Most of you as well as myself will be busy today and tomorrow in preparation of our feast.
I just wanted to take a few moments to wish you all a good holiday and may it be as wonderful as you hope it will be.
Here at Challenged Survival, we are thankful for all of you who take the time to post to your blogs and for all of those who read our blog. We enjoy each and every one of you!
Woo Hoo! The deed is done. The Narragansett lost. At Phelans suggestion we threw a sheet over him and wrapped him up like a burrito. It was a real easy kill with no struggling with him wrapped up.
Papa Bear had the water going to dip him in but I wanted to save some of the feathers before they got stinky wet. I started pulling out the tail feathers and they were coming out so easily that we decided not to scald the bird. The hardest feathers were the wings and Papa Bear pulled those out with pliers.
It was getting really warm outside so I brought him into the kitchen sink to get out the small feathers under the skin that were just beginning to form. Those scrape out pretty easy with a knife if you stretch the skin tight.
I am now going to put on a fresh t-shirt and go get the apple juice for my brine.
One of these guys is going to be Thanksgiving dinner! It depends on who we get our hands on first.
The Palm turkey
Or the Narraganset
I plan on sterilizing one of the vegetable bin drawers in the fridge and making a brine for him to soak in a few days. I have been looking up ideas for the brine. I'm leaning toward the kosher salt, honey, vinegar and ice water of course.
Instead of using a roasting rack I will do like I did last year but it was with a store bought one. I used carrots, celery and onions underneath the turkey for the rack. Those vegetables aren't pretty after using them for a rack but the taste is out of this world.
I'm excited...this is our first turkey from the homestead!
My daughter made this video for her boyfriend who is now in Kuwait. His birthday was this past week so we all had a small hand in several birthday parties for him. He said it was the best present he has ever gotten.
I did not support Wounded Warrior Project after their statement of not helping any soldier prior to 9-1-1.
In my opinion all veterans who could use support and assistance not provided by the VA should be considered for their "project".
Read the comments below the Texans article. If some of the comments are true a large portion of the donations are going into their pockets. If it's true, shame on them for taking advantage of a bad situation to solicit money the "warriors" are not receiving.
Grandma...Can you come to Thanksgiving lunch at my school tomorrow. Mom can't come cause she is the only nurse at the office tomorrow.My sister has a test and can't comeand if I bring Gizzy (the dog) he'll just jump on the table and eat all the food. So will you come Grandma?....Please?
How could I resist. After all I am 4th choice after the dog. I made Papa Bear go too. The Marine stayed home with my niece....He doesn't need all those schoolhouse germs.
Papa Bear and I met grandson at 10:45 (way to early for lunch) paid our $5.00 a plate. I would have gladly paid $10.00 for someone to eat it for me. Papa Bear and I did attempt to eat a bite or two of each item that was on our plates to try and encourage grandson to eat.
Turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans and apple crisp.
Not one thing was decent to eat. I watched all the kids at our table. They nibbled like Papa Bear and I. They drank their non fat chocolate milk.
Then they dumped their tray of food in the garbage just like we did.
Thank you Michele Obama for the starving kids at school. No fats, no salts, no taste....Let's Move....straight to the garbage can.
I told Grandson the next time we came to school for lunch we'd bring it. I noticed that was what a few parents did.
I have not been up to making a post his week. We have all moped around the house like there was a death in the family this week. I wasn't going to post today but after getting such a sweet, heartfelt comment on another of my post from kymber, I had to.
kymber wrote: Mamma - i just wanted to take the time on this Remembrance Day/Veterans
Day to thank The Marine...i thank him from the bottom of my heart
because i enjoy privileges and freedoms that i enjoy because of him.
also, i want to thank you and Papa....without families like yours, The
Marine would never have been born. nor sacrificed for my freedoms. and
on this beautiful day, the families must be remembered and thanked as
well.
thank you Mamma and Papa. and thank you to The Marine.
there
is so much in my heart that i want to say but it all just gets jumbled
up. Mamma - i know that you know what i really mean.
thank you.
your friend, kymber
I printed this off and took it into the Marines room to read to him but I didn't get very far before I started sobbing. Papa Bear had to take it and read it to him. kymber...I can't tell you how much your words meant to me.
Today I am especially remembering all of our heroes and the sacrificing they and their families have had to make all through the years. The ones who made it back stateside safely. The ones who came home injured and the ones who came home in a flagged draped coffin. We sit here in the safety of our homes and grumble because at times we don't think our people in uniform should be in this country or that country but it was and is their duty. They have a patriotism to this country that I will never understand. My stepfather, my little brother and both of my sons served. My sons went off proudly with me in tears while I waited for every letter, post card and phone call when they could. I am so proud of them and all of those in uniform.
I read a number of blogs of those who have served. I won't mention names as I am afraid I will leave someone out but please know our family is most grateful to all of you veterans today.
We live in a very small community. We don't even have a red light and most of the roads are dirt. Mom and I went to the volunteer fire department to vote. In all my 26 years of living in our community I have never had to wait in line to vote.
Today when I turned on the street to the fire department I saw cars and lots of them. Mom and I found a parking spot on the side of the road a good two blocks away by city standards. People were lined up all the way to the street waiting to get in. I counted 43 ahead of me in line. After standing in line about 30 minutes a van drove up from the supervisors of elections. He got out of the van and proceeded to unload 4 more voting booths. The line moved faster after more booths arrived. It still took Mom and I more than an hour.
I saw more young people waiting in line to vote than I ever have seen before. I don't know if this was a good sign or not. Entire families were there mid morning so I wondered if most of them were jobless and were voting for someone promising job growth or were they in line to vote for more foodstamps and unemployment.
I am proud of the amount of people who cast their vote in our community. I just hope and pray it was for the right person.
What a great time we had last evening at the Victory Rally featuring Paul Ryan. My camera was not behaving so I only have a few good pictures.
The Marine got special seating which was great because no one could stand in front of him to block his view.
Our Congressman Steve Southerland came over to chat a couple of minutes.
Congressman Southerland is doing a great job in Washington so he gets my vote for another term. He gave a great talk at the rally and got the crowd stirred up!
He thanked the Marine for his service. Papa Bear didn't get the camera adjusted in time to get the Marine in the photo.
My niece and great niece was there.
as was my great nephew.
My Mom and her friend.
A couple of young ladies from church. Whoops...she turned just as I snapped the picture.
another shot of some of our group. That's Papa Bear with the gorgeous white hair and beard.
Connie Mack who is running for State Senator to join Rubio!
Paul Ryan and his family arrived. What a great talk he gave and really got the crowd excited!
and last but certainly not least. The Lord was there and gave us this beautiful sunset!
Paul Ryan is going to be in Panama City tomorrow evening and we were fortunate enough to score the free tickets to attend. I hope they will place the Marine where he will be able to see everything. Papa Bear gets a little testy in crowds where the Marine is concerned. Papa Bear is our hero. I pray that we will be seeing the next Vice President of the United States!
