THANKSGIVING DAY - WE MANAGED ;)

Yesterday, browsing through my photos to find scenes of Thanksgivings past, I felt a little blue that we would be away from family on Thanksgiving. Well, not to worry! Even though we were on our own, we had a good holiday.

After a hard rain last night, Luna, Odel and I were snuggled in the flannel sheets this morning, slowly awakening… when a phone rang. By the ring, I could tell it was Odel’s. Something to be thankful about!

Kim’s cheerful “happy thanksgiving” rang through the house, and soon we all were up: Luna meowing loudly and ceaselessly for food, petting, and free access to the outside; Odel and I getting the tea water started, cleaning the cat box, turning on NPR to listen to other families' Thanksgiving stories.

Energized by the thought of our road trip tomorrow, we soon were whizzing around the rig, inside and out, multitasking like crazy: cleaning, folding, packing, checking the tires and trying to remember our departure checklist. Piles of books and magazines had to be sorted and stashed, outdoor chairs and the grill were stowed for travel; kitchen cupboards were organized and padded against bumps. As we worked, the sky brightened, with blue skies and sunshine peeking through the clouds here and there.

Before we plunged into the traditional eating rituals of Thanksgiving, we decided to visit Yucaipa Regional Park, 20 minutes away, for some hiking - and to take a look at the RV sites in their campground (hey, you RV'ers - the sites were large, level, and beautiful). Our four mile hike to Zanja Peak took us high up above the green of the park (top photo).

We would have had a full 360 degree view, except that the peak was in a cloud - a very rainy cloud! We scrambled back down, warm but wet, and headed home, making a note to go back on a sunny day, maybe after the first cold winter storm when the surrounding mountains will be covered with fresh snow.

Once we got home, it was Odel's turn to lounge on the bed, remote in hand, football on the small screen. I got to work on Thanksgiving dinner.

Before too long, dinner was ready: Donna's Leftover Turkey Pot Pie (photo above) , roasted butternut squash glazed with a little bit of hot pepper jelly, and seared green beans. A yummy Zinfandel to wash it all down.

We had blues on the satellite radio (another thing to give thanks for) and sunshine pouring in the big front windows that Odel had cleaned just this morning. The only things missing were your smiles - oh, and dessert. :)

If you have 2 cups of leftover turkey and want to give the pot pie a try, click here for the recipe, which I also added to the recipe archive on the left side of the blog. You won't find it in the Weight Watcher section, though!

My Weight Watcher's project has come to a screeeeeeching halt, probably temporarily. It takes a substantial time commitment, which I don't mind when I am seeing results on the scale - but the time I am now spending at the gym seems to be time better spent. I'm seeing results from our workouts in the fit of my clothing and, even though retired, I don't have time to spend on a daily workout AND monitoring, measuring and recording everything that goes into my mouth! It had to be one or the other and, since I only have access to a gym until we leave Loma Linda in January, that's where I'm putting my time. Weight Watchers can wait.

Happy Thanksgiving, all!