Boy, time flies between postings! How about an open thread for Thanksgiving through the weekend?

We’ve had Tieki Rae home since the 21st and will be taking her back to the airport on the 30th. It is the first Thanksgiving since 2004 that she’s actually been home. Thanksgiving of 2005, we flew her to Denver and spent the holiday together, but it is nice just to all be together at home in Wyoming.

What’s on everyone’s Thanksgiving Dinner menus? Tieki and I have been trying new recipes all week. She actually made the entire week’s menu and grocery list. I’m wondering why I didn’t utilize this obvious gift of hers while we still had her at home in high school? Oh well, better late than never.  :)  So far this week we have had:

• Sunday: Mushroom Pie — very tasty, though rich. Puff pastry really needs to be limited to the holidays. 
• Monday: We went German with some Kaputza. Delicious! Especially if you are a fan of German Cuisine. We served it with potato cakes.
• Tuesday: We picked Ted up after work and went to see Bolt. Cutest movie I’ve seen in a while. Back on topic … prior to picking Ted up, we fixed a Ham and Asparagus Strata and stuck it in the oven and programmed the oven to start baking it at 6:00 pm so it was ready and waiting when we came home from the movie. Loved it!
• Wednesday: It’s time for leftovers along with some Spinach and Cheese Swirls: Uh oh, I think puffed pastry is involved in this recipe. 

And the big day … Thanksgiving: Prime rib, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potato salad, strawberry pretzel dessert and a pumpkin roll with crunchy peanut butter cream.

So, share about your week and menu! It’ll be fun. 

UPDATE: The Sweet Potato Salad is kind of nasty. Well, it’s actually gross. I would not recommend that dish and cannot understand how it could possibly be a blue ribbon recipe. Strange. In the recipe’s defense, it might have been edible without the ginger, but I followed the recipe exactly, and it got a solid thumbsdown.

I like this lady’s spunk. I think I’ve read this story somewhere else, but I just wanted to link Life News.

Lufkin, TX (LifeNews.com) — A pro-life woman who received an unsolicited phone call from the Barack Obama campaign complained about his pro-abortion position. The call earned her a visit from the Secret Service, who were apparently given erroneous information from the campaign volunteer that she made a death threat.

Jessica Hughes of Texas says she received a phone call last Wednesday from a woman with the Obama Volunteers of Texarkana.

She told the Lufkin Daily News: “She asked if I was an Obama supporter, to which I replied, ‘No, I don’t support him. Your guy is a socialist who voted four times in the state Senate to let little babies die in hospital closets; I think you should find something better to do with your time.’ (And then) I hung up.”

Hughes was referring to bills in the Illinois legislature that Obama opposed that would have required medical personnel to provide appropriate medical care for babies who survive failed abortions. A Chicago nurse had exposed how some of the babies were left to die.

Her comment about abortion was apparently changed by the Obama volunteer and reported to the Secret Service, who are protecting both presidential candidates.

Two federal agents showed up at Hughes’ home on Thursday and asked her if she has said, “I will never support Obama and he will wind up dead on a hospital floor.”

Because a campaign worker said so? Whoa, I’m not looking forward to what might happen if The One would get elected.

Hughes went further than her comments to the newspaper in an email about the incident and indicated the Secret Service threatened her.

She indicated the agents asked her why the Obama campaign volunteer would make up the quote about her wanting Obama to die.

“I replied that I supposed she wasn’t happy about what I said about her candidate and the Agent said ‘That’s right, you were rude.’ The last time I checked being rude wasn’t a crime in America,” she said.

Well, poor Ms. Hughes might have to recheck if The One is elected.

She said the agents admitted there was no tape of the call and threatened that she could wind up in court or they would talk to neighbors and associates if she didn’t cooperate.

“I recognized this as a veiled threat. I told them I would happily go to court since I did nothing wrong and at least then my accuser would have to face me rather than sending the thought police to my house,” Hughes said.

Hughes said she asked the agents for their badge numbers and they refused to supply them to her.

The story isn’t that long, so click on the Life News link for the entire article.

Just when I think the DemonRats can’t possibly top the stupidity of Charley Rangel, Florida Congressman Alcee Hastings goes and proves me wrong:

Rep. Alcee Hastings told an audience of Jewish Democrats Wednesday that they should be wary of Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin because “anybody toting guns and stripping moose don’t care too much about what they do with Jews and blacks.”

“If Sarah Palin isn’t enough of a reason for you to get over whatever your problem is with Barack Obama, then you damn well had better pay attention,” Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida said at a panel about the shared agenda of Jewish and African-American Democrats Wednesday. Hastings, who is African-American, was explaining what he intended to tell his Jewish constituents about the presidential race. “Anybody toting guns and stripping moose don’t care too much about what they do with Jews and blacks. So, you just think this through,” Hastings added as the room erupted in laughter and applause.

Is it just me, or is that freaking crazy? Winged Hussar at Grizzly Groundswell and Wesley Smith at Secondhand Smoke are finding Congressman Hastings stuck on stupid too.

UPDATE: Scoffery.com has it too.

The Dissident Frogman has a tribute up.

Hats off to the Bush Administration for keeping us safe over the last seven years. Ann Coulter has an excellent column out this week.

Please, feel free to link to all 9/11 tributes in the comment section.

I would also like to honor my sister, Tereasa, who was killed in a car accident 17 years ago today. It amazes me how fast time flies by. My then 4 year old beautiful daughter, Tieki Rae, is now 21.  (And still beautiful)