Scenes from a Flea Market

Today was my parents' last day in town, so we did what they love to do most. We went to the Regional Flea Market. It's a weekly, year-round, indoor-outdoor flea market. And this being almost the last day of November, you'd think it would only have been an indoor flea market. But because the weather was beautiful (for Nov. 29th in Syracuse) it was both inside and out!

This is my dad's favorite beer. Or is it just a beer named after my dad?

This was an interesting box of old treasures.

This was the "find" of the day. Dad thought it was quite amusing. You'll have to click on the photo to see what it is. (And no, he didn't buy it!)

It's not a flea market without fried dough and (good) coffee!

And apparently the flea market is the home of the 2nd Best Meatballs in Syracuse! Who knew!?

But the best reason on earth to go to the Regional Market are these little donuts... Mmmm!

Up Next: Christmas

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I can start thinking about Christmas! I refuse to start decorating, shopping, or listening to Christmas music before or even during Thanksgiving. Once it's over however, I'm all about Christmas.

My parents have been visiting since Thursday and we've been doing lots of shopping during the last 2 days. Today we stopped at Chuck Hafner's in N. Syracuse for some Christmas wreaths. I hadn't been to the new Hafner's before today... it's gigantic!

They have hundreds of decorated Christmas trees inside.

That you are allowed to "undress" as you like. (aka: buy the ornaments on the trees).

They have thousands of decorations too.

And of course poinsettias. (And trees and wreaths and garland... and any other Christmas decoration you can think of!)

They also had some colorful artificial trees. I think Kelsey would like one of the pink ones.

Personally, I liked all the Red Sox Christmas decor.

Yesterday's shopping included going to Herb Phillipsons. My mom and I sort of fell in love with the same sweater... so we each got one, in a different color. Kind of reminiscent of when I was 2 and she used to dress me up in a toddler version of a dress that she would wear.

Turkey Day Festivities

We had a very busy Thanksgiving today. First off, Alex decided to run the local Turkey Trot.

There were 1500 runners/walkers that took part in the 5k race. He's actually right up in the front. Behind his friend Sean in the bright blue shirt on the left-ish side of the photo. (If you click on the photo, you can see him.)

Alex finished his first 5k race in 23:22. 149th overall. He did a great job! Several of the boys on his x-country team also ran, as did his coach. (Who Alex ended up passing right near the end!)

Right before the race, Alex was one of several of his friends interviewed by NewsChannel 9. His interview didn't make the news, but he had fun anyway!

After the race, we hosted Thanksgiving dinner. We had 11 people at the table this year. And Jenny was there to vacuum as needed.

Gary brought over the "Hayden Family Platter" for us to use for the turkey. It was a very interesting platter... Dad was very intrigued.

It had these silver handles...

And a contraption that held the turkey down while you cut it.

After the food was ready, we sat down to eat. Here are Eric and I.

Gary with Kelly and Laura.

Paula and Mom. Before the feast.

Alex the comedian, with me, Eric, Kelsey and Yvette.

Kelly and Laura took a break to color a Thanksgiving picture.

Kelly, Gary, Laura and Paula... posing for a Hayden Family photo.

Yvette made an amazing pumpkin pie. (She also brought an apple pie, but I forgot to take a photo of that.)

We only had one minor mishap that was easily fixed with a hug.

And it wouldn't be a Hayden Family Gathering without a clogged toilet! We hope that everybody had a fabulous Thanksgiving!! And hope that your toilets remained clog-free.

Thanksgiving Eve

We're relaxing after a very busy and productive day. I got some serious shopping done this morning. (Mostly for myself. I love birthdays!) I also got to go to the Christmas Tree Shop with Paula this afternoon. That was treat! I love that store... I always seem to find so much that I "need". What? You don't think I "needed" 4 light-up Snowman ornaments, a box of ribbon candy, Hello Kitty band-aids, 2 chocolate advent calendars, a Gingerbread house kit, a snowflake candle tart burner, pumpkin bread mix and a jug of windshield washer fluid?? Well, maybe I "needed" the windshield washer fluid... but yeah, perhaps I could have done without the rest. But it was so fun! And always cheap.

Tonight we're just hanging out. Waiting for the crowd to start rolling in tomorrow around noon. Alex is running the Turkey Trot 5k Road Race at 9:15am. I'll be taking him to the race as Eric stays home to keep an eye on the turkey.

And that's it. We just wait. The food is ready to be cooked. The turkey is waiting in its roaster in the fridge. The table is set. The wine is being chilled. Across town, there are pies being made.

I hope that everybody has a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that you are spending time with friends and family and don't forget to pause for a moment to remember everything you have to be thankful for. I know I am thankful for so many things.

Menu Plan Monday: Thanksgiving Week

Here we are, it's the week of Thanksgiving already. We're going to have a few easy days this week since we have lots going on! We've got a birthday (mine!) and we're hosting a big Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. Should be a great week!

Sunday: Chicken Pot Pie, Mashed Potatoes
Monday: Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
Tuesday: Birthday Dinner at Smokey Bones
Wednesday: Pizza
Thursday: Thanksgiving... A big turkey feast with all the trimmings!
Friday: Leftovers of course!
Saturday: More leftovers!!

And that's it for this week. I hope that everybody has a wonderful Thanksgiving! And remember to check out Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas. Also, don't forget to check back here to see photos of our big Thanksgiving gathering on Thursday!

Birthdays and Craft Fairs

I had such a fun evening at Paula & Gary's last night! We celebrated my birthday and our niece Laura's birthday too. And look at this awesome wine-themed cake that Sheila made!! I loved it. Especially the little extra "souvenir" that I got to take home. The cake was delicious too, it was maple flavor and it tasted like I was eating pancakes drenched in syrup... sooo good!! Thank you everyone for the wonderful celebration and especially to Paula for being such a great hostess! Here are some pictures of the evening...


Laura loves to help, here she's helping Grandma Sheila put candles on the cake.

Here I am with Laura and Kelly waiting very patiently to blow out the candles.

Laura proves her willingness to help as Paula teaches her how to open a bottle of wine. They start 'em early up there on the farm!

Laura and Kelly play with Barbies...

Then Laura and I had a very intense game of Monopoly. And Laura won!

But then "Lady Luck" (that would be me) had better luck during Bingo and won both games.

Eric, Jenny and I relaxed on the couch after all the games and festivities. (I think Jenny needs to go on a diet, she looks huge here!)

Earlier in the day yesterday, Alex and I went to a craft fair at his old Elementary School. It was a nice trip down memory lane for him. He enjoyed walking though his old school, he had lots of good memories there. I just enjoyed looking at all the Holiday goodies.

These ornaments were very fun.

And here's Alex standing next to his 4th grade cubby. He used to be shorter than the cubby, I can't believe how much he's grown in 4 years!

Show Us Your Pets!

I'm back playing the "Show Us Your Life" thing over at KellysKorner. This week it was "Show Us Your Pets"... and what kind of dog owner would I be without posting a few pictures of Jenny!?  Jenny is our cute but often times annoying, Pembroke Welsh Corgi. The above picture is Jenny with her mom, Charlotte. (Jenny is the little one in the front.) Even early on she was trying to get into trouble!

Here's Jenny, about 3 months old. She looks like she just got caught doing something she shouldn't have been doing! Which was probably the case...

This was my favorite picture of Jenny when she was little. So sweet. So innocent. (Before all the chewed up curtains and chewed up floors and chewed up books...)

And here is Jenny at about 2 years old. She's a year older now, and a few pounds heavier, but pretty much looks the same. She's a total follower. You can't go anywhere without her following you. She loves to be where the action is. And she loves to watch the squirrels through the windows. 

Boots and Things

I had to share a picture of my fabulous new boots with you. Fabulous for a couple of reasons. Mostly because I love them and they are so very comfy. But mostly, because they were on the clearance rack at Marshall's and only cost $27. They normally go for $60 plus. (Mostly plus.) No, they're not "Ugg's". (Which go for $150+) But do I care? Nope! As long as they're comfy (they feel like slippers on my feet!) and keep my feet warm in dry in 2' of snow, I'm fine with the less expensive brand!

And speaking of snow. I hate to jinx it... but it's been a quiet November so far. All we've had is frost.

Which can make for a pretty picture. And you don't have to shovel it.

And in other completely different news. I had my annual Mammogram last week. I thought I would mention it since Mammograms have been a hot topic in the news the last couple of days.

I very much disagree with the new findings. Don't have one until you're 50? And then only have them every 2 years? This was my 7th Annual Mammogram. I'm only 40. I have quite a family history though, and started getting them when I was 34 after finding several lumps. Thankfully I won't be affected by these new "guidelines" and will continue to get my annual exams. But for those who will be affected, I feel terrible.

Just think of all those woman who got a mammogram between ages 40-50 and who survived breast cancer because it was caught early. Isn't that reason enough to keep things as they are now? I guess I don't understand the reasoning, other than saving insurance companies money. Which just sends us the message that big insurance companies are more important than a human life. Very sad.