Marvelous Monday

Whoa!  Thanksgiving is next Thursday?  How did that happen?

I have a lot for which I am grateful.  I have no doubt that I'll whip up some thanks-giving content in the next week or two.  For now, though, I bring you Marvelous Monday!

1) I mentioned yesterday that Grandma always sends me home from her house with a bag of cookies, raisin bread, and embroidered dishtowels.  This morning, a dishtowel was one of the first things I saw when I started puttering around in the kitchen, and it totally made me smile.  Look at that little chilly snowman!

2) I guess I am finally easing into the holiday spirit, now that we're inside the two-week window before Thanksgiving.  Last night, Josh and I stopped over to visit my mom.  My dad is traveling for his job, and in his absence, my mom turned the basement into her own personal holiday decoration planning area. She elevates holiday decorating to an art form, Reader.  I counted, like, nine wreaths - including this one, my favorite.

3)  Grandma's raisin bread! I love the swirls of raisins.  Next time I visit her, I will ask how she does this.  My earliest memory of eating Grandma's raisin bread is from age six.  It is a major, major staple of my childhood.  It tastes best to me toasted - and, like most food items, is even better with butter melted on it.

4) Josh and I stumbled across a new restaurant recently - and guess what?  It's in Minneapolis.  That's way out of my normal St. Paul comfort zone.  Sun Street Breads is in the Kingfield neighborhood of southwest Minneapolis, and we went there for lunch.  Josh had "The Susan," otherwise known as a meatloaf sandwich with apple butter.  I scanned the menu and my eyes locked onto the "biscuit sandwich" category. 

Is there any word in the English language that is more specific and wonderful and communicates exactly what you're getting into better than "biscuit"?  Gah!  It was buttery and very serious and sooo good.  Some egg and cheese was involved, too.  We might need to go there for our next dinner date so I can get past the biscuit sandwiches and explore the rest of the menu.

5) Tonight I will go for a walk - because it's still 53 degrees and sunny! - and then make a pot of minestrone for the week.  Yum.

What's on your mind, Reader?  Got five marvelous pieces in your own Monday?