Thanksgiving

 

 Rising City, Shelby and Osceola. 

Nebraska Highway 92 is new to me. Usually when we go to my mom's in St. Paul, we'll drive the interstate but this time we took the highway. Personally, I would rather take the highway route every time. I like the scenery and the slower pace. I see the farm houses along the road and wonder about who lives there and what they're like. If they are lonely with only cows for neighbors. And where do they buy their groceries?

 So many deep thoughts ha! 

Gary and I like checking out the businesses in the small towns but we mostly visit the gas stations with snacks and most importantly, restrooms! 

Thank you, Pump N Munch for being open on Thanksgiving day.

 

 Good food and great company at mom's this year! I ate way too much.

After dinner, my Aunt Phyllis had a project for us!

  

 

She made a bunch of chokecherry jelly and asked us if we could help her make the jars look more Christmassy so she could sell them at a Christmas boutique. 

My mom and Aunt Loretta cut out the fabric squares while Aunt Dorothy cut out circles of batting. My sister Becky and I put the poofs under the fabric and screwed the lids on. We had a system going and pretty soon we had a bunch of cheerful jelly! I haven't checked in with Phyllis to see if her jelly sold, but I hope so!

  

 

Friday was my 40th birthday. 

This sweetie girl helped Grandma bake me a birthday cake. She was so cute, telling me not to come into the kitchen while they were mixing up the cake. I actually didn't know what they were up to, so I was surprised!

 

 

They made sure it had LOTS of candles!

 

 

That thing smoked like a chimney haha! 

I had such a sweet day with my family. 

I couldn't have asked for a better birthday. 

 

The sunsets were pretty spectacular while we were at mom's.

Before Gary and I left for Lincoln, we had to cruise main street. 

Love the Christmas decorations!

 

 

 I don't like driving at night this time of year just because the deer decide to cross the road but we took off in the moon light and started down the highway. We did have a deer run out in front of us but I saw it coming and yelled "deer..deer...DEER..DEER!" and Gary was able to slow down before it was too late.

We had more to be thankful for when we came to Osceola.

Thank you, Osceola, for having a Casey's with a restroom! We were about to float away. :)

When we came out of Casey's, there was a skater kid putting gas in his Nissan 300ZX. I think he was going for the skater kid look, he had a ball cap over his shaggy hair, skinny jeans and a neon green belt. 

Definitely teenagery.

Gary, being a car guy, asked the kid, "You got a twin turbo in there?"

To which the kid immediately responded, "I WISH!" 

Then the two of them struck up a conversation about cars. 

As I waited for Gary to get back in the car, I noticed these two boys sprinting across the highway. I could hear them saying, "There he is!" and suddenly the two of them (obviously not old enough to drive) jumped into the skater kids car. The car conversation was cut short and Gary says he could tell the skater kid was a little embarrassed by his junior high friends, he wanted to talk cars a little longer! The boys took off from the Casey's with a great exhibition of acceleration and headed down the highway. 

The whole thing made us smile. 

And that's why I like driving the highway.