Sunday Before Turkey Day

 Jenni brought me my Christmas decorations today. I didn't remember that they were in such a large bin. I took out everything I love the most and thought I could find room for. Had her take the bin back to her house and gave her the contents to do with what she may.  Maybe Maddie and Antz will need decorations someday.  I kept all my homemade sewn ornaments that my cousin, Susie, made me over the years. I can pin them to the quilts I have on the wall and I'll find room one way or another for all the other little things. I had her cart my gifts to her family (and Sue and Paul) back to Port Angeles as it's unlikely I'll get up there before Christmas.

She also brought me this Woman Within order that I had placed in October. It got lost because apparently when I ordered online, the WW people used my old P.A.address and I didn't notice.  Anyhow, I've looked the three items over and while they look huge, I have to remember that most all of my clothes these days are HUGE!  Sigh....

They didn't stay long (my suggestion) as I knew they wanted to get out and about. Jenni was going to drive around town showing Julie the sights.  I took this package of ground turkey out of the freezer that had been in there since I moved in last March.  I added various ingredients to it to try and beef it up. Or turkey it up, I should say. I had a ton of ketchup packets in the fridge so I slit them open to mix in too. Google said to freeze the meat loaves (what I put in three little aluminum bread pans) for an hour in a plastic wrap lined pan and then take out and cover with tin foil and freeze them up for at least three months.  Ironically, the menu tonight is meatloaf and mac & cheese.

Splendor in the Grass was showing on TCM so even though I've seen it six times or more, I still kept it on. Good flick. Wonder why A Summer Place never shows up?  East of Eden and Rebel without a Cause show up from time to time. I also wouldn't mind seeing some Sal Mineo movies -- like Dino or Rock Pretty Baby.  haha

I took three books I couldn't get interested in back to the library downstairs. I started an Agatha Christie book with four novels in it and I'm determined to stick with it. I also started one by Steve Martin called An Object of Beauty but I don't know if it's gonna last with me. He does write well, though, and he's my favorite comedian ever.

IF it doesn't snow at Christmas time, I plan to travel over to stay a few days with Mary and Andy in Renton. Will give me a chance to see Catie and Louie, Jake and Poppy, and my friend, Ann who lives not too terribly far from Mary's house. I'm parking my car at my cousin's house in Gig Harbor and letting someone come pick me up because I don't do freeways anymore.  Hopefully, I'll leave on Jake's birthday (Dec. 23) and stay until the following Sunday or Monday.  I don't think I've been over there since May of 2018!  Being afraid to drive on freeways or in cities out of my comfort area has really shrunk my world.

I signed up for Peacock the other day since I saw you can watch it for free on Roku.  I took in a Bill Murray movie called Broken Flowers. It was kind of different. Not great but it didn't totally suck either. I was sorry when I watched all the episodes of The Crown. That was a pretty good series. Now I'm watching something on Prime called Touching Evil. I think there are about three seasons.

I think I'm going to use some of the cranberries that a neighbor recently gave me. Want to bake up a pan of muffins and keep them in the freezer. Also going to make  small blackberry pie for Thanksgiving. And yes, since I bought Cool Whip, I'll probably end up eating the whole pie myself over a few days.

Sad to admit but I've been spending more time than I should playing bingo and solitaire games online. I decided to change that and I hunted around for new game sites.  Ha Ha  Yeah, like that's a plan. One of them is called Funky Potato.  They have a lot of games there you can try out including Scrabble, which is one of my favs.

I spent yesterday morning cleaning out my photos on my computer. They'll never be sorted exactly how I want them because I made too many files in too many places. Virgos often go overboard in their desire to have things neat and tidy.   I did delete a lot and then emptied out my recyle bin so at least I feel like I accomplished something.

And here's an obit I found online today for Helen Plut Marriott......(didn't know we shared a birthday)

Helen Marriott, born Helen Elaine Plut on September 22, 1945 to Dr. Harry Plut and Dorothy Wilkes Plut, passed away on Thursday, November 5th, 2020. Helen was born and raised in Port Townsend, Washington. In 1962, she was crowned Queen of Port Townsend's Rhododendron Festival, and the following year Helen graduated from Port Townsend High School.

After two years at Seattle University, she moved to New York in 1965 to attend The Tobé-Coburn School for Fashion Careers, where she finished her studies and completed a management training internship at Macy's. Upon her return to Seattle, she embarked on a career in fashion buying and merchandising at such legendary Seattle stores as Klopfenstein's, I. Magnin and Frederick & Nelson.

In 1969, Helen Plut married David Marriott, and with the birth of their first child in 1973, a family was begun. To her three children, she was a dedicated mother who threw herself into the needs of her children -- music lessons, scouting, ballet, soccer - she was always there with her support, love, time and energy. With a keen eye for decorating and a deft hand in the kitchen, she was the epitome of a homemaker for her husband and kids.

Outside of her children, Helen's passion was cooking and entertaining, regularly coordinating large parties and dinners for friends and family. A life-long gourmet, she helped form a cooking club with three other couples, which met regularly for over 40 years. She later took her cooking talents to the business sector by starting her own catering company, and often donated her talents in the kitchen to charity.

Helen was a staunch supporter of both her communities in Port Townsend and Seattle. In Seattle, she helped raise funds for the Seattle Symphony Orchestra through their showcase homes, and Seattle Children's Hospital with their yearly Festival of Trees auction. She also served on the board of numerous organizations including Earshot Jazz, and co-founded Friends of Garfield Jazz in 1990 to raise money for Garfield High School's jazz program. In Port Townsend, she ran the hospital gift shop for the Jefferson County Healthcare Auxiliary, raising thousands of dollars for new equipment. In recognition for her contributions to the Seattle music community, she and her husband were inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame in 2019.

She is survived by three children, David, Thomas and Rebecca; daughter-in-law Lisa Chick; three grandchildren, Napoleon, Frances, and Samuel; and three siblings, Tom Plut, Dr. Harry Plut, Jr. and Margaret Palo; she was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, David Marriott. A public celebration of life will take place sometime next year. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Catholic Community Services of Western Washington in memory of Helen Marriott.