A bit different this year

Thanksgiving looks a little different this year, since I'm working a few shifts in a row on the day and the day before and after. Which is okay! This isn't a pity party—hospitals don't close, thank goodness, and we all take a turn working on holidays. But because I'm working the holiday, we're preparing for Thursday a bit differently.

We have a "Friendsgiving" tonight, but I also prepared a pared down Thanksgiving menu for the two of us that could be prepared in advance: baked ham (in the oven right now), cornbread stuffing (I like mine less custardy and more bread-y), roasted brussel sprouts and roasted sweet potatoes. I'm prepping all of it in advance except for the roasted veggies, which I can throw in the oven on Thursday, when I get home from work. And then we're going to eat the best leftovers all week (as are you, I'm assuming). And because it wouldn't be Thanksgiving if I didn't have pumpkin pie, I made a batch a few weeks back (to "test" a recipe) and another batch on Sunday. For the record, pumpkin pie is delightful for breakfast or with fika.

Apart from Thanksgiving dinner-fare, I'm very torn between enjoying Thanksgiving week for what it is and getting so ready to enjoy the anticipation of Christmas. We're holding off on the tree for a few more days, but Saturday is the day! I'm biding my time with a few other "wintry" items. We have the flannel pillows, a Christmas candle often burning, and orange + clove essential oils diffusing. I'm still in the midst of working on knitted Christmas presents, which included a quick trip to the yarn shop today, actually. Below, this is my absolute favorite shelf in the entire store, because those colors, I mean...

If you're wondering, everything in this picture is all Woolfolk yarn:

Other bits of life:

• wearing our new Cubs world series t-shirts
• post office runs for November birthdays and the tiniest bit of Christmas prep. I love how bustling the post office is this time of year
• battling the lines at 4 grocery stores in the last two days(!)
• stitching a mini Christmas village (although, I think these are gonna be cute enough that we may leave them up all winter)
• Christmas shopping
• cracking open pecans and walnuts, and all the other nuts (not sure what all the varieties are that came as "mixed nuts") with our nutcracker
• savoring my way through the latest issue of Making (so much of it is wonderful)

What are you up to on this week-of-Thanksgiving? :)