Joanna's answers

• What are your favorite things about Thanksgiving?
• Family. Pie. Pumpkin pie squares (mom - could you post that recipe here if you get a chance?) Thinking about gratitude for the whole month. Truthfully I think the whole thanksgiving feast is a bit of a waste.....I like the food and all, but it is SOOOO much work for one meal (yes - and leftovers - so I guess it's technically more than one meal.) I do love seeing family though, and I used to love going to the movies as a family after stuffing ourselves. (I don't think we've done that since kids though...) To me Thanksgiving reminds me most of Farmington - since we would almost always have Thanksgiving celebrations in Farmington growing up - so when we aren't there I do feel quite homesick. Oh - and one more thing that I love about Thanksgiving, and this probably sounds ridiculous - is cold A&W rootbeer - it reminds me so much of Thanksgiving....the combo with turkey is tasty! (Mom - where did that tradition come from?)
• What are the signs that the holidays are coming?
• headaches, anxiety, lots of creative ideas - but not nearly enough time to complete them in.....Christmas lights, great sales at Robert's Crafts and the local grocery store's open house (which I missed on Friday - and was totally bummed about). Also - as soon as I start smelling those HORRIBLE cinnamon pinecones that they sell everywhere - not only do I get a migraine - but I know Christmas is coming soon. The holiday season I worked at Walmart they had a display of those right by my register, and I would seriously go home ready to die with the worst headaches - now the smell makes me cringe and get nauseated. Hearing Christmas music on the radio too.
• And who is shopping where on Black Friday?
• Ugh. I like this less and less every year. We never seem to go shopping for other people and gifts when we do this, but end up buying stuff that we totally don't need - but Cory is convinced we need because it's on sale (case in point - the Wii bundle we bought last year and have played approximately 5 times in the past year....) Cory loves it because he enjoys crowds and mass commercialism - but I don't love it as much. I do like going later in the day and getting some stuff like kids games and other small things on sale (they are great to have on hand for birthday presents and stuff) - but I'm not a big planner or anything like that. This year we'll be up in Park City with Cory's family at a cabin - so I don't know if we'll be going or not. We might just need to escape the craziness that will be going on at the cabin - so we might go for it. We'll see.... (Who would Cory go with though - Mom's not around - he likes to go with her). I might jump in on the cyber Monday shopping and do some online stuff (SO much easier!)