I'm heading to my daughters house today to make three different kinds of soup for our traditional family soup supper the night before Thanksgiving.  It all started years ago as a way to get together when my sister from Ohio came in AND we thought we would be eating light by having soup.  Well, all of the sisters (4) plus my Mom brought a pot of soup.  We would also have bread and crackers.  Then we added side salads and desserts.  Of course, you had to try a bit of everybody's soup and there were the traditional favorites.  I think you know where I am going with this.......we actually ate more than we had ever intended.  But the tradition lives on.  My son-in-law was saddened at the thought of no soup supper this year, as my out of town Sister decided not to make the trip.  He obviously had his heart set on the Reuben soup.....   I then volunteered to take the soup supper on the road and dive to their home 40 miles away and include all of Michael's family in our soup supper tradition.  We will have homemade beef noodle soup, reuben soup, tortellini an chicken wild rice soup with sides and desserts, along with homemade rolls. 

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best Thanksgiving with family or friends or both.  Even if you will be by youself, in your heart you will be with those you love.  Thank you for following my blog and leaving comments.  I love your comments and would really enjoy hearing from all of you. 

Happy Thanksgiving week.  Here is a song by the Carpenters....a brother/sister singing duo from the 70's/80's.  This song is beautiful and is a great expression for being thankful and so appropriate for this time.  I am thankful for all of you.....the readers who regularly or not so regularly check into my blog. 

Tell me what you think......are you inclined to leave up your Halloween pumpkin decorations through November? I'm just not ready to put them away yet.....

Here are two wonderful antique Hecla teddy bears I have had for several years.  They are both over 100 years old.  The lady selling them had them priced separately. I didn't know what their history was, but I couldn't allow them to be split up....and the price was right....so they came home with me. I always display them together and  they reside under a glass cloche to protect them from further damage. They have had lots of loving over the years and there is very little mohair left on their bodies, but I love the childlike sweetness and charm they exude. They look just perfect here.....tiny jack o'lantern buckets in hand, asking if it is time to go trick or treating. 

Even little witches need their teddy bear.  Bwaaaaaahaaahaaaahaaaahaaaa......

 

 

I picked up this lovely vintage orange painted box last weekend on a road trip to Kansas City to visit friends at the Teddy Bear Jubilee and hit up some antique shops with my friend, Peggy Fleming.  We traveled together for years to attend teddy bear shows and do antiquing.  We always make a wrong turn or temporarilly get lost.  Even now with all of the sophisticated navigation systems, we still have at least one driving mishap during our trips (no accidents though)..  We get so wrapped up in our conversations we don't pay attention to the navigator's instructions.  Oh well......we just laugh and make adjustments. A while back, Peggy's husband told her that we reminded him of Lucy & Ethel, so we now refer to these trips as Lucy & Ethel trips.  Whoever is driving is Lucy. 

This box has a great patina and I couldn't believe somebody had not already snapped it up to hold Halloween decorations ~~ given the lovely pumpkin color.  It is just the right size to hold Halloween geegaws.  Looks great with my miniature vintage teddy bears and white pumpkins. 

I hope you are all enjoying the cooler weather, beautiful fall foliage colors, and pulling on a cozy sweater for some added warmth.  I certainly am.  Another bonus ~~ firing up the oven to bake some cinnamony apple crisp.