Busy Week and Lots of Good Family Time

“I have learned that to be with those I like is enough” 
― Walt Whitman

Tuesday, November 15-Book Club at the Villas.  The book reviewed was "The Law of Gravity" by Liz Rosenberg.  A good read about the legalities of a promise...dealing with family and health issues. It made for a very lively discussion!

Wednesday, November 15 was my turn to have dinner for the Awesome Foursome... a couple years ago four of us living here who are all single gals, decided to start a little dinner club and once a month we meet and eat at each others' homes....except for one who doesn't like to cook, but she takes us out so that is OK!  I usually experiment on them with new recipes.  I had wanted to make a ham loaf which I had not done in years and because I had a new attachment on my mixer to grind stuff that I wanted to try out, that is what I made.

Thursday, November 16 I attended an all day workshop with Debby Maddy on dyeing with Indigo and creating shibori fabric.  Great fun!  And I learned a lot although I don't have anything to show yet because I am sooooo slow in anything I do!

Wrapping a long silk scarf on a slinky to get a very cool patterned scarf !

Debby showing a lot of her work and telling us how she got the different patterns

The vat of indigo dye used to make the shibori and other indigo dyed fabric

I love the  look and did get one of the kits so I can make my own indigo at home...need to find a slinky! Anyone know where I can get one?

Saturday, November 18 was my birthday and my granddaughter Kathleen had just gotten home from school for Thanksgiving vacation. So she and  her mom and dad took me out for dinner that night.  My choice...Italian!

Kathleen, Me, Marti and Graham

We took a picture back at my house  when we got back.  Marti had also brought a variety of "Nothing But Bundt" mini cakes for dessert.  YUM!

Monday, November 20 my buddy Debby came up from Glen Rose to take me to lunch.  We spent the day catching up as we hadn't seen each other for awhile.  I drove all around to show her some of the new things being built around.  Neiman Marcus has opened up their new store in an area called the Shops at Clearfork....a very upscale shopping area not too many miles from me.  Then we drove up to the Montgomery Plaza area which she had not seen and ate at Gloria's... a Mexican restaurant that advertises "with a Latin flair"!

Tuesday and Wednesday, I spent most of the time getting ready for Thanksgiving.  Andrea came over on Wednesday to help.  Then Thursday, November 23 was Turkey Day!  I hadn't had Thanksgiving for the family since I had moved into my condo.  We used to host it every year when we had a larger place. But this year those able to come were at a manageable  number of eight and since my kitchen remodel adding more counter space was finished, I wanted to host again! I had a great time...as I hope every one else did! 

All my peeps...Kathleen, Colin, Graham
Andrea, me and Marti

Bob and Eddy Lou...Graham's parents

My Grands...Kathleen and Colin

Andrea-my sous chef and all around helper!

After eating, we all went over to Bob and Eddy Lou's to finish out the day with football, more eating and games!  Graham's sister Angela and her husband Brant were also there after eating with his family...switching off every other year. Marti had brought her iPad to show them a video she and her team of teachers had made while learning to use some new equipment....very funny!!!

  

Brant, Marti, Angela and Graham standing

On Friday, November 24, I had gotten tickets to see the film "Loving Vincent" at the Modern Museum in Fort Worth for Andrea and me.  We spent Black Friday at home dyeing fabric, trying some new techniques we had both learned from various classes, then after a quick midday meal, we got cleaned up and went in to see the movie.

All these portraits by Van Gogh come to life!

It was just fabulous!  Really well done!  It is an hour and a half, animated character using these portraits as well as many familiar landscapes and scenes from Van Gogh's paintings.  It is difficult to explain just how they make it...it does have story line which takes place about a year after his death.  A few years ago, a couple guys came up with a theory that he did not commit suicide, but was shot either accidentally or on purpose.  This film runs with that idea which is quite compelling.

And while at the Modern, we got to see it all lit up for Christmas!

Looking in from one of the patio areas

An exhibit with the outside lights showing through 

Overlooking the water surround with Museum Way in the left background 

Saturday, November 25, Andrea headed on home about midmorning and I had one more meal with the Ayers...a last chance to see the Grands before they headed back to school on Sunday!

I hope all of you reading this had as a great a week as I did....Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!