this led to that

Holy cats! 2009 is the year for anniversaries and 40 is the number:

Sesame Street
Monty Python
the Internet
Abbey Road, The Beatles
Woodstock
Walking on the Moon-Apollo 11 on the Moon
This year is also the 40th Anniversary of when the Norman Rockwell Museum opened, and that is a good segue into where I found myself yesterday; hanging out with TSO's family. TSO's Mom, Dad and two sisters A & A were here for the weekend, staying with us at the Farm.

Thanks to the Museum pass program--library shout out!--TSO's family of 5 and I were able to get into the Norman Rockwell Museum for free. I was ambiguous as to whether or not I wanted to go the museum, as I have been many times, but wound up going because TSO forgot the free tickets on the coffee table. As always, I was pleased with the quiet solitude I can find for myself in a museum, and also found the new exhibit to be of some interest ("Behind the Camera," an exhibit documenting Rockwell's use of photography to aid in his art process). I was also reminded of how I always enjoy the rotation of Rockwell's pieces throughout the collection--I feel like I have never seen everything they have to offer.

The rest of the day was nice. We made it to church (though not to one of my liking--I find all the Catholic churches around here to be dismal reminders of what I can only imagine the Pre-Vatican 2 Catholic church was like--since the church TSO and I like is too far away). Dinner from a fabulous pizza place in town was followed by Apples to Apples--which if you've never played I think you are missing out--and then sitting in front of a fire getting sleepy.

It really was a lovely weekend, which only just ended a couple of hours ago after we said goodbye to TSO's family and then hosted a Farm-wide Open House Tea for anyone who felt like stopping by, then a dinner with friends Mummy Dearest, Hubby and Big and Little Fish, M and her two girls M & S and Farmer MacDonald. It was such a fun, albeit busy weekend, which leaves me sighing that last content sigh before what I can only imagine will be a harried week of prepping for the Farm's huge Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving at the Farm is a huge production. We are expecting at least 150 people, truly a day that as a Kitchen is our chance to both showcase what we do and shine; but there is so much work to be done before we get to that bite of Thanksgiving pie and wind down before the rest of the holidays sneak up on us. I am looking forward to a visit of my cousin Jessi from NYC, so I can return the favor and host her. She showed me a slice of NYC and now Thanksgiving will be my chance to serve up a slice of country life and Farm pie.

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