Thanksgiving has come and gone and we certainly enjoyed being with our family. Aunt Marie left yesterday morning, after a 10 day visit. We enjoyed having her and I only hope that life is as much fun for me at 85. We also had the honor of having Paul's parents spend the holidays with us. Charles and Genie got to see Alabama and Auburn fans in action!
There was some sad news over the holidays, as well. Greg Terry, age 41, dropped dead unexpectedly on Thanksgiving morning. We attended the funeral yesterday. I think it might have been the largest funeral I have ever attended. Please remember the Terry family in prayer. Greg was planning to be married on January 9th. He also leaves behind a young daughter that he was raising. He died much too soon- but then again, death has no age restraints.
Also, last night we learned of the death of little Helen Gray. Helen would have been 3 on December 23rd. She was killed in a car accident yesterday as they were returning home to Georgia from a Thanksgiving holiday visit to family. Her mother, Kristy, has a broken back and is in serious condition. The father, Brian, was treated and released. They were rear-ended. Kristy and Brian were college friends of Katie and Jared and Emily. We have known members of the Gray family for years, and we attended school with Brian's aunt. While I do not personally know Brian and Kristy, I follow their blog. It is funny..when you read about people's lives, you feel like you know them. Helen was a little red-head, and things about her made me think of Lila. I just physically ache for this family in their loss. Just from reading the blog, I knew how adored she was. Her grandparents doted on her, as well as the extended family. As her aunt commented on FB, she was the family's bright star. She is now a beautiful angel, but the earthly emotions that her family will have to deal with are going to be painful. Pray for this family.
If you don't know it...I love you all!
Susan

Cutie Pie

BLOG RERUN- HOPE YOU ENJOY- AGAIN
Thanksgiving – Dixie Style
I received the following from my sister. It was written by my actress niece, Leslie. Leslie now resides in California- which to tell you truthfully, we all find a bit unusual and exotic for our never venture far from their roots family. My sister and I often comment on how our mother would find great joy and delight in the fact that her couch now resides in Pasadena. Anyway, with the holidays not too far away, please enjoy-

Thanksgiving – Dixie Style

When I was asked to write a blog about my favorite Thanksgiving memory, I was flooded with so many, I had a hard time choosing what to write about. When I was younger, Thanksgiving was a time to hang out with my family and eat great food. I really didn’t think much about the holiday beyond that. I left my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama five years ago to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles, and Thanksgiving certainly carries a lot more weight for me now than it did then. No matter what, I go home for Thanksgiving every year. Now, instead of it being about hanging out with my family, it is about reconnecting with my family. While I used to enjoy eating great food, I now savor aromas and tastes I can only get when I make that 2,000 mile trek home. So many things I used to take for granted about that time of year in the South I don’t anymore: hearing the crunch of leaves underneath my feet, feeling the bristle of wind whip my hair around, watching those long red sunsets through the crisp air. Those are just the moments by myself. After spending the better part of the year alone in my little Los Angelian apartment, it is great to be surrounded by my family: loud, boisterous, welcoming, loving, and always ready to have a good time. In addition to eating all the great food (I’ll get to that in a minute), we spend the evening playing Balderdash and other competitive games like it’s the Olympics, draw names for who we will buy gifts for at Christmas and catch up on what’s going on in everyone’s life. The food, ah, the food. Like any Southern family, we have enough food to feed a small nation. It all tastes good, and it is all bad for you. My very favorite dish is my aunt’s peanut butter pie. When I tell people this, they say, “Oh yeah, I’ve had peanut butter pie” to which I quickly reply, “Oh no you haven’t!” How do I know this? I HAVEN’T SEEN THEM AT ANY OF MY THANKSGIVINGS! My aunt makes the best peanut butter pie ever. I’ve always associated peanut butter pie with Thanksgiving, and now that I travel cross-country to eat it, she makes two for good measure. It may sound silly, but knowing I will get that peanut butter pie the fourth Thursday of every November brings warmth and security to my life. I may not know how successful my acting career will be, but hey, on Thanksgiving I get peanut butter pie. I may be separated from my family for the vast majority of the year, but end of November, I get peanut butter pie. If nobody appreciates my talents and sacrifices, I STILL get peanut butter pie. I have friends who moved to LA from other parts of the country like myself, and many of them talk about how they can’t go home because of the cost of air fare, time off of work, blah, blah, blah. I simply reply, “Well, I have a date in Alabama with a peanut butter pie.” I can’t remember who it was who said the simple things in life bring us the greatest pleasure, but I couldn’t agree more. As you can see, the pie isn’t difficult to make, but I think it is the love instead of the ingredients that make it so great!
From my Aunt Susan:
Ingredients:8 ounces Cream Cheese1 cup Powdered Sugar1/2 cup creamy peanut butter16 ounces Cool Whip1 pre-made graham cracker pie crustDirections:In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and cool whip until well blended. Pour into the pre-made pie crust. Refrigerate. For a more peanut butter taste, use 2/3 cup of creamy peanut butter.Leslie McGuirkPasadena, CA