It's beautiful Monday Morning here in California. It's also quite as I sit here and look outside, hearing an occasional car, lawn mower and plane. (We live under the flight path to the airport here.) The sky is clear and their is only a slight breeze, doesn't look much like a few days before Thanksgiving.

We have been so busy with so many things, it's nice to just sit here and enjoy a moment before the week's activities take over. Our church finishes it last day as a collection center for Operation Christmas Child. We have collected over 6,000 shoeboxes to send to children around the world who will not experience the joy of Christmas that so many of us are blessed to have here in the states. Our church is also getting ready for the upcoming "Drive Thru Living Nativity" and "Christmas Gift To San Jose" Program. (If you are in the area, come on by, it's free!). We are also wrapping up our last Awana club night before we take the month of December off. Beside church activities we have several dance performance scheduled during the holiday season.

I have been knitting when I can. Over the weekend I finished up the back of my Country Jacket Sweater. I would love to finish it up soon, but there are a few things I am not sure how to do. We have several Yarn Stores in the area, so I thought I could stop by one of them and get some help if I get really stuck. I have several Christmas Gifts to finish up and can work on those when I am waiting when I am out with the kids or at Christmas Rehearsal. I am close to finishing up my Feather and Fan Shawl with only two and half skeins of yarn left. I can't wait to get it all finished up with and use it, too!

With a our busy schedule we decided to just stay here for Thanksgiving. We were invited to join another family from church that we are really good friends to spend the day. My friend told me that we were having turkey, honey baked ham, shrimp, and BBQ'ed tuna! Plus a few favorite side dishes. My family has requested for me to bring Pretzel Salad, (the link is not my recipe, but a similar one), it's a long standing tradition from my side of the family. A dear friend of my parents served it one year and it was a requirement with holiday meals from then on. We serve it as a side dish not a dessert, why??, I don't know, just what they have always done! Over the years I have used different fruits and flavors, but usually strawberries it the one that is more requested one. I want to try making cookies with fondant frosting from the Cake Central Website, but only if I have time otherwise it might be just a simple cake or dessert that I can whip up quickly.

I have enjoyed my quiet morning long enough and it's time to get back to my responsibilities of being a mommy.