. But there's no story in me this year. Life is chaotic and messy feeling right now. My energy levels are dead low, and I don't know when/how that's going to change. So, no NaNo this year. Maybe, I'm only meant to tackle the challenge in odd numbered years.

Voting Day

I remember being seventeen and looking forward to my first voting experience; making that trip to the polling place and waiting my turn to stand at the booth with my ballot. Looking back on a couple (almost) decades of voting and I'm trying to remember if that ever actually happened. For those of you who are confused by that statement, yes, I vote. However, due to the timing of my 18th birthday, going off to college, and leaving my official residence at my parents' home, I spent the next few years voting absentee. Then, about the time I was back in Oregon for good, the voters chose to implement "vote by mail."

Voting by mail does have some advantages. The powers that be feel they get a greater return on ballots. You get to vote when it's convenient and in the privacy of your own home. There is no long line of waiting for a voting booth to become available. The down side is that I've had my ballot for two weeks, voted more than a week ago, and I've had to listen to the increasingly malicious candidate advertisements anyway. I really hate that. I got really tired of listening not to what candidates intend to do, but how much they needed to denigrate the opposition.

Being eligible to vote is a rite of passage. But I wonder if 18 year olds today feel it's significance since Oregon has made is so easy to vote. Do they understand the impact their choices and choices have?