Thanksgiving Lunch With Mother and Fruitcake Cookies!

The Nursing Home hosted a Thanksgiving Lunch for the residents today and they could each invite two guests. While Mother and Lillian normally eat in their room instead of going to the dining area, Mother made an exception today and she really did enjoy herself!

Mother didn't realize we were coming - Deanie issued the invitations -  so when we arrived, she didn't have her make up on. She fixed that pretty quick!

Mother is hearing well with the new hearing aids. Lillian puts them in for her. She does a lot of things for Mother and they seem to be getting along nicely.

Louis Dean was Mr. Personality in the dining room chatting everybody up!

 I used to go to Fort Worth every Friday, pick Mother up at the hair salon and take her out to lunch.

Every single Friday we would take a string of selfies and then she would look at them and pick out the one for me to post on Facebook. It was like old times doing that together again this afternoon!

Mother is a People Person and we have been surprised that she stays in her room so much.

We are going to start bringing lunch in on a Friday soon and then take her to the dining room for the activity that week. Sometimes it's a musician and other times they have a party theme going.

The lunch menu today was the Traditional Thanksgiving Feast and we were all members of the 'Clean Plate Club!' The home did a really good job! The owners were all in attendance and visited at every table. This home is amazingly clean and always smells nice. Today I caught the distinctive aroma of Claire Burke's Applejack!!! The floors were all shiny and clean and everything looked nice!

I need to remember to bring a Christmas Wreath and hanger for Mother's door when I go pick her up next week for Thanksgiving at Nita's.

Mother got a special treat today.

Our sister, Shari, who lives in Alabama sent Mother a Thanksgiving Greeting.

She mailed it to my address and I delivered it to Mother at the lunch and read it to her.

She was touched by it and said 'Thank You' several times.

So now I say, "Thank you, Shari! That was so sweet of you! It meant a lot to Mother."

After lunch Louis Dean gave a mini concert for Mother and Lillian.

I think they had a good time.

I know how much Louis Dean loves an audience!       

He played for about 45 minutes - everything from Pretty Paper to The Baggage Car Ahead to Legend of the Rebel Soldier to Grandpa, Tell me 'Bout the Good Old Days.

We left in time to get home before traffic.

I opened up the house to the 81 degree weather and turn the attic fan on.

It just doesn't seem right to be sweating in the middle of November.

I carried my ice tea out to the kitchen pond and sat there looking up at the pecan trees - alas, no pecans! - and down at the leaf strewn deck. Fall is falling - in more ways than one.

It will be time to pack it away all too soon. This favorite season of mine never lasts long enough for me.

So! In keeping the holidays in mind, I decided to make my fruitcake cookie dough! I like to prepare it ahead of time and keep it in Ziploc bags in the fridge to bake up fresh batches as I need them. The dough last a very long time!

The Recipe!!!

My Aunt Irene gave me this Hood County Cookbook published in 1985.

It is my favorite!

I have baked them every single year since.

Can you see where I put in today's date?

It's getting pretty crowded on that page.

The Candied Fruit! 3 pounds of it!

2 pounds when I have a pound of pecans to add to it.

The Dough!

You need a strong arm to mix the fruit and batter together.

I asked Louis Dean to do this for me.

The Secret Ingredient!

Spiced Rum!!

We are sitting in the gazebo as I write tonight.

Still warm - in the 70's now.

The temps are supposed to drop throughout the day tomorrow and remain in the 60's during the coming week for highs and lows in the 40's.

That will be perfect Christmas decorating weather!