THE FEAST WAS LOVELY

First off, I survived the dreads of Black Friday. The store was actually insane which is very unusual for us. But all was over by 1 and I headed home to get naked and take a nice afternoon soak in the tub, a glass of wine, and nap after getting up so early, and my travels. But the Thanksgiving holiday was a good one and always is. It's one of my favorite holidays, where we can just enjoy the earthly delights, and not worry about giving gifts. It was also my first visit to the ancestral home since my Mother adopted Lilith from my aunt and uncle, who had rescued her, but found her size very overwhelming of them. I'm here to tell you she is one sweet dog, and required a ton of pets and attention. I love her color and then there is her whiskey colored eyes........

the Mother's holly is going to be beautiful of the holidays

At my Aunt's, would you believe  her roses just stopped blooming!?! She had picked these just the day before.

Of course the pièce de résistance was the dinner!!!!!!!

Our holiday wouldn't be complete without the talent and masterpiece of my good friend the Dame's floral company, The Paper Moon, who created the flowers for my Aunt and Uncle, for having us for dinner. She out did herself indeed!

After the dinner we all took a walk to get some air before dish duty. And would you believe I had two, TWO helpings of everything? Well I did.

 And tonight on the menu is left overs.

The Traveling Mistress

Well y'all, the Mistress is off again to head home to visit the mother of the Mistress and other family members for the Thanksgiving holiday and in tow are the Boy-Toy and Buster Bolfig! We will be going to the aunt and uncles house to par take of a HUGE feast. My aunt is one of the BEST cooks around, maybe even better than Martha Stewart! She makes everything from scratch and takes pride in doing so! When we arrive she will have wine and all kinds of little nibbles for the pre-dinner. Usually two to three bottles of wine will be put away before dinner. Then there is the dinner. Where I will no doubt eat WAY TOO MUCH! But that is where the Boy-Toy comes in handy! Too much info? Anyway I will probably also get to see my good friend and sister Mame, AKA David Dust while we are both home, and I'll also make a pilgrimage to my favorite candle supply house to get my order for the holiday season. Other than that I am totally vegging out and relaxing an maybe make my day at the spa appointment for some total pampering! I'm off the next six days, so I probably won't be posting till next week, but be sure to check out my black friday post! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Were Off Again....In a Sleigh

Well not quite in a sleigh, but in our buggy. Yes dear Mistresslites ,the Mistress and the Boy-Toy are off again to our families for the holidays. The Boy-Toy left already to go visit his family and will rejoin the Mistress sometime Friday at the Mistress's Mother's house. I'll be leaving around noon tomorrow right after work. Christmas Eve has always been so special. We all will go to the Aunt and Uncles house where we will par take of cock-a-tails and little nibbles and then have a wonderful dinner of Roast Beef with Yorkshire pudding. She will also have parsnips and roast potatoes. After dinner we always have her homemade peanut brittle, mints pie and homemade egg nog that is to die for-literally. It will put hair on your chest. After everyone leaves we will go back to my Mothers house and have a night cap and then watch A Christmas Carol with George c Scott,like we have done for years. Then on Christmas day the Mother and I will put together a grand buffet of Roasted Turkey and Stuffing,Chilled Shrimp,Pasta Shells with Ricotta,Baked Asparagus,Baked Parmesan Onions,Bruschetta with Goat Cheese,and a assortment of cheeses and crackers. There will also be all 16 varieties of cookies the Mother made and her famous Sand tart cookies,nut rolls and fruitcakes. Once the family is there ,the Mistress, every year the last couple anyway make her famous Cosmopolitans. At least three to five rounds. After everyone is lit,we will eat and then open some gifts. It really is a wonderful time just being all together. The rest of the visit ,we have two more Christmas parties to tend to and visiting friends in town and from out of town,like Mame Dennis or David Dust to some of ya. I can see her face already when she gets her damn sand tarts!!! Then on Sunday before heading home,our good friend Shawn and Russell are having us in for some lite bites and a cock-a-tail. While home the Mistress will also pick up her pork roast for New Years Day. I have to go to Weavers Market. They always have the best pork I ever did taste. The Boy-Toy is all overwhelmed with excitement as he HATES pork and sauerkraut on New Years Day dinner at our place. I say if the little pipsqueak didn't drink so much New Years Eve and end up hung the next day it wouldn't smell so bad.! Hell ,the Mistress is usually drunk as a skunk and still manages to cook the dinner,put it in the oven to roast slowly and then take a 4 hour nap. But thats another story!

Back in Bucks

It feels like we have been gone for alot longer than 4 days. The time off was much needed and for as many family and friends as we had to see, we got to visit as many as possible and was still relaxing at the same time. It seems every time the Mistress and Boy-Toy go home for a visit, there is never enough time to see everyone. So we usually rotate every visit who we will see. I was a little disappointed I didn't get to visit with my good friend Mamie this time,but definitely at Christmas for sure girl. Time just got away from us. We arrived back last night from Harrisburg.



Dinner was a huge success and very ,very tasty,as the Mistress had third helpings of just about everything there was. And passed out after the meal also, which I never do. I have a feeling I be doing some extra exercising this week. Plus the Aunt and Uncle sent home with us quite a nice left over care package! Enough for two more dinners.



Then on Friday, the Mistress put on her apron and helped the Mother start her famous Sandtart cookies. My mother as been making these cookies since before I can remember. Everyone loves these cookies!


The above picture is what they look like,but these are not hers. She makes them even thinner than that! Paper thin. We ended up making a double batch which will give you about 800 cookies. She will go on to make two more double batches! By time she is done the pool table in the gaming room will be filled. Then on Saturday there was a trip to the Mistress's favorite candle shop, Keystone Candle Company. The family that owns the business,make all the candles right there and have over 50 scents to choose from. They burn wonderfully and really scent the room,and they are cheap! I came back with at least 4 very large colonnades, 4 medium colonnades,4 small colonnades ,6 pillars candles and 6 boxes of votives that contain 12 in each box. The grand total was only $62.53! I got Balsam pine, Mistletoe & Holly, and Bayberry for the upcoming holidays. I burn candles every night durning the fall and winter months and lots of them. The Boy-Toy is always worried the Mistress 's coif will go up in flame with all that darn Aqua-net! And Saturday was a visit to our friend Gary's house in Gettysburg where we had a lovely girls night and then went to a dance club with him in Maryland. It was a full hoilday weekend and what fun it was!

Over the River and Through the Woods

First of all,I want to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving! And a BIG thank-you for all your well wishes on the passing of our kittie. Tomorrow after work the Mistress and the Boy-Toy are departing home to Harrisburg like you all are most likely doing as well. It will be a lovely weekend since we both have off till Monday. We will be staying at my mother's house while in Harrisburg. Then on Thanksgiving Day we will head to the Aunt and Uncle's lovely house for the wonderful dinner.



My Aunt in like the Martha Stewart of the family and has begun cooking last night. She is a wonderful cook. She is planning on having on the menu: A roasted turkey,stuffing,mashed potatoes,sweet potatoes,balsamic onions,parsnips,and her famous cranberry relish. Her stuffing is to die for. I can already smell the thyme and sage she uses. There nothing like the aromas of Thanksgiving Day Dinner . After cocktails we will all go to the beautifully set table she takes such pride in,with all her antique glassware and china. It always looks so elegant and festive. The dessert will be a choice of hot minced pie, pumpkin pie , or apple pie with her vanilla coffee. After that a bit, her tradition is to then serve a cup of mulled cider to warm you before leaving for the night. We will probably roll to the car. While we are visiting Central PA, we will hopefully see our good friend and sister Mamie,AKA David Dust to catch up. The Mother and the Mistress will also start the Mother's famous Sandtart cookies for the holidays. Before all is said and done ,the Mother ends up with thousands of the little suckers and she gives to all. There will also be a trip to the Keystone Candle Company where the Mistress will stock up on all the wonderful candles they sell. They are the BEST smelling candles I have ever bought. And they really do scent the room nicely. Then on Saturday we will depart Harrisburg to go to Gettysburg to stay over night with our close friend Gary, who lives literally right off the battlefield where the grand ole' Civil War was fought.



It is really quiet a beautiful area. He will most likely show the Mistress and Boy-Toy around to some sights we haven't seen yet and then out to dinner. Then Sunday,back home James! So if you are traveling be safe and again have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

The Mistress Retuns

After my arrival Friday night, I just relaxed and talked with theMother . We had a nice dinner and then after she went to bed I did my Friday night Mistress ritual- of a mud mask and AMC'S Fear Friday. I love thriller movies and especially this time of year with Halloween comimg. Saturday morning the Mother and I had breakfast and then did some yard work she needed done. Then we left to snap some pictures and go to our errands and the market. The Mistress isn't used to all this hard labor,especially so early in the day!

Our first stop was the West Shore Farmers Market ,which has been their like, forever. I had to snap some pictures there, the food is just incredible.And the smells! My mother usually goes every Saturday. And the food taste so fresh.



My favorite stand is the S. Clyde Weaver. They have all kinds of meats, Italians meats, and over 90 varieties of cheeses, all of which is beautifully displayed. I did purchase some apple smoked sausages and some good ole' Lebanon bologna. It is to die for!! You could easily spend a small fortune at this stand.






Next ,we headed across the bridge and into town.On the way,I snapped these two beatuiful pictures from City Island, across the river from downtown. It does have a nice skyline for a small city.




My favorite building has always been the State Capitol Building. The architecture is just amazing. The Boy-Toy sometimes works here when he is in Harrisburg. And the interior is just as amazing. I have had the special tour several times.The first picture is one I got off the web to show the area that the complex takes up.




The last stop was the beautiful Italian Lake,where we relaxed for some time before heading home for dinner.



So Saturday night the Aunt and Uncle came for dinner with her homemade cheese Quiche and greens for a salad from her garden. We had some cock-a-tails and talked about anything and everything. And like always ,she sent me home with a huge care package of wheat,rye,olive,potato,white and multi grain loaves of bread, chocolate cookies, multi grain granola cereal, and numerous soups too many to mention, and one container of pickled eggs! I needed a small u-haul to get it home. Thank -you Aunt Barbara for the goodies! We love you! Now enough of the mushy crap. So after dinner,I went to my friends Shawn and Russ' house for a few cock-a-tails and then to a drag show at Mary's Brownstone which was ok. Most of the queens were newbies. I wish them all well and much luck. Afterwards we went dancing at the only dance club in Harrisburg, Stallions,where we met up with our good friend Troy, and also ran into my ex-roommate David and his other half Steve, and other friends I haven't seen in some time. The Mistress also got felt up by a very friendly papi who wasn't taking no for a answer. Being the respectable married woman, I cupped a few long feel-ups,then sent him on his way with a case of blue balls. I'm sure I'll run into him again. Anywho,a lovely time was had by all and the evening ended up around 3:00am. The Mistress was ready for slumber by that point after such a busy and a long day.
Sunday, the Mother and I watched movies and vegged out all day, but we did make a trip to Arby's for lunch. I had two Arby Q's and some curly fries and that ended that hangover. Then it was time to head home. All and all is it was a wonderful weekend with family and friends even though the Mistress was a wee bit hung over on Sunday. And the weather couldn't have been more beautiful. Now it's back to work !

Taking off Again

Well, I'm off today later to go visit the Mistress's ancestral home. It only is a hour and a half drive, so I don't need to leave to early. Originally from Harrisburg, or outside Harrisburg, in Camp Hill, is where all my family currently lives. I'll be staying at my mother's house who is all excited that the Mistress is comimg home. I haven't been home since June or July, so I'm due for a visit. My mother reminds me of the character on Queer as Folk ,Debbie, Michael's mother, you know the one that had a smart cracking mouth and always asks for waaayyyyyy to much information. That's her! When I came out to her she hugged me and said she was relieved to have a gay son! I'm surprised she didn't throw a party. I'm looking forward to a visit home though. The Boy-Toy is crazy busy with all kinds of work so the Mistress decided to go visit. If I get some time I'll snap some pictures in and around Harrisburg. For a small city it is really quite beautiful and downtown as lots to offer in the way of eateries and clubs. Saturday evening the Aunt and Uncle will come over. They to are way cool and drink like hounds. They are the trendy,as liberal as you can get,all for legalizing of pot use, bottle of wine every night, ex-hippies,as you can get. My Aunt Barbara reminds me of Martha Stewart. She cooks sooooo well. And makes everything from scratch. And she usually send me home with all kinds of goodies. The first time I took Boy-Toy to their house for dinner,the first thing they asked him was" Can we get you a drink of something,wine,beer,rum,gin,vodka or maybe a spritzer?" Anywho, we will have dinner with them Saturday evening. And then after dinner, my friends Shawn and Russel are having the Mistress to their townhouse for a little cocktail party and then will proceed to Mary's Brownstone, for a cute little drag show with some of the queens from a earlier post, And the Ladies of the Club. After that show has ended we will go to Stallions the cha -cha palace to meet up with another friend of ours and dance our asses off. So it should be a good weekend. And David dear, if you read this I will try to hunt down Mr Rosenblat. If I do run into him and have a lovely time I may have to keep my lips sealed girl!