No Thanksgiving plans

 Our plans are no plans. For years I helped my mother with Thanksgiving.  

Then i became THAT mom and was up at 6:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving day to prepare everything - having already baked 4 pies the day before. 

Then I retired from work, moved to California to be near my children. (Could they have moved any further away from Maryland? geezzzz.) Then I retired from doing Thanksgiving and turned it over to my oldest daughter. 

This year I retired from Thanksgiving completely. Oldest daughter is going skiing. (broke both her legs skiing last year but hey, she loves skiing. She says she'll be careful) Second child is married to a Native American and therefore does NOT celebrate Thanksgiving. (Whatever happened to the historical fact of pilgrims and native Americans having a harvest celebration together?) My third child doesn't want to have Thanksgiving with her friends this year, so she has promised to bake pumpkin pies for me. 

yum.

Time to bake the Pies.

Not that pie!

Yes, it's time to bake pumpkin pies.
First you gather the ingredients.  (yes the whipped cream is very important. If you can't whip your own, the canned whipped cream is a satisfactory substitute.)

Readers of my blog will remember the years when I baked lots and lots and lots of pies.
For the workplace.
For home.
For my husband's birthday. (he hated cake)
For Thanksgiving. With enough for relatives to take home with them.
For after Thanksgiving because the pies are gone and we want to eat more PIE!

Well this year, we did it again.
Baked pumpkin pie in memory of my husband's birthday.
And now I just took the Thanksgiving pies out of the oven.
And later - more pies. Because we want to eat more pie - and the teen wants to give one to her boyfriend.

Saturday is PI Day

March 14th is always Pi Day.
What is Pi Day?
This is the date that matches the numerical notation of the math symbol - PI.
Commonly know as 3.14 + a lot of other numbers without end.
You can find more information about it by clicking on the website dedicated to Pi Day.

This Saturday the date is even more special because it equals more of the number:
3.1415 =  3/14/15

How will you celebrate PI day?
You could buy a pie. Blueberry for me, please:

Or you could make a pie:

Whatever you do - enjoy your Pi (or pie).

p.s. I just found this on Facebook and had to add it to this post:

For the Dr. Who fans out there - you know who you are.

Pumpkin Pie Facts

Did you know?

The world's largest one was made on Sept. 25, 2010 at the New Bremen, Ohio Pumpkinfest consisting of 
1,212 pounds canned pumpkin, 
109 gallons evaporated milk, 
2,796 eggs, 
7 pounds salt, 
14 1/2 pounds cinnamon,
 AND 525 pounds of sugar. 

Yep! 
Weighing in at a colossal 3,699 pounds, this tasty dessert measured 20 feet in diameter. 

It's time to make the PIE!

It's PI Day !!!

Yum!
3.14
(PI rounded up.)

And -- If you'd like to see some PI in the Sky, jump on over to Sandra Boynton's page on Facebook.

Yes, I'm also thinking of making a pie today. Pumpkin would be nice and easy and delicious.

Time to make the pumpkin pie ---

It's Time to Bake the Pies

First you gather the ingredients:

Then you make the pies:

Oh dear, Someone's already tasted it.
Probably me. My family likes it cold, but I'll eat it warm or cold.

This year I won't make as many pies as in years past, which I talked about here, and here.

Do you always make pumpkin pie in November?
If not, then what is your favorite fall pie?
wo

Books, books, books, and Festivus, too

No need for me to write a post today -- too busy with Christmas cooking. (pies/ cookies/ etc., etc., etc.) What kind of pie? Pumpkin, of course.

So rush on over the MotherReader and catch up on all her holiday ideas.
How to wrap a book.
Recommended book gifts.  (yes, you still have time)
The Airing of the Grievances
etc.

In the mail

Mailed two more manuscripts out.
Crossing fingers and toes.

Do you remember last year's discussion of the number of pumpkin pies I have to make in November?
Well, that is now a picture book and I've been mailing it out. Someday it might even land on that certain wonderful editor's desk who loves pies and might even like the story.
Crossing fingers and toes.
wo

Writer's Retreat Weekend

If you need to get away, taking a writer's retreat is a nice way to get your writer's juices flowing.
This past weekend I attended one on the Eastern Shore of Delaware. Like the view? Well, remember, I saw none of this because it rained all Saturday.

I had intended to work on my Lance (the dog) stories. And maybe fiddle with one or two other things. However, you may have noticed that my Vermont College Advisor, Julie Larios, challenged me to turn a November Blog into a picture book. So that became the first order of the day.

My first attempt, not so good. I simply re-wrote the blog from the viewpoint of a child. hmmmmm.

My second attempt was better. But I realized that I would need the names of many more pies than just pumpkin pie -- delicious as pumpkin pie is. So I ran out of the "quiet" writer's room into the noisy one. Help! Help!

I wrote my plea for pie-help on the whiteboard. (In an attempt not to disturb those intent on their computers) But when I turned around, about seven writers had left their own writing and had crowded around the board. (Any excuse for a break from writing, right?) This pie. That pie. It wasn't but a few minutes until I had enough pies -- many of which I had not thought of before. Yea! I LOVE when the group mind goes to work.

I presented the resulting picture book during the evening reading session.

I'm definitely going to go to next year's writing retreat, even tho it's scheduled to be in West Virginia, which will probably be an even longer drive away.
-wendieO

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope your Thanksgiving was stress-free.

Me? I have to make more pumpkin pies -- we are out and the family is clamoring for more.
-wendieOld