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Old Red Barn Co. is having a quilt contest. Three quilts are available as prizes, and you have many, MANY ways to enter! Blog, Twitter, YouTube video, commenting… the list goes on. The contest closes at 7:00PM (EST) on Monday November 17 - so hurry!

Since moving to Indiana for college, a lot of our family Thanksgiving Traditions have been lost. The last two Thanksgivings have been spent in local motels during my four day break from school. And this Thanksgiving I’ll be working on writing a few papers in our apartment while my family stays at home. Not exactly the ideal holiday, especially without family around, but I will be home soon after Thanksgiving so it seemed silly to go home back to back.

One my favorite traditions has been the homemade pumpkin pies that my grandmother makes. The whipped cream topping just added to the spice pumpkin taste. Another of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving are the center piece decorations. They’re usually sitting on a table cloth that my grandmother has made - bright green or red. Thanksgiving and Christmas always require some sort of festive center piece - tea lights, an angel candle, or some sort of pine cone arrangement.

We always try to get as many dishes prepared the day before - mostly to keep the oven clear so the pumpkin and pecan pies will be fresh out of the oven. We always tend to forget the rolls until everyone has sat down at the table to eat. But only once have we forgotten them in the oven - oops!

I’ve been swamped with school, work and meetings lately. I am so ready to be home and relax for a few weeks. I have a stack of books waiting for me to enjoy. I am really excited about reading books that are not school-related!

Since discovering the years of torn ligaments in my neck, exercise has been limited to things that don’t require too much pressure to be put on my left shoulder or my lower back. Machines like a fitness treadmill or an Elliptical are good for awhile until my lower back muscles begin to tighten up. Walking to the gym is an exercise in itself. Too bad we don’t have room in our apartment for a treadmill - I could exercise and watch marathons of Law & Order or House.