Thanksgiving isn't ALL about the food, but that's certainly a big, big part of it.  Every single Thanksgiving I can remember has centered around what will end up on the table.

My Grandmothers before me, Momma, and now "The Girls" have chatted about the menu, divided up the dishes, and pulled out the recipes in preparation for the big meal.

I've gathered around unconventional Thanksgiving tables at the beach, in Charleston, at The Snack Bar, and The Wee Cabin, but they have always been with family, first and foremost.

Once the family table doesn't include grandparents or parents any more, the tradition changes a bit and sadly, it will never be the same again.  New dishes and traditions emerge and you carry on from there.

The 2013 version of Thanksgiving featured Rob's Famous Ham and Seven-Layer Salad... 

Becky's Famous Devil Eggs...

and Wendy's Famous Chocolate Cheesecake and Famous Pecan Pie!

We had the required turkey and dressing, gravy, rolls, rice casserole, and broccoli bites, but they haven't achieved legendary status yet.  I would have included Becky's dressing, but she didn't have her supply of hush puppies to go in the recipe this year.

I hope your Thanksgiving table included the people you love, famous family dishes, and the spirit of your loved ones who started it all.

Over the river and through the woods, to Becky's house we go!!  Well, actually it's a left hand turn and then a couple miles, but you get the idea.

Our little clan will be gathering at the home place at noon to enjoy some good food (Rob's famous ham, Beck's famous deviled eggs, and Wendy's famous desserts) and spend a beautiful day together.

My Thanksgiving Day wish is that you too are with family, enjoy some famous food, and have a wonderful day!

You probably already know that I love me some Saturday junkin'. But did you know that I especially like junkin' on the Saturdays leading up to Christmas?

There's just something so appealing, so nostalgic, so comforting about finding vintage Christmas decorations.  Becky is always on the hunt for Shiny Bright ornaments and classic holiday decorations.

Yesterday we met Trisha at Gibson Mill in Concord and based on what we saw, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!! 

Hopefully one or two of these photos made you think back to a Christmas in your childhood.  Yep, it's definitely starting to look a lot like Christmas!! 

About six miles from Tanglewood Park Campground, where my Toasters gathered this past weekend, is a nondescript building on a country road.  Mrs. Hanes' Moravian Cookies is off the beaten path, but what a treasure it is!

I didn't take a photo of the outside because all you see is a white building with no sign at all.  But the minute you step out of your car, you know you are in the right place!  The smell of cookies baking draws you straight to the door.

Mrs. Hanes' story began as a child at age 5, helping her mother make cookies at Christmas to supplement the family income from their small dairy farm.  In 1960, when her mother's health failed, she took over the baking.

By word of mouth, the business grew and the reputation of the cookies spread.  Her cookies are now shipped to all 50 states and to over 30 foreign countries!

Each cookie is rolled, cut, and packed by hand.  It's not the cheapest method to produce cookies, but the end product is worth it!  We were lucky last Saturday morning that the ladies were making cookies.  It's the beginning of the holiday season and there are lots and lots of orders to fill.

We stood at the window and watched the process from beginning to end as two ladies worked right in front of us.  The dough sits in big plastic tubs and is scooped out one batch at a time.  Then it is rolled and flattened to a paper-thin consistency.

Next, one of three cookie cutter designs is used to stamp out each cookie and place it on big baking sheets.  The remaining dough is then gathered and incorporated back into the next batch.  The canvas top is scraped clean, then lightly floured so the process can begin again.  

If you look carefully, you'll see a tiny red cutter.  Each cookie maker uses a signature stamp to place one unique cookie on the baking sheet.  This identifies the baker and her cookies.  The little cutter in this case was a sweet little handprint.

We chatted with a fellow who has been working there for 61 years! He didn't introduce himself, but my guess is that he is part of the Hanes family.  The business is a family endeavor. Evva Hanes is the seventh generation of Moravian cookie makers along with her husband Travis.  They have been followed in the business by their daughter, Mona Hanes Templin and our son, Mike Hanes. The ninth generation is awaiting on the sidelines in the form of their grandchildren, Jedidiah & Madison Templin.

Being a family business, the pride in their product is personal and the concern and care given to each order is evident. That first Christmas cookie was the Moravian Sugar Crisp Cookie and this old family recipe has been handed down for generations.

The most popular cookie, especially during the holidays, is the Moravian Ginger Crisp.  In addition to those two, they also produce a Black Walnut (my favorite), Butterscotch, Lemon, and Chocolate cookie.  Every single one of us walked out with a package.

If you'd like a unique North Carolina sweet treat to give to someone for Christmas, just go HERE, and place your order.  While you are at it, order some for yourself...your taste buds won't regret it!!

The 2013 camping season is officially over, in the history books.  It's a wrap and boy was our last gathering fun!

The Toasters were up early and moving at a leisurely pace getting packed and ready to make the trip home.  John and Judy, as well as Dixie, were on to other camping destinations.  With the exception of Carol, all the rest of us had leisurely drives home of a couple hours or less.

Our morning was foggy, a little damp, and quite balmy,  giving the air a wonderful autumn smell.  I just couldn't resist a few more photos for my Tanglewood album. 

I persuaded several T@Bbers to pause while packing and let me get one last photo of them.  After three days of me poking a camera in their faces, they graciously agreed.

Rain chased us away from Friday evening's campfire and it sprinkled off and on throughout the night.  That in no way dampened the spirits of 18 Un-rally Toasters.  We were up early taking advantage of a milder Saturday morning.  Pups were being walked, coffee was the drink of choice, photos were being snapped, stories of early morning deer sightings were shared, and plans for the day were formulated.

Becky arrived about ten o'clock to hang out with the Toasters for the day.  Chuck, Judy and John headed out early to Southern Pines for a big bike race that Chuck was entered in.  Rob opted to stay in camp while four carloads of us struck out for Mrs. Hanes Moravian Cookie Factory.

I'll have a dedicated Mrs. Hanes Postcard for you one day next week and tell you all about our visit there.  I will tell you that we were huddled around the samples of six different cookies.  Not only that, I think every single one of us left carrying a package or two!

We traveled about 30 minutes north of Winston-Salem to the small town of Walnut Cove where we had lunch at the Main Street Diner. After our third toast of the weekend, we enjoyed a lunch of burgers, bologna sandwiches, milk shakes, apple fries, tots, and BLTs.  Not very heathy, but definitely tasty and fun!

Tanglewood Park holds a very popular Festival of Lights every year. Thousands and thousands of cars drive through the park each holiday season to see them.  Before Becky headed back to Newton, we drove through to see them being turned on for a special fund-raiser that evening not open to the public.

There may not have been but 18 people at our potluck supper, but the food was just as plentiful and certainly as good as at our bigger rallies.  Without a doubt, Jim the Ribmaster, had the best dish there . . . barbecued ribs!!

We came up the brilliant idea of using Jim's coals to kickstart our campfire and in no time flat, it was blazing.  We finished our evening with nonstop camping tales and lots of laughter!

I just want to thank all the folks who decided to join us this weekend at the Tanglewood Toast Un-rally.  It was the perfect way to close out the 2013 camping season!

And thanks to all of you who faithfully follow my adventures and pick up your Postcards!  Hugs all 'round!!

Evenin' folks!  As soon as I mail this Tanglewood Postcard to you, I'm headed over to the campfire to join my compatriots.  So let me get down to the business at hand and tell you about our day.

Absolutely no one was in a hurry to get up and out early this morning and that included me!  You would have had trouble finding me under all the covers too.  Despite the cold evening, my trusty Pelonis heater sitting on top of the Luggable Loo kept me warm the entire night.

A few folks that didn't unhook their water lines last evening had frozen hoses to deal with this morning, but that was the only issue from the cold we dealt with.

Our game plan for the day was to head to Old Salem, get lunch somewhere, and make a run to Dewey's Bakery.  We did make it to the Visitor Center at Old Salem, but that's as far as that plan went.

The second item on our itinerary panned out nicely.  We took the suggestion of one of the fellows at the Visitor Center and headed downtown for lunch at Bib's.  This barbecue place located in an old Firestone Tire building was home to some prize winning Q!

Everyone got barbecue in some shape or form and it was excellent!  There was a big choice of items and sides and I'm sure everything was just as good as the pulled pork, mac and cheese, and hushpuppies that I had.  In fact, those puppies were some of the best I've ever eaten.  It had some sort of spice in it that none of us could identify.  When we asked the waitress what it was, she said it was a secret!  Before leaving, we had our second toast.

The third item on our adventure list didn't happen either.  We never made it to Dewey's Bakery.  Instead, we visited a whole bunch of thrift, vintage, and antique places.  In other words, we spent the afternoon junkin'!

We LOVED the vintage tin toy trailer and car, but with a price tag of $130, we just kept walking.

Getting back at Tanglewood around 4:00, I got to visit for a bit before the sun went down and it got cold again.  The Cousins are next door and I spent a good portion of my time getting caught up with them. 

Greetings from Tanglewood Park Campground in Clemmons, NC where a bunch of cold hearty campers have gathered to toast a successful 2013 camping season along with our friendships throughout the year.

I waited until after lunch to let the temperature rise just a bit before hitting the road.  It was a pleasant drive and within the hour, I was at the campground and settled into site 2 along with several T@Bbers who beat me here.

SplashT@B and I are taking the simple route this weekend...no awning, no outdoor mat, no outdoor kitchen, just the bare necessities.

Next door to me in site 1 is Dixie from Florida and her cat called Ming.  She's camping in her new T@Blet and it's only her third trip as a new T@Bber.

Across the road from me is Morgan and her handsome Jet who joined us from near Asheville.

Sue and Rich are here too, but brought the Deville instead of the T@B this weekend.

Right now there aren't too many folks in the campground.  Terry, the camp host, said they would be rolling tomorrow and we would   have a full house for the weekend.  I've got a nice view out my side window as well as out the front.

Sue and I took a long walk before the sun went down and were able to get caught up on all the news.  I told her it felt like months and months since I saw her last!  

At 5:30, we all headed over to the nearby Chang Thai restaurant for a really good supper.  We made our first toast of the weekend and had a great time chatting with everyone.  It's so nice to finally match faces to names and it was fun getting to know a little about each other.  That's John and Judy Crankshaw from Grand Rapids, MI on the left and Jim and Karyl McClellan from Kannapolis, NC on the right. 

And here's the rest of the gang posing for the first of many photos I hope to be taking this weekend.

The remaining Toasters will be arriving tomorrow and I'll tell you about them then.  It's going to be a fun final hurrah for the 2013 camping season and I hope you'll drop by each evening to pick up your Tanglewood Toast Un-rally Postcard!!

Today it was announced that Big Meadow Family Campground, site of the 2013 Blue Ridge Rally, won the National Small RV Park of the Year Award, presented by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds!

From the very first time I ever met the folks at Big Meadow last fall when scouting out BRR campgrounds, I knew there was something special about their family and their campground. They were genuinely excited that I chose Big Meadow to host our 2013 Blue Ridge Rally.

Despite the rain that turned some sites into lakefront property, our rally there was one of the best.  We will be returning to Big Meadow in May of 2015 for the 8th Annual BRR and will be in town for the big Townsend Spring Festival.

Mark your calendars for April 29-May 3, 2015, so you can join in the fun at the fabulous Big Meadow Family Campground.

CONGRATULATIONS TO BIG MEADOW CAMPGROUND, BARBARA, MALCOLM, GREG, JANET & KRISTINA

Mornin' everyone!  I really appreciate you letting me send you such silly Postcards this week and not putting up a fuss about them being, for the most part, totally unrelated to anything!

I briefly considered taking the traditional route today, but after my first cup of coffee, I thought "Nah...let's color outside the lines again!"  

This weekend, in honor of Veterans Day, our National Park Service is offering free admission Nov. 9-11.  They will also hold some special events over the weekend, including many which honor the service of our nation's veterans.  If you are blessed with living within an hour or two of a park unit, take advantage of this and visit one of our country's best ideas...our National Parks! 

Speaking of Facebook, this little fellow has been making the rounds for the last few days. Who knew there was a bird called a Blue-Footed Booby with turquoise-colored feet that would make people ooh and aah. They live in flocks and cover their young with those blue feet to keep them warm. Most of those comments are coming from ladies with glamped up campers who have a penchant for turquoise! According to National Geographic, the boobies live on the western coasts of Central and South America.  Just what I need, another bit of trivia to store in my already crowded brain!

That's it for today folks.  Maybe curiosity will get the better of you tomorrow and you'll decide to see what I pull out of the universe for Friday.  Until then, take Casey Kasem's advice and "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars".