Getting Ready for Thanksgiving Dinner

Time to set the table.

 This year we'll be using my vintage Franciscan Apple dishes - an anniversary gift in September from Don, for our 52nd anniversary.

 Crystal apple bowls complete the setting.

 Shiny silver serving spoons - see previous post for how to get your silver back to sparkling without the hours of polishing.

 A lovely apple teapot - from my collection - goes perfectly with the Franciscan Apple dishes

And crystal apple serving dishes.

 And some helpers to get the table ready - Sally Jo is arranging the silverware

 Abby likes to help with getting things in just the right order

Kyla and Poppy share their chores

 Donnie - don't sit on the plates!!!

 But the girls were standing on the table!

I'm ready for some Thanksgiving food

 Setting up for the dessert buffet - plans are afoot for pumpkin custard, cranberry nut bread, pecan tarts and sugar cookies.  What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?

And now, back to preparations, next is baking the pecan tarts and frosting the cookies.

Happy Thanksgiving from all the gang - and the little plate sitter.

Tuesday's Treasures

Friends Sharing Tea

Tuesday Cuppa Tea 

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

Lots on the list

Thaw the turkey

Bake pies

Set the table

Polish the Silver

Wait - don't polish the silver - use magic!!!

I love silver - sterling or silverplate - I love them both.  I have some lovely pieces - but I don't like to polish silver.  The old fashioned silver polish is toxic and I don't like the smell or the harshness - or rinsing it down the sink.

But I love silver - so what's a girl to do?

Magic, I tell you - plain and simple magic

Line a glass baking dish with aluminum foil - (in the sink is best) making sure it goes up the sides and ends of the pan. 

 Lay the silver pieces in it that need polishing and pour boiling water over it all - to cover the pieces.

Now the magic - add 1/4 cup baking soda - just plain old baking soda from your cupboard.

Stand back and watch the magic!!!!!

Tiny bubbles appear - and the shine begins to return to the silver.

As the pieces become shiny once again I pluck them out of the hot water with a pair of tweezers or a pair of tongs (they are hot from being in the boiling water).  Rinse with cold water and wipe dry with a clean cloth.

If there are a few stubborn spots make a paste of a small amount of baking soda and water - rub the spots and they will disappear.  

Magic - I tell you - total magic. 

And look what you get!!!

 You start with tarnished silver

Your reward for a few minutes of easy work is a nice pile of very shiny silver

 Top - Before    Bottom - After

 Ready for the table.

 I didn't think to take a before picture of this little sugar/jam spoon - it was almost totally black when I started - now it is happy and shiny

A favorite serving spoon - tarnished

 And now shiny bright - a little extra rubbing was required on the flowery part of the handle - but only a little.

 Oh - the poor "before" meat fork

 Two big serving spoons - dark and dingy 

 Before and After

 Another favorite serving spoon - rescued with magic

 Handle of the Pie Server 

 It was sad before

But was a good pie server

 Shiny and pretty now - ready for Thanksgiving pies - what kind shall we make?

 Lovely, lovely - and all done with magic.  This took me about an hour total to clean all the silverware - and everything is eco friendly.  Let's go set the table.

Mosaic Monday

Barns

Barns on the backroads behind Big Lake, WA.  The grass is such a beautiful green in the autumn and winter here because of the plentiful rain we get.  In the last week alone we've had almost 2 inches - and more to come.  It is our rainy season.

 Old Barns

 New Barns

The Barn Collective 

Christmas List Ideas

Christmas list ideas!

A perfect book for the whole family - my book is the real life adventures that my brothers and I had when our family moved to Alaska in the 1950s.  Bears, whales, boats - and homemade ice cream in the winter because that was the only time we had ice - the nearby waterfall froze and we chipped the ice to make old-fashioned ice cream in our hand cranked ice cream maker.

Happy fans of the book 

 And time to think of gifts for the holidays - "Are We Walking to Alaska?" would appeal to aunts, uncles, cousins, youngsters, moms, dads, grandparents.  Grandparents especially might love the book because they will remember many of the things mentioned as being from their childhoods. And there is lots of Alaska history from that time period too, before Alaska was a state.

Make your list - order from amazon - or an autographed copy can be ordered directly from me - let me know in the comments if you want autographed copies - make sure I have your email to respond, I can also gift wrap and mail the book for you too, now, or at holiday time. 

Autographed book plus shipping is 11.00 (gift wrap free)

 Is someone on your list hard to buy for?  I have the perfect gift.

1. Great Aunt Tildy - Book from Amazon.com - Are We Walking To Alaska? she loves true stories of children from Alaska, as she was a child there a long time ago. And this is a true story.                                          
   

   
2. Bertie and Sally - the twins - they are reading chapter books now  - Are We Walking To Alaska? - from Amazon.com - they will love the adventures in this true story - bears, whales, deer, and a squirrel that comes indoors to play                                      
                  
3. Dad - Are We Walking To Alaska?   - from Amazon.com -   he fished in Alaska as a young man and will enjoy the fishing stories                
   

   
4. Uncle Stubbs - Are We Walking To Alaska?  -  Uncle Stubbs can tell a story like no on else - and he'll get a big kick out of the stories in this book                                                                   
5. Paper Girl - Lawn Mowing Boy - Are We Walking To Alaska?  - plus a bit of money put in as a bookmark - they both do such a great job all year and now they can relax and go on a true story adventure in the wilds of Alaska in the 1950s                                  
   

   
6. Cousin Sally - Are We Walking To Alaska?  - she's brave and would love to have an adventure in the wilderness, and things that happened in the book will intrigue her.              
   

   
7. Sisters and Brothers -   Are We Walking To Alaska?   - reminders of their time growing up in Alaska - they will pass this book on to their children 
8.                                                             
9. Next Door Neighbor, Mrs. Benson -   Are We Walking To Alaska?  - Sweet neighbor is by herself, she'll enjoy the company of a young girl in Alaska, learning all about the new and different way of life.                                           
   

   
10. Mrs. Stilton -  Are We Walking To Alaska? - a school teacher for years in  Alaska - this true story will remind her of all the wonderful children she has taught.                                                    
11. Mrs. Van Pelt -   Are We Walking To Alaska? - grandson's teacher, she might even want to read the book to her 4th grade class.

And so many others - just think how they'll enjoy this book - available in Kindle and print - makes shopping easy.

Others on your holiday lists  -  -  -  

• Mail Carrier - a break from every day life
• Friends in the Quilting group
• Neighbor who stops by to chat most afternoons
• School Libraries - donate a book in your child or grandchild's name
• Public Libraries
• Convalescent Hospitals - the residents will enjoy the true story of a young girl in Alaska
• Care Homes
• Baby Sitter
• Co-Workers

Hey - I'm not a bookmark!

One stop shopping - and if you have Amazon Prime you can have the print books shipped right to each person - or if you order Kindle it will be delivered to their Kindle for instant reading.

If you'd like an autographed copy, there is still time - leave me a message and a way to contact you and we'll work out the details.  I'm always happy to autograph a book.  The autographed books have to come from me, as none at amazon are autographed - I have a good supply handy this holiday season.  If you want it autographed and sent as a gift I'll even include gift wrapping free.

Thanks for shopping




And now that your shopping is done - have a treat and relax.

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