Flower Child Lunch, Pecan Harvest, and our Christmas Den is DONE! My Thursday!

My friend, Terre, lives in California and we met her and husband Joel a few months ago when they were visiting their family in Cleburne, Texas.

She flew into Love Field in Dallas for a visit to her 'Birthday Grandboys' and we had arranged to meet up for lunch today.

Her flight landed at 11:30 and we were going to meet at Jason's Deli on Cedar Springs in Dallas.

I Googled it and found it was the closest location. They have a gluten free menu and it is vital Terre stay on that diet since she has Celiac Disease.

Silly me! I did not know that particular Jason's Deli was INSIDE the airport!!

I drove around nearly an hour before I figured that one out.

I am a slow learner!

Terre, in the meantime, was having her own troubles trying to get to the rental car location but we connected and were thinking of where to meet when I came upon the Flower Child - a health food restaurant! Perfect!

So that's where we met and it is in the Inwood Village - a place I have not been to in years.

I was still having trouble getting there - having gone down a lane in the Village not knowing it was one way until I got to the end and saw the One Way sign! No wonder the other drivers were frowning at me! I drove in circles again but finally found it - having been so close several times as I looped around! I'm telling you - I have no sense of direction and surprise myself in the fact that I can get anywhere!

Terre ordered tea. I had a Mimosa. Don't judge! 

My nerves were frazzled by the well over an hour I had spent driving in circles.

It was a perfect lunch spot for us and we both liked the menu.

I chose this and it was delicious!

 CHOPPED VEGETABLE Salad

organic greens, romaine, avocado, heirloom carrot, snap pea, radish, baby tomato, cucumber, toasted sesame seed, ginger miso vinaigrette

Terre had this......

                                                         FLYING AVOCADO Wrap
                              smoked turkey, gouda, romaine, tomato, avocado hummus

We had the nicest visit!

I think we both needed a sister to talk to this afternoon and our friendship was the next best thing!

Terre headed to Cleburne and I drove home - by way of Northwest Highway.

I was driving roads I haven't driven in years.

Inwood Village was an area I once knew well - over 50 years and another lifetime ago.

Look who I found in the front yard!

That high wind yesterday dropped down a bunch of pecans and I was out there picking up the harvest. We are going to have more than enough to last us for a year!

I am so thankful Louis Dean likes to crack and shell them.

In past years, I would crack up a tin full - using the nutcracker Doug Stiegler (Reaoma's husband) made for me so very long ago. This time Louis Dean is cracking AND shelling! Win! WIN!!!

I am so happy to say that our Christmas den is all dressed up and I am loving it.

Louis Dean and I both agree that this is the prettiest it's ever been.

I am purposely decorating this year in a way that I can take some of the things out - like Santas - and leave the red plaid and poinsettias for the winter.

I am not  good photographer but I do love my den and wanted to show y'all.

The gold plate chargers are from Brenda and the table is all ready to set when I find my Christmas place mats and dishes.

I suppose the den is my favorite room but that may be because it's the ONLY room ready for Christmas.

Another gift Brenda gave me last night was this candle set.....

and the little golden book stand holding a Christmas book I have been trying to read for years.

I get it out about this time every year and pack it away after the holidays and start over again the next year! Maybe I will keep it out and get it read while I'm recovering from surgery in January!

Summer arranged the pine cones, greenery and berries in the dough bowl I bought at Magnolia last year. I just love the way she does things. She has so much more patience than I do.

The glass votive and candle are from Brenda, too.

I have so many things to remember not only Brenda but her mother, Mary.

I suppose I am sentimental but I treasure all these keepsakes.

As Brenda, Billy and I were packing up the things left from her parents lives for the Salvation Army to pick up soon - I was reminded how brief our time here on earth is.

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

James 4:14

Some day all the things I treasure here on earth will go to others and I hope they will enjoy them all as much as I have.

Louis Dean loves the colored lights and I have tried to add some....

He will be happy that I stapled the 'debris' behind the couch to the wall!

He has put up with debris rubbing against his head when he leaned back and I try not to do that anymore.

I loaded up my photos and they are not in the order I took them - but I'm too tired to do anything but use them as they appear! I have a collection of Santas that has outgrown the living room and/or foyer.

So I gave  them a prime location in the window seat area of the den.

It may be a window seat but we haven't used it as one in over 40 years!

This is one thing I am planning on doing in 2020.....

redo the entire window wall here.

I want to stucco it in the same manner I did the utility room a few years ago.

It's time to give the whole thing a new look with real window treatments and everything.

I wasn't going to hang the stockings up this year - but I did it anyway.

The reason being - the bookcase holds photo albums and they don't look good - so I covered them up.

That's another thing I'm going to address next year.

I have been making a lot of plans.

I've been getting up early every morning no matter how late I went to bed - just because I am so excited about dressing the house up for Christmas.

Now  I know many of you, my dear friends, are still enjoying Fall.

I'm still enjoying it, too.

Some of you are not as big a fan of fall as I am so I have been celebrating it for a good while now while y'all are just now getting around to it.

We all have our favorite seasons and because I tend to go early on Fall does not take one single moment away from your enjoyment of Summer.

I am never quite ready to leave the fall season and in times past I never did until after Thanksgiving.

But I was younger and stronger and more energetic back then and in order to do things these days I must start earlier.

I hope and pray that I can continue to do all the things I love to do for many more long years.

I may just need to do them earlier as it takes me longer these days.

Louis Dean and I have been sitting out in the gazebo - he shelling pecans while I have been writing my journal entry. I made stuffed bell peppers and sweet potato casserole along with black eyed peas  for our supper tonight and the aroma floating out to the gazebo is telling us it is time to eat.

Louis Dean says this is like  'putting it into pretty words at the end of a chapter.'

That's because I just read this out loud to him and had a multitude of corrections to make!