Great Weekend!

I have not been keeping up on any journaling of late; here begins my attempt at rectification.

This past work week was warm and sunny with cool nights but the ominous news loomed heavy on our hearts: snow storm this weekend! Friday was absolutely gorgeous near 70 (keep in mind this is 18th November near the 42 parallel of North latitude!) but the forecast was for snow (big snow) on Saturday pm with strong winds. What we did not expect was the storm that approached quickly that night - while watching the Wings ( I think, or maybe it was A Cookie Christmas on Hallmark) they showed a severe thunderstorm watch for our county. I quickly accessed the local radar as the winds started picking up and beheld a thin red frontal line moving west to east the entire length of the State about a mile away. As i ran outside to close the Grape windows in nothing but my shorts (it was real warm remember, AND i think we had a fire lit inside), I began to hear the distinct pinging of hail on metal siding and vehicles; in an instant my bare back confirmed this meteorological phenomenon. God be praised we did not lose power - although our brother-in-law did only a couple miles away - and the temperatures began dropping.
The wind has been howling and gusting ever since then, but it did not stop us from putting up some nice white lights around the deck railing last night during the Michigan victory over Indiana.

Mom has again invited all of us over for Thanksgiving and brother Gary will be in town for the weekend! I'll bring cranberries (Simple and Amazing, according to the online post), pickles (experimentally hot with jalapenos from the garden), stuffing (a variation of Claire Robinson's Thanksgiving 5 Ingredient Fix menu item), a song (written 'specially for the occasion) and possibly a pumpkin cheesecake (thanks to our briefly turning in to The Pioneer Woman yestreday morning and hearing the voice of God speak to me on this subject).

I think