Thanksgiving 2012

The Sparta Grabers hosted the Graber family gathering this year. Marlene and Jen went all out decorating and cooking for us. Bruce smoked a turkey for our meal. Mom made the pies as usual. Pumpkin, Apple and Brown Sugar Pies. Mom is in her eighties. Nobody will be able to duplicate her exact Brown Sugar Pies, I'm sure. but our daughters all give it at try and will turn out nicely in their own versions. Mom claims that Grandma Graber, her mother-in-law, could make the custard to be one consistent layer; not in layers as are her own pies. It matters not, "the boys", her sons, all think they are wonderful.

 On Friday we went up to the cabin but not until we had butchered and packaged a large deer from Elv's boss.  We worked really hard that day to get our work done so that we could be up pulling in at the cabin before dark. We arrived there at around five that evening.

We baked a small turkey in the cook stove oven  on Saturday. We placed it in a cast iron skillet still partially frozen and seasoned it with Country Herb seasoning and salt. Then covered it tightly with foil. We put it in the oven that was running at about 350 degrees right after brunch. I kept the oven at that heat by adding three or so sticks of dry wood every few hours. In the evening we had this lovely browned and moist turkey for our supper. While it was baking I stirred up a batch of cookies by hand and baked them on the top rack. Such fun.


     One morning I noticed the frost on the water hoses hanging on the outhouse wall. It amazes me that the frost and the pine trees are shaped the same way. God loves detail. We have to stop and look to see it sometimes. Isn't this just lovely?
    A few Christmas touches were added to the cabin while we were there. And we took up  a new coffee table and a desk. Now there is a place to study and play on our computers other than on couch corners and the floor. 

A Walk In Woods

We hiked along the Split Rock river on Saturday, adding our human tracks and trails to those of the woods critters in the fresh snow. 

The Split Rock River

The guys had their GPS devices to mark deer trails.  The GPS also allowed us to see  a closer point on our trail where we could go through the woods to the river that we knew was over there somewhere.

I don't have pictures of church Sunday morning with Lattins in our enlarged circle in the cabin, nor of the hikers in the afternoon who went tramping down the river again to the forks of the Split Rock River. It was a good Thanksgiving with visits with family and friends. We are so blessed.