Our trip was postponed due to weather and a little remodeling project, which, of course, ended up being anything but little.

The rain was a much needed, and so was the kitchen re-do, but the timing…? Well, what can I say? As you may have noticed my hubby doesn’t really get that whole “retired” thing. And when he took on a kitchen remodel for a neighbor, he was impressed by the quality of the quartz counters and the workmanship of the countertop company, so he invited them to give us a quote for our two houses.

First up, the house we built 30+ years ago—the home our daughter and her family lives in. Our house will follow AFTER Thanksgiving, and, thankfully, well before Christmas.🙂 If you’re ever in the market for a kitchen remodel, I suggest you avoid doing it around the holidays—any holiday. It’s way more mess (see pics below) than I remember, but the finished product definitely can be worth it.

Here are a few before, during, and almost done photos.

As promised, here are the two easy/yummy sides I’m preparing for Thanksgiving:

Brussel Spouts on the Blackstone

I found this recipe on a YouTube Channel and my family loved it. I’m sure it could be converted to cast iron skillet application if your weather doesn’t welcome outdoor grilling. And it’s possible we may be dealing with a Bomb Cyclone on the West Coast next week, so I might be doing mine indoors, too.

Cornbread Stuffing – which I plan to make ahead of time.

I mince one jalapeno in addition to the celery and onion. I also use the giblets instead of shredded chicken and I like to add a handful of Craisins for a little zing.

Not traveling gave me time to catch up on my Author Biz To-Do list.

I’m so happy to cross off: “Publish Print Version of HER GOLD COUNTRY COWBOY” for readers who love the feel of turning pages and/or wish to give a copy as a gift. (My copies are going to be stocking stuffers. Shhh…don’t tell Santa.)

If you’re interested, click here.

PS: I also set up the AUDIO VERSION that Amazon offered. I’d love to know what you think of this. I enjoyed listening to the sample and didn’t hear any shockingly silly mistakes…the narrator even got “redonkulous” right.😉

The audio version is free with an Audible membership trial, or if you already own the digital version, it’s just $1.99 to add the audio version. I honestly don’t know how much it costs on Audible, but I’d love to know. (I’m just not an audio person. Listening to books puts me to sleep.)

May your November wrap up with peace and joy—and happy reading.

Deb

Coming Dec 5th: Holiday reading suggestions and/or getaways!