Black Friday

Today is "Black Friday." Rest assured, you will NEVER see me within 500 yards of a mall or any other retail store (other than maybe Kroger) on this day. It's insane. On my Facebook page, I've seen tons of posts from (female) friends who were up and out shopping at 4:00 AM this morning. Did I say INSANE already?

To me, this day is just a continuation of yesterday, Thanksgiving. I have a lot to be thankful for. Since there are far too many things to list them all, I've created my "top ten" list:

Top 10 Things I Am Thankful For

1. God's love, mercy, and grace.

2. My two Sons.

3. My adorable Grandchildren.

4. My wonderful Daughter-In-Law.

5. Louanne - for keeping me from being homeless.

6. All my friends and family.

7. Beautiful places like Dale Hollow Lake and the Smoky Mountains.

8. Having a really cool job (just wish I could get more hours).

9. Coffee in the morning.

10. Being above ground.

So, if you are one of those "insane" people who are out shopping today, no offense intended! It's just not for me. I hope you find all the great bargains you're looking for, and I hope you have a wonderful day and make it home safe and sound. If you're like me, I hope you are fortunate enough to be at home, relaxing, and grazing on the leftovers.

Yesterday, for the first time ever, I cooked an entire Thanksgiving Day dinner. I love to cook, but I have never attempted to single-handedly prepare a holiday meal. It has given me a greater appreciation for all the years that I've enjoyed someone else's efforts. I miss my Mom's cooking. And my Aunt Rozelle was the greatest cook that ever lived.

But I decided to give it a shot, and it turned out fairly good! I had never "roasted" a bird before. And I had never cooked sweet potatoes. I can't remember if I'd ever made a green bean casserole before, but you can't really mess up when you use the recipe on the can of French's French Fried Onions. The cornbread dressing was ready-made, frozen in it's own baking pan. The gravy was a mix (just add water). And frozen corn-on-the-cob takes just a few minutes in the microwave. So it's not like I slaved over the stove for hours and hours.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!