Day 30: The End of the Road

My Favorite Holiday Albums

Vince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas (classic, classic, classic)

Jack Johnson (Brushfire Holidays vol. 1): This Warm December (Someday at
Christmas is my favorite track off of this one.)

Taylor Swift: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection (I love her version of Last
Christmas, as well as Christmases When You Were Mine)

Elvis Presley: Elvis' Christmas Album (Blue Christmas is classic, but I adore Santa Claus is Back in Town)

Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas (I'm in not in the proper holiday mood until I've heard Mariah belt out All I Want for Christmas is You)

Jackson 5: The Ultimate Jackson 5 Christmas Collection (funny that such great Christmas songs come from a family of Jehovah's Witnesses. My favorite Santa Claus is Coming to Town is from the mouth of baby Michael.)

Hanson: Snowed In (my absolute favorite, nothing beats their Merry Christmas Baby and Christmas, Baby Please Come Home. The throwback to The Beach Boys with Little Saint Nick is superb.)

A Very Special Christmas (1987): featuring numerous artists in a holiday album to benefit The Special Olympics (Christmas in Hollis, Run DMC. Santa Baby, Madonna. I rest my case.)

Beach Boys: Christmas with the Beach Boys (I can't like the Hanson album without enjoying the inspiration.)

Dream Christmas Album Artist: John Mayer. Just saying he should think about that.

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I can't believe I've made it to the end of NaBloPoMo without skipping any days. I know my posts were not monumental and sometimes didn't contain many words. But who's to judge that lack of words somehow means that what I'm doing isn't blogging? Stories get told in a variety of ways. And I certainly feel, looking back on this month, that I have a perfect snapshot of what November 2009 was like for me. While I don't plan to continue posting daily I do hope to continue offering vignettes here and there so I have something to look back on. Thanks for reading and thanks to those who commented. I appreciate it.

Day 29: Tree Trimming

And so they are done. And there are even presents under one. And the outside is decorated. And I downloaded Lady Gaga music. The point is...lots of things happened during Thanksgiving break.

And now it's over. And I'm never eating turkey again.

The end.

Day 28: With Flare

I spent a few minutes this evening as the sun was setting to test out a little sun flare photography. I had only just read a tutorial on it and I definitely need to read more and practice. But out of the 20 or so shots I really liked this one:

Day 27: Black Friday

My mother and I went out like three years ago or so for the first Black Friday of either of our lives. It was the easiest most stress free experience ever. No lines, empty parking lots, not terrible crowds, nothing at all like what I'd always heard about it. We were in and out of Walmart, Kmart and Target in no time at all. It was enough to make us do it again. And again, like last year when we easily picked up a new tv with no hassle. We could never understand people who complained about how crazy Black Friday was, because it'd have never been that way for us.

Apparently our Black Friday years were really recession years. And if this year's experience is any indication at all the recession is really over.

It was insane.

We arrived at Walmart at 4:30am, which in the past had been an adequate amount of time before the sales began. This year people were parking in the lots of restaurants that were quite a distance away and walking to the store. We left there and headed to Target instead. Which, while easier to park, left much to be desired in the moving checkout line department. Afterward we hit up JoAnn's, Best Buy (very organized chaos there, I'll give them that) and finally, Home Depot.

I'm thankful for a few deals. A cookware set we needed, a Cricut for my Mom, a new microwave for the kitchen (over the oven for only $68) and several presents for Jonathan (which I won't name in case he snoops around here).

But mostly I'm never doing that again. I'll stay home and shop from the comfort of the internet next year.

Til' the next recession, Black Friday. It was nice knowing you.

Day 26: Thankful

It's not big or fancy. There are no more grandparents. Aunts and uncles are non existent. Cousins aren't running around. Just four seats at a modest table, plus one for the chihuahua. Too much food for the quartet. We all eat until we're stuffed and then push ourselves just a little bit more. Dessert is met with groans, we all agree not yet. Afterward we disperse. Store ads are scattered about and lists are made for morning shopping. Eventually the youngest one goes back for more turkey and the rest of us are left wondering where in the heck he's putting it.



It isn't big. And it isn't fancy. But it's perfect.

For that, I am thankful.

Day 25: Pre Thanksgiving

I started baking today. And as any good baking day goes it involved lots and lots of butter and some cream cheese thrown in for good measure.

I mean, it's my patriotic duty to commit such gluttonous crimes. I can't be held accountable.



I also can't be held accountable for the mess that ensued. For the record: I HATE this part. I hate cleaning but I hate for things to be messy. There is no happy medium in that kind of situation.


I managed to make pumpkin pies that were not from a can of Libby's easy pie mix.


But my favorite thing from today remains these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. Seriously, I cannot endorse a dessert enough. These things are magic.

Day 24

I don't really feel like updating tonight. But I'm soldiering on so I don't break my NaBloPoMo streak.

Good luck tomorrow to Cassie who will be bringing her precious little boy into the world. I can't wait to hear his name!

Molly can't wait to hear it either. We'll be anxiously refreshing Twitter all day. :)


I'll be back tomorrow with Turkey talk or something at least a smidge more tangible.