Our Pretend Thanksgiving

I got up early yesterday and spend all morning cooking and prepping and getting everything ready for our pretend Thanksgiving.  The turkey was done and out of the oven, and the casseroles were put together and ready to go into the oven when the kids got here, and Cody said, "Let's go get pizza."

Back into the refrigerator went the turkey and casseroles, and we went and got pizza.  

I wish he'd told me before I did all that cooking.  Oh well, that was just less prep for me to do today -- which was when we had our dinner and did everything one would normally do on Thanksgiving day except watch the parade.  We ate, watched football, and even watched Miracle On 34th Street -- which is a family tradition to watch on Thanksgiving day.   The kids even put up my Christmas tree and outside lights, but I'm going to leave the rest of my Fall decor up until next weekend. 

I let them do most of the work, and told Cody, "Yes, you do have to hang the Dallas Cowboys ornaments!", which he was not happy about, but did it anyway.  I hung my new family ornament myself, though.  

I'm telling you, it sure goes a lot faster when you have help, and someone tall to put the angel on top.  

Shortly after that, they packed up their stuff and most of the leftovers, and went home, and though I love having the kids around, it's nice to have my house back. 

So, the whole reason they wanted to come this weekend was to go to the tree lighting on the square.  They'd come to the one in 2021, and that's also the last time I went.  They didn't have one in 2022, and last year they had to postpone it due to the threat of severe weather.  I don't remember, but I know I didn't go because of having to work the next day.  Anyway...

Man, I don't know what has happened, but it was nothing like it used to be.  There wasn't even a tree!  This is the one from last year, and they for some reason, didn't even put it up. 

And they didn't put up the Merry Christmas candy canes, 

or the light tunnel, 

or a fraction of the stuff they normally put out.  Not only that, nobody showed up.  I mean, outside of the entertainers' families, there were very few people there.    We thought that maybe the reason nobody was there was that they were all at the football game where the local high school team won and is headed to the state championship. But even so, they could have scheduled the Lighting for Saturday.  

Whatever the reason, it just wasn't the same as when Brennan said my town reminded her of Stars Hollow.  From the Gilmore Girls, for those of you who haven't seen that show.   We did go on a carriage ride this time, which was nice.  They just went around the square, but it's the first time I'd been in a carriage since I was in Florence, Italy.  Other than that, it wasn't much to brag about. 

They had the praise band from Christ Community Church sing a few songs -- and at least what they sang were Christmas songs.  When they were done, there was a band called Slash perform, and they were pretty awful. 

I hadn't wanted to say it, but Cody mentioned that their timing was off and they needed some ear training.  Not only that, they were very loud -- which I'm sure went over well with people in nearby neighborhoods who might be wanting to put their young children to bed -- and didn't sing anything Christmassy.  OK, they sang Run Run Reindeer, and Santa Looks A Lot Like Daddy, but mostly what they sang was Southern Rock and Country.  We didn't even stay for the whole thing.  

Brennan was looking at her phone, and I was reading my book on my Kindle app, when suddenly I said, "I'm about ready to go," and we went.  

The only redeeming thing about the night was I got a new book out of the Little Free Library.  

I won't keep this one after I've read it, but will put it back into the LFL.  

One last thing, after we ate, we went to Walmart and bought stuff to make S'mores, then when we got back, Cody and I put my fire pit together. 

And let me tell you something, it's a nice fire pit, but I'm sure glad I got it on clearance, because I don't think it's worth $200.  

Cody kept insisting on putting that grill on there, even though we weren't planning on cooking hamburgers or anything.  I'll pull it off next time I use it. 

Anyway, by the time we got home from that thing on the square, I was so cold I made us all hot chocolate and told them they could do S'mores, but I was staying inside where it was warm.  I guess they didn't want to do it without me, because they stayed inside, too and we watched the first half of the extended edition of Lord Of The Rings. 

Then we all went to bed. 

This morning, I moved the fire pit up onto the back porch, thinking it would be better protected from rusting if it weren't directly on the ground.  I'm planning on getting some of the patio paving stone thingies that I'd mentioned a few weeks ago and building me a little patio.  

If I can ever get my act together enough to do it, that is.