It's Turkey Day

Prepare the Thanksgiving Feast 

My Mother's Recipe for Giblet Gravy

Here's Gail Martin's way of making gravy to go with the turkey for special meals and Thanksgiving. This recipe will feed a crowd.

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

It's fall and after cleaning out the pumpkin to make pumpkin pies, don't toss all those seeds. Here's an easy recipe to turn them into a snack. Make it a project with the kids.

Make Faux Apple Spice Rings (from cucumbers) to Go With Thanksgiving

People are really fooled by these spice rings made from cucumbers. They really look and taste like apple spice rings. (That's spicy like sweet pickles, not spicy like pizza.) Here's how to make these.

Decorating for Thanksgiving 

Make a Fall Pumpkin Decoration (from a dryer vent hose)

Try this quick project to make a vibrant centerpiece for a luncheon or an attractive window decoration. It's a great way to recycle a piece of clothes dryer vent hose. Here are the easy steps to make this.

How to Decorate for Thanksgiving

Nature celebrates the harvest season and cooler weather with a burst of color. Bring some of that color inside your home to enjoy. Here are ways to do that.

Keep a Seasonal Decorating Notebook

It might seem overwhelming to pull out the boxes of decorations and start readying the house for fall or Christmas or Easter. Whatever the season, keeping a decorating notebook will save you time and energy. Here's how to start one.

More About Being Thankful 

at Thanksgiving and Through the Year

How to Spread Good Feelings

Around holiday times, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, people try to spread goodwill. Wouldn't it be great if we expressed our thankfulness more often? The casual "thanks" or "have a nice day" that we toss out without thinking, doesn't really count.

Appreciate What You Have

Often the news on TV seems relentlessly filled with only bad news. Our minds start to focus on the negative things that happen and the problems we encounter each day. It might be time for an attitude adjustment. Here's how to shift into more positive thinking.

Quit Complaining

It's a shock when a man says to a woman, "quit your bitching." At first you're indignant and feel you have a right to express your opinions. After thinking about it, you may want to change the negative tone of your conversation. If you want to quit belly-aching, here's how to change.

Start Each Day With a Good Attitude

Do you find yourself being a grouch too often? Have you noticed that everyone else seems grumpy too? The two attitudes are related. Break that pattern and start out the day in a positive way. Others will respond positively to you.

How to Reduce Aggravations in Your Life

Our lives are full of irritations and aggravations. Reducing these makes life a lot more pleasant. Here are ways to minimize the number of aggravations in your life.

How to Be Nice to Yourself

All too often we focus on the negatives and what is wrong with our lives. Take time each day to look at what is good and to enjoy things that make us feel good.

How to Find 100 Things That Make You Happy (Besides Money)

Sometimes our happiness seems to revolve around how much money we have or don't have. It might be time to regroup and look for other sources of happiness. Here's how to make your happiness list.

Reading and Writing About Thanksgiving 

Trigger November Memories for Writing

Writing family memories becomes more important over the years. Memories start to fade and the chance to save them grows slimmer. Here are memory reminders for the month of November. Use them to start writing down memories for your children and grandchildren to treasure.

How to Write Family Memories Triggered by Photos (with examples about Thanksgiving)

Over the years we tend to forget little things. Now's the time to record your memories of special times in your family before you forget. Share these with family and even post them on the internet or put them in a book. Here's how to use photos to trigger the memories and start writing.

A Martin Family Thanksgiving (memories from 1960s)

Almost forty years ago. It's hard to understand that so much time has passed. I look at the black and white photos. On the back of the photos, I'd written 1968 and the names of the people in the pictures. Of course, I knew their names without having to look on the back.
(click to read the rest)

Gail Martin's book - My Flint Hills Childhood

You can preview part of the book online.