It’s November 2 already. Halloween has come and gone. I’m making Thanksgiving plans with the family–both sides. My family has grown considerably in the last few years. Although our older son has not married (yet), the younger one has, and now we have added our daughter-in-law’s family to our extended family. Of course, there’s the grandson now as well. In other ways, the family is growing smaller. Last year, right before Thanksgiving, we lost Nannie, the matriarch of my husband’s family. This will be our second Thanksgiving without her, and my eighth one without my father.

I have been thinking about family and the legacy of our families. Last week while we were in the mountains with Mama, she and I talked about our family’s history. There are a slew of Johns, Adams, Jameses, Franklins, and Benjamins scattered around the family tree. There are a few Civil War soldiers and officers as well. Three of my great-great-great uncles fought at Gettysburg and died there. With the exception of my summer great-great-grandparents, most of my ancestors are buried in traditionally Lutheran church yards. Mama and I are considering a cemetery tour to locate the various graves. Sounds like photo project to collect the tombstones!

Here is my list for this week:

1. My family’s legacy and history, especially the history of faith
2. Heat! It turned COLD this week. I woke up this morning to frost on my car windshield and 28 degrees on the outdoor thermometer!
3. Warm cinnamon spice tea for breakfast
4. Beautiful fall leaves
5. Sully’s bright smile

Speaking of legacies, the pink sasanqua is beginning to bloom. Thank goodness it is a “cold weather” shrub! When we transplanted the red camellia to the end of the house, apparently we left some of the rootstock to which the camellia was grafted in the ground. When the roots sprouted, out came the sasanqua. If all the buds open, the bush will be more pink than green for a while! As I’ve written before, the camellias came from my grandmother Wessinger’s home. She loved these flowering shrubs and had a whole “forest” of them side her house. She had brought some of the plants from her home in Georgia after she married. These beauties are part of my legacy from her, as well as my love of fine crochet work. She tatted instead of crochet, but I never quite got the hang of tatting. Still, she taught me, through my mother who taught me to knit and crochet, the love of these “home arts.”