Thanksgiving Week

Howdy! If you’re popping in because you received my holiday card, HI! Thanks for stopping by! :-) if you want to read more about my travels through the year, scroll allllllllll the way down (if you’re on a phone) or click on the tags in the right (if you’re in front of a computer). Enjoy!
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I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving week. Mine began rather eventfully. My family and I headed up north to the Sensorio display of lights. It’s been sold out for weeks so I was super happy to have reserved this a while back. My good friend Patty told me about it and it looked like something my family would enjoy. We drove up in two cars to make sure we were completely comfortable with all our winter gear. We arrived to the city, had a late lunch and freshened up at the beautiful craftsman home I rented on AirBnB. We headed to the display as the sun was beginning to set. Pictures just can’t do it justice. We got drinks (beer & wine) and enjoyed them as we walked through the display.

I hosted Thanksgiving dinner at my home and I began the preparations on Tuesday. I bought the turkey at Whole Foods and put it in a brine right away. Wednesday I made sure I had all the ingredients for the side dishes and desserts. Wednesday night I made pecan pie, creamed scones, and cranberry relish (Anthony Bordain recipe). Thursday morning I took the turkey out of the brine and let it come to room temperature. I seasoned the turkey and put it in the oven. Later in the day I made garlic-cheese mashed potatoes, rolls, and stuffing. My mom made gravy, and my brother and his wife brought 805 beer which my dad very much enjoys. It felt great to be able to prepare thanksgiving dinner for my family.

In the middle of the Thanksgiving hubbub, my friend Jane flew in from DC for a visit! It was great to spend time with her again!! We are obsessed with the show Jack Ryan so we agreed to watch all the episodes except the last. We watched the last episode together while yelling at the tv! So much fun!!!

Since Jane was here, we went out to dinner with our friend Caroline to celebrate both their birthdays. We went to 71 Above in downtown LA, where we ran into old high school classmates! We spent time catching up on old times! It was a great evening with great friends and an incredible view!

The last thing I did during Thanksgiving week was put up my Christmas tree. My parents, brother and his wife all helped put up the tree and decorate it. I had some custom ornaments made as well. I’m very happy with the outcome.

Looks like I’m ready for the holiday season. I’m looking forward to seeing family from abroad next week. From the other side of my family, I have a family member coming to stay with me for a month and we’ll be exploring California for a month, from North to South, visiting friends from all over. I’m so grateful for all the fun to be had, but more importantly to have my family close to me.

​Happy December!!!