Thanksgiving and 19th Annual Baking Day 2022

 On Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I baked a turkey to donate to the Turkey Talkers Community Dinner - Ron took the turkey out to the Senior Center.  I also decorated for Christmas a bit - we decided to cut back on decorating this year.

Thanksgiving Day we helped serve at the Community Dinner which served 1,000 meals to those less fortunate.  The Sieger also worked at the dinner, so they came over here for lunch to eat our meals we brought home after working and also brought one for Mark.  We enjoyed a nice meal then took a nap!  

Amanda, Peyton and Garrison arrived in Clinton around 5:30 p.m. and the fun began!  We played the Saran Wrap Ball game which Garrison loves.  We had snack foods for dinner.  

Baking Day 2022 - the 19th annual - was a big success.  We added "Puppy Chow" and dipped coconut balls this year and had lots of fun.  Peyton baked an angel food cake from scratch which she learned to do in her cooking class at school.  Garrison continued the tradition and unwrapped 84 mini-Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for the cookies.  Grandpa and Garrison played 9 holes of golf.  Amanda and I took Peyton driving at the cemetery since she recently got her driver's permit - at 14 in Kansas.  We enjoyed our Thanksgiving Dinner - Amanda's baked chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli slaw, homemade rolls and angel food cake.  We signed the table cloth for the 13th year in a row.  We played games - Badminton Birdie Toss, Pictionary and Solo Cup questions.  

Since Garrison had baseball practice at 11 a.m. on Saturday, they had to go home earlier than any of us wanted, but we had a great visit.  

We are blessed and God is good!

November 2022 - Peyton Turns 14

 Quiet November became very busy mid-month.  Ron and I drove to St. Louis to pick up my brother, Mark, following his hernia and stoma repair surgery and brought him back to Clinton to stay for recovery, around 18 days.  He is recovering nicely - Praise the Lord.

While in Clinton, our nephew, Tom Mintun married Janine in Barbados.  Joe and Nicole attended the wedding.  Mark was unable to attend due to surgery.   We watched the wedding livestream with Mark - it was a beautiful wedding - happy for Dr. Janine and Tom Mintun who reside in Fort Myers, FL.  Janine is an oncologist - Tom works in software development and works from home.

We went to Overland Park on November 19 to watch Garrison's first basketball game of the season and to celebrate Peyton's 14th birthday a day early.  She had requested a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting on the side - ha ha.  We went to Viva Tacos and Tequila for an early dinner before driving home.

Marnie and I continue to play two-piano pieces together and sometimes organ and piano.  We are trying our hand at using iPads for music performance.  We wink to change the page.  It is pretty slick.

I baked a turkey for the community Thanksgiving dinner where we will also serve at the steam table, probably filling around 700 plates before bringing plates home for our dinner.  The Sieger are joining Mark and us for Thanksgiving dinner.

Amanda and the kids are planning to drive to Clinton Thursday afternoon - Chad and Bingo are staying home this time.  We will have our 19th annual baking day on Friday and our Thanksgiving dinner Friday night.  They will go home on Saturday.

We are blessed - God is good!