Setting tables is one of my favorite things. Sometimes I like my tables to be very glamorous. Sometimes I like them to be rather odd and quirky...Vermonty and festive.

Lucky for me both my grandmother and mother collected gobbs of table setting goodies and my mother-in-law's pieces complement everything I have. As I've been setting the table I've been counting my blessings. Here are a few of the things I'm grateful for at 1 am.

1. The two youngest children upstairs with their gaggle of childhood friends all home for the holidays. My front hall is filled with shoes and I hear laughter wafting down the stairs.

2. The video our two middle boys sent us from Oregon. They made a cake today to bring to a friendsgiving party they are attending tomorrow. Oh, how we miss them, but how wonderful for 22 and 23 year olds to be out in the world finding their way.

3. The two oldest boys who are in Europe. The youngest of the two, celebrating a huge accomplishment and the oldest just arriving in Venice, my all time favorite spot. Can't wait to talk to my Italian traveler tomorrow and share my secret spots in the city I know best.

4. Our oldest daughter and her darling beau arriving tomorrow. We have a lot of adventures coming up in the next few weeks!

5. My dreamboat. My apple pie baker. The head dishwasher who cheerfully cleaned up after his whirligig wife, who prepped about 8 Thanksgiving side dishes this evening.

6. The movie channel which played Jimmy Stewart movies all night while I chopped a bazillion vegetables. Rear Window is just starting and I will have to tear myself away to sleep.

and...

7. My St Lawrence girls. We left an amazing girls weekend with a challenge....and a hilarious bet....to start the Whole 30. With no end date and hilarious consequences to those who fail to follow through. On day 9 and I feel FANTASTIC.....going to power through Thanksgiving. 9th day off booze, sugar, dairy, and carbs.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Coming home to find this pie made by my husband was dreamy.