I seriously do love Thanksgiving. Even more so since marrying Layne, since it is his all time favorite holiday. In light of the pending feast, I wanted to talk about my favorite thing about Thanksgiving.
My favorite thing has definitely evolved through the years. When I was a little girl, flipping through catalogs and circling toys I wanted for Christmas topped my list as the best part of the day. I never ended up getting any of those presents, but it never dampened my enthusiasm for turning through each magazine, page by page. I would lay on my stomach for hours as my sister Jenny and I would pass back and forth every Black Friday ad we could find.
As I got a little older, I liked helping to set the table. My mom would make place cards, and Jen and I would bicker over who should sit where as if it were just as important as the meal itself. Those fights got heated at times, but despite the fighting, we always placed our names next to each other in the end.
Now that I'm older, I have realized how much I enjoy being a part of the cooking on Thanksgiving. Something about everyone in the family piling into the kitchen with a specific task to help make the meal a success brings such a warmth to the day. It really kicks off the holiday season. And being a part of all those smells coming together makes the meal itself that much better!
I can't wait for Thanksgiving this next week! What do you love most about the day?
Showing posts with label fall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fall. Show all posts
Friday, November 22, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Apple Festival
As I mentioned here, we went up to Philly for Layne's Birthday Week. We've been up to visit Thorn and JoAnna before, but this time we were able to squeeze in a few hours with our friend Joe as well, who is usually way too cool for us because he's in med school or some such nonsense.
When we got to Thorn and JoAnna's, we decided to get out of the city itself for the day and enjoy the Pennsylvania countryside at an Apple Festival. We drove to the middle of nowhere, got a little lost, made JoAnna car sick, and then suddenly ran into this massive crowd of apparent apple lovers. It was the sweetest little town, and this Apple Festival was no small potatoes farmer's market.
There was apple tasting, apple butter, apple syrup, apple sauce, apple cider. There was also an apple pie eating contest. We entered Layne and Thorn, but it was a lottery and only Thorn was selected. He really tucked in and received a very honorable Honorable Mention.
We finished up the day by meeting up with Joe. We all went out to dinner at a hibachi restaurant right on the water. All in all, it was a fantastic way to end Birthday Week!
When we got to Thorn and JoAnna's, we decided to get out of the city itself for the day and enjoy the Pennsylvania countryside at an Apple Festival. We drove to the middle of nowhere, got a little lost, made JoAnna car sick, and then suddenly ran into this massive crowd of apparent apple lovers. It was the sweetest little town, and this Apple Festival was no small potatoes farmer's market.
There was apple tasting, apple butter, apple syrup, apple sauce, apple cider. There was also an apple pie eating contest. We entered Layne and Thorn, but it was a lottery and only Thorn was selected. He really tucked in and received a very honorable Honorable Mention.
We finished up the day by meeting up with Joe. We all went out to dinner at a hibachi restaurant right on the water. All in all, it was a fantastic way to end Birthday Week!
Monday, November 18, 2013
Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America
That's right. This weekend, we rocked a monastery. We went because Andrew heard about it on the radio and it had catacombs and how cool does that sound?
Way, way, way cooler than it actually was.
The monk who gave us the tour droned on. And on. And... oooooooon. The tour was supposed to be 45 min. It was an hour and half! And it ended up being of the church as well as the catacombs, so the first hour was just spent going through this Catholic church as he described every detail about every single stained glass window, wood carving, and bas relief. And then he would throw in a few Biblical stories that he felt might somehow be slightly related to the story that was actually being depicted. It probably would have been a little more interesting if I was Catholic...
When we finally got to the catacombs, our excitement was at an all time high. Those hopes were quickly dashed. Little did we know, they were just a modern replica of the catacombs in Rome, made entirely of plaster and cement. It was another half an hour of slowly walking through rooms with no dead bodies, skulls, bones - nothing!
The afternoon was only salvaged because while we were waiting for the tour to begin we spent some time in the gardens and they were beautiful, so that's the part I'm sharing with you.
Absolutely amazing fall colors.
They had this really pretty dome thing - not sure what it was about.
And some arches by a rose garden. It had rained earlier, so they were still dripping.
They had this tomb down in the lower gardens, and a really cool statue of a saint up on a wall.
Way, way, way cooler than it actually was.
The monk who gave us the tour droned on. And on. And... oooooooon. The tour was supposed to be 45 min. It was an hour and half! And it ended up being of the church as well as the catacombs, so the first hour was just spent going through this Catholic church as he described every detail about every single stained glass window, wood carving, and bas relief. And then he would throw in a few Biblical stories that he felt might somehow be slightly related to the story that was actually being depicted. It probably would have been a little more interesting if I was Catholic...
When we finally got to the catacombs, our excitement was at an all time high. Those hopes were quickly dashed. Little did we know, they were just a modern replica of the catacombs in Rome, made entirely of plaster and cement. It was another half an hour of slowly walking through rooms with no dead bodies, skulls, bones - nothing!
The afternoon was only salvaged because while we were waiting for the tour to begin we spent some time in the gardens and they were beautiful, so that's the part I'm sharing with you.
Absolutely amazing fall colors.
They had this really pretty dome thing - not sure what it was about.
And some arches by a rose garden. It had rained earlier, so they were still dripping.
They had this tomb down in the lower gardens, and a really cool statue of a saint up on a wall.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Favorite Friday: Thing About Fall
My favorite thing about fall is a total toss up, so I'm just going to list two. It's my game, so I can make and break the rules as I want - right?
1 - The leaves. Am I right here, people? I loved watching the leaves change on the mountainside in Utah, but Virginia takes fall to a whole new level. If you've never been out here, you may not realize that the famous D.C. humidity makes everything lush and green. The highways are lined with forests - not trees, but overgrown, tangled, walls of forest. And when fall comes, those forests separate into sudden, bright, individual trees of sunny yellow, burning orange, and brilliant red. There are trees throughout the whole city, and because the city is so old (the street I live on has been around since at least 1860) all the trees are mature and solid and they each drop millions of leaves. It's paradise.
2 - The clothes. This is by no means a fashion blog, but I have to admit that I love switching over my closet for the seasons. I tuck away the polos and pull out my sweaters, snuggling into their warm softness and rejoicing! Scarves, gloves, coats, cardigans - I can wear them all again! I miss certain outfits when they're in storage, and for the first little bit of fall I get to enjoy my wardrobe anew.
What's you favorite thing about the season's change?
P.S. Don't miss my other post about what we love about fall!
1 - The leaves. Am I right here, people? I loved watching the leaves change on the mountainside in Utah, but Virginia takes fall to a whole new level. If you've never been out here, you may not realize that the famous D.C. humidity makes everything lush and green. The highways are lined with forests - not trees, but overgrown, tangled, walls of forest. And when fall comes, those forests separate into sudden, bright, individual trees of sunny yellow, burning orange, and brilliant red. There are trees throughout the whole city, and because the city is so old (the street I live on has been around since at least 1860) all the trees are mature and solid and they each drop millions of leaves. It's paradise.
2 - The clothes. This is by no means a fashion blog, but I have to admit that I love switching over my closet for the seasons. I tuck away the polos and pull out my sweaters, snuggling into their warm softness and rejoicing! Scarves, gloves, coats, cardigans - I can wear them all again! I miss certain outfits when they're in storage, and for the first little bit of fall I get to enjoy my wardrobe anew.
What's you favorite thing about the season's change?
P.S. Don't miss my other post about what we love about fall!
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Fall with the Fletcher's
I thought I better share my favorite bits of fall before the winter weather truly sets in. While I hate to put away my sundresses, there is a large part of me that shivers with excitement at the idea of pumpkin treats and spice cake, Thanksgiving turkey and tying a scarf around my neck. I know I'll be kicking myself come February for ever enjoying the dropping temperatures, but I can't help but enjoy the falling leaves.
As it grows colder, the Fletcher's become even bigger couch potatoes. We love to curl up and sip hot chocolate with white, pillowy, mountains of whipped cream. And then a little bit more whipped cream. Just to top it off. We're all about scary movies and popcorn and lots and lots of blankets.
When we go out, we try to soak up the last little bit of decent weather. I never fail to feel a smile steal across my face as I watch the falling gold and orange leaves dance through the air to the ground. And the sound of them crunching underneath my boots is potentially the most satisfying noise in the world.
A few weeks ago, I dragged Layne to a combo pumpkin patch/apple orchard in the countryside. As you can see, the rolling hills of Virginia were gorgeous.
Amy, Andrew, and Emma came with us and we attempted a little photo shoot, but Emma was not having it after about two seconds.
What an adorable brat, right?
As it grows colder, the Fletcher's become even bigger couch potatoes. We love to curl up and sip hot chocolate with white, pillowy, mountains of whipped cream. And then a little bit more whipped cream. Just to top it off. We're all about scary movies and popcorn and lots and lots of blankets.
When we go out, we try to soak up the last little bit of decent weather. I never fail to feel a smile steal across my face as I watch the falling gold and orange leaves dance through the air to the ground. And the sound of them crunching underneath my boots is potentially the most satisfying noise in the world.
A few weeks ago, I dragged Layne to a combo pumpkin patch/apple orchard in the countryside. As you can see, the rolling hills of Virginia were gorgeous.
Amy, Andrew, and Emma came with us and we attempted a little photo shoot, but Emma was not having it after about two seconds.
What an adorable brat, right?
Friday, October 25, 2013
Favorite Friday: Horror Movie
I've decided to launch a new initiative on my blog. We'll call it "Favorite Friday." (I'll hold for applause and shouts of elation.)
Basically, I'll just highlight my favorite "fill-in-the-blank" every Friday! Any ideas, suggestions, or requests are welcome and encouraged.
Since it's only October for a little while longer, I thought I'd start with my favorite scary movie. I should start by saying that I begin making my scary movie list in August and save them all up for October. And because Layne and I are such homebodies, we buy a movie off Vudu or Amazon Prime pretty much every night and gorge ourselves on horror. And while I enjoy a lot of them, a few really do stand out. I love a good Hitchcock, like Rear Window or Psycho. I recently watched Scream for the first time and it was terrifically suspenseful.
But - my absolute favorite scary movie, or in fact series of scary movies - are the Paranormal Activity movies.
Oh. My. Gosh. They are absolutely spine chilling. They're the perfect movies to make your skin crawl and you just want to yell and point at the screen and you are truly insane if you watch them alone. I own the first three, so if you're close by feel free to borrow them. If not, hit a RedBox and get into the spirit of the season!
Basically, I'll just highlight my favorite "fill-in-the-blank" every Friday! Any ideas, suggestions, or requests are welcome and encouraged.
Since it's only October for a little while longer, I thought I'd start with my favorite scary movie. I should start by saying that I begin making my scary movie list in August and save them all up for October. And because Layne and I are such homebodies, we buy a movie off Vudu or Amazon Prime pretty much every night and gorge ourselves on horror. And while I enjoy a lot of them, a few really do stand out. I love a good Hitchcock, like Rear Window or Psycho. I recently watched Scream for the first time and it was terrifically suspenseful.
But - my absolute favorite scary movie, or in fact series of scary movies - are the Paranormal Activity movies.
Oh. My. Gosh. They are absolutely spine chilling. They're the perfect movies to make your skin crawl and you just want to yell and point at the screen and you are truly insane if you watch them alone. I own the first three, so if you're close by feel free to borrow them. If not, hit a RedBox and get into the spirit of the season!
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