3 days until blogoversary...

so, once again I better do a little catching up! However, if you haven't entered my 3-100-500 giveaway, you can find out all about it on the left hand side - the link to the post where you need to enter can also be located on the left.

Post #495 - Making sacrifices when owning your own business
I guess the first thing I should do is wish all my blog friends in the states a Belated Happy Thanksgiving. I hope that everyone had an enjoyable day.

My day? Well it started out very early, but that wasn't to cook the Thanksgiving turkey. No, I had to go into Store #1 at 4am to create 2 different arrangements and put together a box of chocolate covered apples. These arrangements are ones that contain a lot of choclate dipped fruit and one had kiwi slices...none of which would look very good if made the night before; so I opted to come in early and create them. We want to make sure that all of our customers get the best product possible!!! I finished up the arrangements around 6:15 and finished cleaning up my mess & mopping the floor around 7am. I wanted to make sure that everything looked good at Store #1 before I left because my DH and son Matthew were going to work there...I, on the other hand needed to leave this store and drive 32 miles up to Store #2.

On Thanksgiving, as well as some of the other holidays which are coming up, we give all of our staff the day off and each of us "man" the store. The stores are open for a short amount of time (8am-12pm) for customers to come and pick up their orders...we opt not to do any deliveries on these days. And typically we don't take any new orders on these holidays, but do have some extras available for walk in purchases...however, because I know how to produce the arrangements, while at Store #2 I did take some orders. So between trying to dip fruit and arrange them in the container, I was also running to greet the customers coming in the door to pick up their pre-ordered Thanksgiving arrangment. A couple of times I felt like I was running a 3-ring circus...but I was the only clown. It was fun, though...I love helping customers and making their day special.

Never the less, I was glad when the last customer showed up to pick up their order - and once the kitchen was cleaned I was headed home. My DH and son Matthew beat me home and were having a bit of lunch...so we decided that naps would be next before our thanksgiving meal.

Post #496 - This years Thanksgiving Meal
Small
A glimpse of what is down the road
Those are the thoughts I had as I sat down at the table last night. There were only 3 of us around our little table...me, my husband and my younger son Matthew. Robert, our older son, left on Thanksgiving morning with his hockey team for a tournament in Denver, Colorado. So, without Robert's stomach present, I downsized the Thanksgiving meal. I know that sounds pretty sad in itself, but many of the traditional dishes - the candied yams, green bean casserol, stuffing - only Robert and DH eat. So we kept it simple and delicious.

Before leaving for the airport, Robert was kind enough (anytime you get a teenage boy to do any favors for you, I would assume it was done out of kindness, right?) to put in the turkey breast in the oven; I had prepared it the night before. The rest of the meal consisted of steamed green beans, tossed salad, mashed potato w/gravy, sour dough bread and the turkey. I also roasted an acorn squash, which only I enjoyed...no one else wanted to try.

It was a nice meal, simple, relaxing...after we finished and the kitchen was cleaned up (this was the 3rd kitchen I had cleaned up: Store #1's kitchen at 6am, Store #2's kitchen at 12:30pm and now my own at 6pm), we retired upstairs and just vegged out. I was too tired to pick up a needle even...so I just laid around and watched TV.

Post #497- Post Thanksgiving and the upcoming giveaway
With Thanksgiving now "in the books" as the saying goes, we all really start looking toward Christmas and the holiday season. Did any of you participate in the Black Friday early bird activities? I have a few friends who actually go out at midnight to get the deals or camp out for the stores that open at 4am. I have never done that. Actually, after the last few days I have had, I value my sleep too much :)

Well, finally the giveaway drawing is coming...only 3 more days. On November 28, I will choose 2 names from those who entered a comment on this post that started it all and will post them sometime on Monday 11/28. I have been gathering things up for their mystery packages and will purchase the gift certificates to http://www.123stitch.com/ as soon as I have the winners' names. Getting exciting, hun?

Well, take care my friends. Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa