It's Been a Quiet Week Here....

Though it was the week of a major, often stress-inducing American holiday, it was still quiet around here. Thanksgiving dinner was a relaxed, low-key event with only half the people we had attending last year. My boys surprised me by skillfully cleaning house on Wednesday while I was sitting in a doctor's waiting room ("Mom! Guess what we did! We mopped all the floors!") So with the house clean, a menu that I could now cook in my sleep and only a few guests, Thanksgiving was just no biggie.

I refuse to participate in the corporate and consumerist circus that has become Black Friday. There is plenty of time to shop for Christmas gifts without using the day(s) of giving thanks for the important things in life (faith and family, home and health) to increase our meaningless material possessions. So Friday was also spent quietly with some comfort baking (another pumpkin pie) more visiting family and books to read. Well... and a flat tire while in town but feeling so blessed, it didn't disturb the peace.

Since the wedding and apple turnover season ended my Saturdays have become blissfully mundane. After the holidays I expect to have many Saturdays booked with bridal meetings once again, planning wedding cakes and pie deliveries. For now the Saturdays are like those in years gone by, spent in halcyon homekeeping activities. I've been feeling a niggle of guilt for not planning some pie making classes during this prime time pie season, but I just can't bring myself to clutter up my calender when it is so pleasingly bare. So today, with the housekeeping and laundry in control and no pressing appointments I was able to occupy my pottery studio once again for a couple hours. I think it was the second or third time this year that I had my hands in clay.

Fresh coffee, Garrison Keillor on the radio and the whirr of the pottery wheel. 

Just like old times!