The time keeps slippin away and before you know it the holidays will be upon us. Thanksgiving will be the next one we celebrate. [Halloween is not a holiday that we acknowledge as it's an event that doens't honor Christ.] It is such a happy time with POSITIVE attitudes and thankfulness for all we've been blessed with over the last year. Christmas is also such a happy time and we really enjoy it too. Little tykes are so special and gettin them gifts is such a joy to watch'm oopen'm. Yes, we acknowledge Christ and not santa claus as the "reason for the season", to these little guys. I'll also let the cat outta tha bag again [see frugal heating thread] and say that I used to, when I had money, support local poor people. I'd go the the little local grocery store in Clay City, IL and tell the owner to fix up grocery sacks of dinners. Turks, with all the trimmins and pass'm out to the locals who couldn't afford to buy their Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Usually was about a dozen or so that needed food. The instructions to him were--NOBODY was supposed to know who paid for'm and I REFUSED to know who they were! I wasn't doin this for any Glory but told him to relay the message of "give God all the Glory". I really did llike that and I'm sure they liked it too. I wasn't tryin to buy my way into heaven but when I trusted Christ it became a great joy to give to the needy. Easter is greatly anticipated around this place too. It's the MOST IMPORTANT holiday of the year for us! I'll not apoligize for the preachin as its what we base our lives upon. I tried livin without Christ and have no desire to go back. Decoration day, July 4th, labor day and all the lesser holidays are great too. Still, something about the winter holidays that "turns my crank" as the rednecks would say. Togetherness, family, friends and even some people you don't necessarily like, can and do enjoy these special days together. Old Mr. Turkey isn't too safe around these parts on these days. Ham is fine but not special to us as we eat it all year around. Of course, the turks now are raised on the chemical feed and is killin all of us in the meantime, along with storebought beef, chick and hog. Fire up the wood cookstoves and lets roast a turk. Dressing, gravy and all the necessary trimmins--jest gotta have sum punk pie too. Thanksgivin--yep, me an lil dumplin can hardly wait!! Matt. 24:44

-- hoot gibson (hoot@pcinetwork.com), September 26, 2000

Answers

Ok ok hoot. now I'm hungry! I'm finding myself making menus and pumpkin pie and wishing that Thanksgiving were closer! Shoot me a turkey while you're at it!

-- Misha (MishaaE@aol.com), September 26, 2000.

Hoot, you made me remember what is really important. Thank you. I love to hear your stories and opinions. It keeps my Dad in my thoughts. I would really love a home grown turkey and all the rest however, I'm not into butchering yet so I must make do with the horrible store bought stuff. Do you smoke your own hams? That is something I really wish I could taste again. But at least this year we will be eating pumpkin pie from our own homegrown pumpkins. And yesterday I had potatoes and eggs I had raised myself. I'm getting there.

-- Cheryl Cox (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), September 26, 2000.

Speaking of holiday food I would always fix something Called dinner in a pumpkin for halloween it consisted of ground beef mixture simalar to meatloaf put into a hallowed out pumpkin, put the top back on and bake in a deep sided pan like a broiler pan. You could put it in the oven early in the afternoon and it would be ready to eat when the pumpkin got soft. scoop out some of the meat and some of the pumpkin the kids loved it, does anyone have a good recipe for this with cooking times. It has to be fairly savory to be really good. thanks Ronda.

-- ronda (thejohnsons_doty@hotmail.com), September 26, 2000.