Cynic, is that all???? I better get moving. LOL Maybe I will surprise my family and leave them to fend for themselves and take that trip to England for Christmas. I'll let them have my house and they can do their own cooking. Fat chance, they would starve. I think Laura's boyfriend knows how to cook though and my brother's specialty is Greek pasta salad. My sister is the Queen on Lean Cuisine. LOLOL Not exactly a nice Christmas dinner is it. Okay I have been reprieved, a ton of weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I just called my brother and he and his girlfriend are driving to Toronto for Thanksgiving. David is still at his store counting stock and will be there pretty much all night since the store just closed. He sounds happy to be retiring but I feel kind of sad for him. End of an era. I then called my friend Kathy to see if she had any bacon on hand and she said she did. I asked her to make me some bacon bits for the broccoli salad but she said not to bother making it since rarely do we have a cold salad at Thanksgiving and then she said I ruined her surprise. Kathy is one of my childhood friends and it has always been the tradition in her family to have that marshmallow 24 hour salad for their holiday dinners. I consider that more a dessert salad but hey who am I to mess with tradition and this is her first Thanksgiving without her Mom so I said that was wonderful she made the salad. I like it but usually at a shower or something like that. I never thought to make what we call my Grandma's green lime jello salad made with pineapple, celery and cream cheese LOLOL At our family dinners there was always that pale green Pyrex casserole dish on the holiday table that held the lime green salad. Refreshing it was and I had forgotten all about it. I will have to remember it for Christmas. Out of all the vintage Pyrex I have in my huge collection that pale green casserole dish is one I have never been able to find at yards sales or thrift shops. I think my sister Lizzie absconded Grandma's green dish so I will have to ask her if she still has it. Lime green cream cheese jello is just not tradition without serving it in that dish. Oh my. I now don't have to put 2 extenders in the table now so I should have a table cloth that will suffice. I know I should do it anyway but now I don't have to make that extra effort to make sure everything in my house is in perfect order and now I can hide books and my computer stuff on the attic stairs and the dog can still have his toys out and the dog food bag can remain where it is. I was getting ready to get on my butt and start cleaning baseboards since the "girlfriend" was coming. Tomorrows Menu Turkey Stuffing Cranberry Sauce Brussel Sprouts sliced cooked with garlic and cream Orange glazed carrots Squash Mashed turnip Mashed potatoes and gravy Tray with raddishes, olives, my pickled beets 24 hour salad Rolls Pumpkin pie Butter tarts - my Mom's filling recipe, Tenderflake shells I will go raid my Pyrex collection for all the autumn coloured pieces and that way I can keep the food warm in the oven and put right on the dinner table to serve. I wouldn't do that with good china which I don't have right now. I'm still waiting for my Grandma's china to make its way back to Windsor - it just needs a ride LOL Grandma's Royal Doulton china and her pale green Pyrex dish now that for a beautiful holiday table. Thanks again for helping me and listening to my rant. I am so relieved and now will be able to enjoy myself more with the usual suspects in attendance. Anne

Glenda, if that doesn't work out with Bea's son I would love for you to join us at my house for TG. We were supposed to go to Anniston but DSIL's Grandmother is in the hospital in Mobile so his Mom is down there with her. Soooo, TG has been moved to my house. We can always squeeze in another plate and there will be plenty of food. DSIL's Dad, Uncle and Aunt will be joining us. They are a fun group so join us if you don't make other plans. I think it's awful that "the other side of the family" doesn't include you in their plans. Then again that's not always a bad thing if you don't want to spend time with them. LOL!

I don't have to have it, my family does! If dinner doesn't include this, I surely do hear about it. I don't even eat sweet potatoes? ______________________________ Eggless Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe By: Carolyn "This sweet potato casserole is topped with brown sugar and pecans. A family favorite!" Ingredients 6 sweet potato -- cooked, peeled and mashed 1/4 cup evaporated milk 1/4 cup orange juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/3 cup butter, melted 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup chopped pecans Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 2 quart casserole dish and set aside. Blend together the sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, orange juice, vanilla, sugar, salt, 3 tablespoons butter, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Prepare the topping by mixing together the 1/3 cup butter, brown sugar, flour and pecans. Sprinkle over casserole and bake for 45 minutes or until hot. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2015 Allrecipes.com Printed From Allrecipes.com 11/2/2015

Shawlin, That happened to us, except it was on a 10 hour trip and we were about halfway there before it started, and it was during a Christmas holiday. We had to stop at a gas station after our toddler had thrown up yet again, but this time it was on her pillow... she was trying to keep the puke from dropping off the pillow, but then we hit a bump and SPLAT! Now she was covered in puke, it was dripping off her hair. Hubby asked the gas station attendants to bring out the hose and while he sprayed down her car seat, I took her into the bathroom and tried to wash her hair in a gas station bathroom sink... you know the kind where the faucet is really short and the sink is small? By the time I came out of the restroom the nice gas station employees had coned off the area with yellow caution tape. I felt SO BAD for the mess, I was apologizing profusely, and they were SO NICE. I can't even recall what state we were in by then... it was a nightmare. During the family reunion, there were about 20 of us, and only me and one of my sister in laws stayed healthy through the whole reunion (we weren't the only family who came in sick) and we spent the every day cleaning with bleach. LOL! We actually all have a lot of great memories from that trip though... we can all laugh about it now.