Happy Thanksgiving!

Doris Lee
Thanksgiving Dinner
c. 1935
Art Institute of Chicago

Jack Pot!

The Mister and I have a couple of causes that we believe in deeply and have made a commitment to support financially.  We’re not “heavy hitters,” by any means, but we try to be generous with what we have.  It’s hard these days, so many needs, so many worthwhile charities—no one—or very few can support them all.  Still, when I have a few extra dollars, I pitch it in the bucket or buy a box of cookies.  Fund-raising is tough, whether it’s done at galas in grand museums or in citrus sales for the high school band.  American Museum of Natural History gala, NYC

Earlier this fall, I made a five dollar donation to a local charity and was automatically entered in a drawing for some cookware.

Turns out, I won a beautiful Le Creuset 5.5 quart French oven! I hope you all have a wonderful surprise this week!

If you cook with Le Creuset, please share some tips and recipes with me!   This is my first piece!

Yes to November

How beautifully leaves grow old.  How full of light and color are their last days.  ~John Burroughs  Well, kids, the leaves aren’t the only things growing older ‘round here.  Yes, T&C Mom soon will be heralding a milestone birthday—41 days and counting.  Oh, I hardly think I’m entering my “last days,” but I am still aiming for every day left—no matter how many there are—to be full of light and color.  To that end, I started a new job today.  If you are a regular reader, then you might be thinking, didn’t she start a new job this summer?  Well, yes, I did, and although I enjoyed it, when an opportunity to take an editorial position presented itself, I jumped!  I’ve been freelancing off and on for almost 20 years, and I honestly thought that I was too old and the economy was too tough for me to be offered a serious position.  Happily, I was wrong!  God provided a wonderful opportunity for me with a growing company, and I am so grateful.  I’ll be doing something I love, and, unbelievably, I will work from home three days a week and in the office two.  Everyone in the T&C house is pretty happy about that! November, slandered as drear and gloomy by far too many poets, also marks a 23-pound weight loss for me.  I’m rather tall, so it’s not a shocking transformation, but I feel great and optimistic as I enter my new decade. 

And to start the celebration a wee bit early, three friends and I are heading to New York for a fabulous long weekend!   We are all excited as a girls’ weekend is long overdue!  And to make sure that I’m looking my best, the winsome Dani BP has created one of her famous color stories just for me! You can read about it here!  If you don’t know Dani’s blog, you must become acquainted.  She writes beautifully and without pretension about style, travel, cooking, and housekeeping.  She inspires me with every post!

What inspires you?  How do you bring light and color into your life?