Sunshine On My Shoulders

Link #1: Yo-Yo Ma to Jesuit Priest

Google Image, Salo Angel Falls in South America

You've been told how a woman's brain functions, with its multi-task, jumping around thinking, and spaghetti connections. Well... that is exactly the condition of my little gray cells this morning. I cannot think on just one topic!

For instance... what are the links in my thinking, that would connect Yo-Yo Ma to a South American, Jesuit priest of the mid-1700's, then to my daughter's wedding, and on to American piracy of the 1600's? Do you give up? Bet you do.

For years I have loved the expressive, "luminous meditations" played by famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma, called "Gabriel's Oboe," followed by "The Falls." Although revelling in the beauty, I had never researched the background. Today was my day to do so, as I sat listening to the album, Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone. This music was composed by the legendary (legendary... boy, am I ignorant!) Ennio Morricone, who has composed gifted  scores for numerous films. (I love getting educated! What took me so long?)

The two pieces that have delighted my spirit for so many years, "Gabriel's Oboe" and "The Falls," were written for the movie The Mission. Slave trading adventurers... swashbuckling... missionary fervor... repentance and redemption... all can be found within this 1986 epic movie. I've never watched it, as the violence inferred to is just not something I can stomach, especially when children are involved. (Perhaps I can watch it through Clear Play!) However... I want to understand Morricone's intent as he composed the music I have come to love. "Gabriel's Oboe" was written for the godly Jesuit priest, Father Gabriel, who played a magical oboe. And "The Falls" was written for the second main character, adventurer, Rodrigo Mendoza, who as part of his self-pennance, toted his heavy colonial armor up a vertical South American, jungle mountain pathway next to "The Falls," the only access to The Mission.

Reading about this movie, and sensing the intense human struggles and emotions portrayed in it, gives me more appreciation for my beloved music. (Have you noticed that when a piece of music becomes so personal to us, in a deep and moving way, that we begin to call it "my... music"?)

Now you understand the Yo-Yo Ma - Jesuit priest connection in my mind. In my next two posts, I'll let you in on my daughter's wedding... and the PIRATES connection. And how they all tie together in my spaghetti bowl brain.

See you then!

my 2011 key word... ORGANIZE

 
 "My January Amaryllis"

I am going to rephrase "New Year's Resolutions" to "This year I am purposing to..."

So, here goes. This year I am purposing to:

1. Clean up and organize all my saved website FAVORITES. How does that list get so long and our of hand?
2. Transfer years of saved clippings and scratched out quotes and sayings into a lovely leather journal. I have a quaint, old-fashioned fountain pen to write them... or will take clippings and, using pretty scrapbook paper and trimmings, mount them into my journal. Somehow... this project is important to me.
3. Organize years of family photos!
4. Blog more! And organize past entries into published blog books.
5. Um-mm... I confess... well, maybe not confess something that is plain to see.. but... I need to take off some pounds. SO... I must organize my schedule to get back on the treadmill... and plan healthy meals. Yes... THIS, I WILL DO!

My mind is spinning with lots of other goals... but this short list is a good start. Writing them down, going on record, helps to motivate me!

After I jotted down this list, I saw something all my goals had in common. ORGANIZE. So it looks like 2011 should be my year of organization, something I'm always striving toward it seems.

***I must mention that my spiritual goals remain... to know more of Christ... to spend more time with Him... and to serve Him from a sincere and faithful heart. You know... to accomplish this takes some ORGANIZING, too!

Holiday Season 2010... in Retrospect

A good blog is supposed to have regular posts. So... just how in the world do the rest of you bloggers manage to do that??? Sunshine on My Shoulders has suffered during the Christmas season. So... this post will do a little 2010 holiday catch-up by listing some memorable highlights.

Here goes...

• Enjoying our traditional family Nativity set lighting up our front yard. Our kids grew up with it... wouldn't be Christmas without it.
• Teaching about... then acting out the "Christmas in the Trenches," amazing WW 1 true story, with our Sunday School class. (It fit right in with our series on honor.)
   
• Watching with my husband, That the World May Know: Faith Lessons on the Life and Ministry of the Messiah. Put out by Focus on the Family, this 3rd. volume of the "That the World May Know Series," filmed on location in Israel... added to the marvel... and wonder of our Christmas.
• Happily munching on the many goodies from Heather& family. Especially the Chipotle Cheese Ball, which my husband made again, all by himself! (Okay... I'll post at the bottom the secret recipe that Heather's mom "sweet-talked" from someone from H.E.B. But... shhhh!)
• Worshipping at our church's traditional Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.
• Experiencing the "shrimp boil-to-top-all shrimp boils" at my brother's home on Christmas day.
   
• Absolutely creaming my husband each time we played our new Christmas game, BLOKUS. (How I enjoyed those victories! I doubt they will come again.)
• Lisa, my handicapped sister, and her trip-of-a-lifetime to Disney World! She was delighted... engaging... pumped... wonderously joyful... about-to-burst... belly laughing... the entire trip! (Alice and Patrick were AMAZING to help her have this trip!)                 
                              
• Making a Hallmark Recordable Story Book with... then later presenting it to... my granddaughter.
• Eating far too many of the Christmas treats I made to give away... like these Peppermint Pretzel Melts.                                                                                                               

Loving the greatest gifts of all... family members all wrapped up in each other!  

                  

Okey-dokey... that concludes my "2010 Precious Holiday Memories" list. The years keep ticking by... God's faithfulness remains. Praise His name!

***Here is the secret recipe for "Heather's Chipotle Cheese Ball."

Gather 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened, 1 can chipotle chilies in adobo, slivered almonds and a little butter.

In a food processor blend the can of chipotle chilies until smooth. Add 1 Tbsp of blended chilies to softened cream cheese, blending well. (My husband just tosses the remaining chilies into his salsa!) Cover, refrigerating until firm. Toast desired amount of slivered almonds in the butter, and roll them onto the firm cheese ball. Wrap in saran wrap and chill until ready to serve.

Way too easy to be SO yummy! Aren't you glad you were made privy to this secret recipe? 

Moon Meditations

I've been a bit grumpy today. Somehow I just could not sleep last night with the possibility of seeing the moon eclipse. Unfortunately, each time I jumped out of bed to check, it was too cloudy to make a Houston sighting. But it was worth the effort, regardless of my sleepiness and out-of-sortedness today. Delightedly, I observed a brilliant moon over our neighborhood at 6:00 AM, a time I usually do not go moon watching.

And... it set me thinking moon thoughts again. So I will re-post some of those thoughts from my blog entry dated September 25, 2008.

 "God Bless the Moon!" 

"I see the moon and the moon sees me. God bless the moon and God bless me."

My children and I used to say that little rhyme together when they were babies. I can't help but remember it when I stop and look at the moon, like I did the other night when I took this photo.

Initially I was captivated by the startling beauty, a contrast to the hurricane torn days of the prior week. Then a myriad of random thoughts raced through my mind.

It seemed as if the moon was cutting a hole through the darkness, like Jesus breaks up the darkness of sin with His light.

My name bearing the meaning of the word moon, I thought of a former post I wrote, "One Who Reflects Light." Additionally, there was the post "Let Your Light Shine" Children's Craft which darted through my mind.

I began to hum the melody to "Blue Moon" as I looked and pondered.

After a bit, the song "Somewhere Out There" came to my lips. Our family loved the American Tail movies, and we always said the adorable mouse, Fievel, was so much like out little Joshie. When Josh left on his first mission trip to Thailand at the young age of fourteen, his sister and I missed him so much, and as we had no prior international experience to relate to, we worried. At night we would go outside, look up at the moon and sing the lyrics to "Somewhere Out There," singing like Fievel, squeaking out the high parts, "Somewhere out there, beneath the pale moonlight, someone's thinking of me, and loving me tonight."  And it helped us, knowing that the same moon shining over our heads would be shining over our Joshie's head so far away.

I have repeated that scenario again and again through the years. My daughter spent months in India, in Taiwan, and in China, and sometimes communication was minimal. And so nighttime found me marching outside to seek the moon, "God sees the moon, and the moon sees me. God bless the moon, and God bless...our Baby Joy!"  God always spoke to my spirit, and calmed my motherly nerves.

While in India myself, and away from my family, I loved seeking out the moon, and singing the Fievel song. Numerous and varied have been the experiences in my life which have caused me to seek out this luminary, created by God on Day 4 of Creation, to give light in the darkness. It is a constant in my world, at times a focal point, and periodically a thing God uses to bring light into times of my own personal darkness.

Isn't it interesting how many thoughts one can have in such a short time? My "moonlight meditations" probably only lasted a few moments, but the memories spanned many years. Moon memories. They bring a smile to my heart. "God bless the moon!"

Your time... a great Christmas gift!

Look at these photos from our recent babysitting night with our granddaughter. And stop fretting what you are getting... or not getting... your kids this Christmas!

Our little Andrah Kate was ecstatic being "sledded" around the tile floor on a huge, empty dog food bag, with a leash attached.

 
Here she is playing dress-up in Grandma's boots... and having a wonderful time.

Perhaps this could be an encouragement to take time out for creative play with your kids this holiday season. Giving the gift of yourself... of your time... is what will make the lasting memories, long after any toys are discarded.

"Scratching" Out the GOOD NEWS

 

Look closely at my little treasure... and wonder. See the intricate little drawings on this scratch cross? With so much grace, the young boy who "scratched" out this beautiful Nativity scene presented this work of art and labor of love to me. It is a gift that is filed in my memory under the category of "one of the most special gifts I've ever received."

The boy was among INDIA's poorest and neediest children, when he was found by The Platform Kids. This organization rescues children from a life of begging on the railway platforms of INDIA. They provide them with a loving Christian home and a fine education. Visiting there to try to be a blessing... I was the one who came away the most blessed. The word that comes to mind for this place is "haven" A Peaceful, blessed haven. One of my friends in INDIA will go visit there when she needs a rest... or needs to revive her spirits.

Aren't you glad this young man now understands the true meaning of Christmas? This season is especially significant for believers in INDIA, as is stated so well by one of my friends:

"This is the time of year more than any other time, when believers in India have the most opportunities to share the Good News that alone can change lives, change communities and change nations...all to the glory of God. Believers and churches here are all busy with preparations...please pray for safety, protection and peace even at a time when there is increasing unrest and upheaval against anything that remotely sounds Christian...that believers would be sensitive and use wisdom and discernment even as they begin planning outreaches and celebrations."

 

The Good News... scratched upon a cross... by a child in far away INDIA. A wonderful treasure  to me!

Shepherds On My Mind

 
Surely it is the Christmas season prompting this, but it seems that everywhere I turn lately, I hear or see something reminding me of sheep... and shepherds.

Initially, my interest was stirred when my son told me to watch a documentary from Netflix called Sweetgrass. Perhaps it was not the best made of films, but so much about it set me pondering. Sweetgrass traces a family of Montana shepherds as they drive their flock down a treacherous mountain range. The shepherds were a coarse bunch who used crude language, but carefully cared for their huge flocks despite numerous dangers and hardships. (Hopefully, you can view this film with Clear Play, to filter the language.) I kept thinking of the shepherds in the Judaean hills, "abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night," and the similarities there must have been during the time of Christ's birth.

Then soon afterward, I began to search my gift shelf to find something for a friend who is enduring a lengthy and  discouraging stay at a rehab hospital. As soon as I spotted the large print copy of A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, by W. Phillip Keller, I knew it was perfect! During my visit, my friend and I read through Psalm 23, discussing how the mighty King David recognized himself as a lowly and stupid sheep in need of a Great Shepherd. When I left, my friend could not wait to dig into the book... and I could not wait to go home and review it! (Lessons From a Sheep Dog is another interesting and insightful read by the same author.)

As my husband and I have begun the project of reading through the Bible... aloud to each other... we keep getting hung up by too much discussion and questions! Needless to say, we are not progressing rapidly. The other day we were reading in Genesis 48, where Jacob is blessing Joseph and his sons. In verse 15 of the KJV it reads, "And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day." Well... if you go digging with the original language, Jacob was meaning "the God who has been my shepherd." This shepherd-man, Jacob, understood the care of the Good Shepherd!

So now you see why I have shepherds... on the brain. I hear them in the Christmas carols. I see them in the nativities... the Christmas cards... the plays and movies. 

Even as I write, I'm thinking of this question for you, actually the title of a  song, "Do You Hear What I Hear?" See what I told you? SHEPHERDS ARE EVERYWHERE!

Lisa's Dream Trip Comes True!

  
I tried to get grandaughter, Andrah, to pose with Great Aunt Lisa, Mickey & Minnie. But she was afraid of those giant mice!  

Tell me, wouldn't you just love to have Mickey & Minnie Mouse ring your door bell, and come in for a visit? And what if they presented you with a gift package including a trip to Disney World in Florida? Well...  that was just the scenario tonight at the home of my sisters in Conroe. And that is why Catherine says Lisa is still wide awake and laughing, even though the hour is late. 

Thank you Dream Foundation! My sister, Catherine, her husband, Patrick, and aide, Hannah, will be leaving this Sunday to take Lisa for a 10 day dream vacation in sunny Florida. (Patrick and Catherine wanted this trip so badly... for Lisa's sake. They worked hard to help make it happen.)

You should see Lisa's sparkling pink gown, and her gorgeous, blingy jewelry and tiara... and scepter! She will wear this at a special evening event. No Cinderella was ever as fetching as Lisa will be!

Lisa cannot wait to meet her friends, Mickey & Minnie, once again in the Magic Kingdom. I'll be sure to share the photos!

 Lisa, pictured along with her mice friends and Patrick and Catherine, is so excited she nearly squirmed from her chair.
 

 

(For all you lovers of color out there... here is a color shot of an excited Lisa trying to say thank you to Mickey & Minnie. )

Enjoying the Christmas Season

 
Is a board game on your Christmas list? You may want to consider Apples to Apples, Bible Edition. We pulled ours out for the first time to play during our Sunday School pre-session. We were searching for something fun to emphasize Attentiveness while teaching the command of Christ, "Hear God's Voice and Obey His Word."

The kids loved the game! As did their teachers, I might add. Surely, this game will be our 2010 Christmas game to play around the dining table.

And... while we play games, we can listen to my favorite Christmas music playlist. Each Christmas I purchase a new album. This year it is Susan Boyle's The Gift. Admittedly, I wish now I had just downloaded a few of the songs rather than buying the entire recording. Why would the song Hallelujah be on a Christmas album? But the beauty of creating your own playlists solves that problem doesn't it?

Do you follow Amazon's "25 Days of Free," where you can download a free holiday song each day in December leading up to Christmas? So far, none of them has been my cup of tea, but I still plan to keep my eye on it.

A fun game with friends and family... Christmas music in the background with the Christmas tree twinkling... and a cup of eggnog punch with a plate of cookies.  Sounds like a winning evening to me!

 

"For He saith to the snow, be thou on the earth..." Job 38:22

Taken today at my son-in-law's childhood home in Buffalo NY.

Aren't you grateful that God sent snow into our world?

Okay... it would be fun to ask this question. What it the first thing that comes to mind... or perhaps a favorite memory... when you think of the word s-n-o-w ? 

Here's what comes to my mind...

"...though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as  snow." ~Isa. 1:18

childhood memory of my mama mixing snow ice cream from the first snowfall in Malvern, Arkansas

no two snowfalkes are exactly alike... teaching that to children to show God's special design

sledding in the Missouri snow as a newlywed... and running over my hand with the sled

the enchantment of the first snowfall of the year... especially here in Houston!

watching the movie White Christmas, with all that (as the song goes) "snow, snow, snow, snow, snow !"

making snow angels & building snowmen

laughing to find out my friends in INDIA meant "fog" when they said there was "snow" in the mountains

cutting out beautiful, delicate snowflakes with my children

laughing, remembering my southern daughter on a trip to Chicago, calling home to say, "Mom, did you know when snow falls on you, your hair gets really wet?"

Those are a few of my nostalgic remembrances based on the word s-n-o-w. What snow images come to your mind?

Lots (& lots) of Uses For Leftover EGGNOG

During the holidays, it is tradtion at our house to indulge in a simple, non-alcoholic eggnog punch. When I saw this vintage Anchor Hocking Eggnog Set a few years back, I knew it would be a fun way to showcase our punch.

 

This is how we make our Eggnog Punch. (Please do not ask me for exact measurements. We always just adjust to our taste.)

Messick/Mowdy Family's Traditional EGGNOG PUNCH

First... put about half a carton of good store-bought eggnog into your punch bowl. On top of that... pour a good portion of 7-Up, Sprite or Ginger Ale. Then... and here is the important part... dollop generous scoops of ONLY Homemade Blue Bell Vanilla ice cream on top. Finallly... generously sprinkle with nutmeg. (Be sure your nutmeg is fresh. It makes a huge difference. Go ahead and throw out last year's can, and buy a fresh one!) You can let the ice cream melt... or like my kids do... serve up a little scoop in each cup. It is yummy!!! And at our house, it always sparks  "Remember when..." conversations.

 

Since we had the Eggnog Punch during the Thanksgiving holiday, I have decided to try a variation during our Christmas festivities. This is for you Nick and Rebekah! We are going to have Peppermint Eggnog Punch. Boy, does that sound good.

After the punch is history, there always seems to be leftover eggnog taking up space in my frig. And I feel a bit guilty pouring it down the drain. So... this is the plan. This year I will use it up in one or more of these tempting recipes. Now... my husband and I cannot eat most of this... but I do love giving things away!

Here it comes, folks! ***drum roll please***

Lots of RECIPES for using up all that LEFTOVER EGGNOG!

Cinnamon-Eggnog Scones (I thought of you, Heather.)

Eggnog French Toast (Everybody already knows this one, right?)

Eggnog Truffles (I would leave out the rum... or add rum flavoring.)

Eggnog Waffles or Eggnog Pancakes 

Eggnog Cheesecake

Eggnog Latte (Just like Starbucks! Especially if your use their brand of coffee.)

Muffins, either ones with cranberries, or a nutmeg-struesel topping

Paula Deen's Leftover Holiday Eggnog and Breadpudding Cupcakes (Again... eliminate the whiskey for us teetotalers. This recipe looks SO good!)

Eggnog Cookies or Eggnog Cookies with Rum Butter Icing

Eggnog Rice Pudding (ultra rich recipe)

Eggnog Cream Pie

Eggnog Bundt Cake

Eggnog Creme Brulee

Whew! That's a lotta nog recipes, I tell ya. I dare someone to tell me any other unique recipe. Okay... I already know of a friend who makes homemade nog... using goat's milk... or almond milk. But then... what to do with the leftovers?

These are just one gal's suggestions. Oh... I forgot to add this. You could pour the leftover eggnog into a cup... plain... and drink the stuff. That would work.

Looking for Christ in "A Christmas Carol"

 
This plaque graced the walls of my mom's home. Loving it, she kept it up year-round.

For years, our family, like countless others, has enjoyed Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. We read it. We watch the movies, ranging from my favorite animated version, the vintage Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol, to my husband's favorite version with George C. Scott. We attend theatrical stage productions. Proudly, my husband wears his traditional  "God Bless Us Everyone," Tiny Tim tie every Christmas Eve. A Christmas Carol has become part of who we are as a family, I think.

That is why I love recommending our latest "find," A Christmas Carol: Special Church Edition. It is a simple paperback book containing the complete novel with insightful, running notes by Stephen Skelton. Don't you love finding a classic novel, like Gulliver's Travels, for instance, with marginal notes which help you de-code the meaning of the book? Such does this one, with Mr. Skelton helping to reveal just how fully the story of Ebeneezer Scrooge was influenced by the teachings of Jesus Christ.

For instance, his notes referring to the title, A Christmas Carol:

While today we may think of a "carol" as a secular seasonal song like "Jingle Bells," Dickens is using the original meaning of a carol: a song celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

And the explanation of the use of "staves" vs. "chapters":

Dickens extends the concept of his book being a carol, a song celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, by calling each chapter a "stave," a stanza of a song.

Also available, the author has developed a Bible study series based on A Christmas Carol, and including a movie.

There is so much in history... in art... in nature...in literature... which points to Christ, if we but search for God's Hand. What a delight to see Christ in this classic Christmas masterpiece.

"I have always striven in my writings to express the veneration for the life and lessons of our Savior..." ~ Charles Dickens

William Bradford... his book, his infuence... but HIS-story

Day 23 {25 Days of Thanksgiving}

 

My husband is a lover of Pilgrim history. That is why years ago the kids and I awarded him this statue of Governor William Bradford, calling it the "Governor Bradford Award," to honor our daddy's leadership in our home. Dave even reads regularly from his Geneva Bible because that was the version Bradford and the Puritans used, refusing the King James version when it came out, for they objected to a king's name added to the Holy Script.

Something I find so fascinating concerns the original manuscript of William Bradford's famous book, The Plymouth Settlement (also titled Of Plymouth Plantation), about the history of the Pilgrims from 1608 through 1646. It is the single most important source document we have on these events, and so vital in understanding the Christian founding and shaping of our nation.

The history of the Bradford Manuscript is one no less remarkable than the Pilgrim epic itself. In the early years it was miraculously preserved from water, fire and loss. The Bradford estate would loan it out again and again to various clergymen. It was last seen in the tower library of Old South Church in Boston, disappearing for eighty years and considered a casualty of the American Revolution.

Quoting from the book (now out of print), The Hand of God In The Return Of The Bradford Manuscript, you will read how years later it was returned to our nation from England: 

"... just as America needed a reminder of her historic purpose, just before she was to endure her greatest ordeal of nationhood, the manuscript was discovered in 1855 reposing in utmost security in England. Not until the nation was partially recovered from civil strife did the Hand of God open up channels for its return after a probable absence from this country of more than one hundred and twenty years."

If you read carefully, you can deduct that the manuscript was returned to America just after the Civil War. Providential timing, was it not?

Looking for God's Hand in the course of history is exciting... and inspiring. As the Hebrew people in Old Testament days were so often reminded to review with their children what God had done for them in their past, we should hold before our families the awesome history, "HIS-story", of our nation.

As for me, if someone would allow me the privilege of choosing a name for a baby boy, I would choose the name Bradford. The child would always be reminded of his namesake, an incredible "used of God" Christian from our nation's founding... and my husband would be thrilled.

Meandering Thoughts of Gratefulness

Day 22 {25 Days of Thanksgiving}

  

Today, as I am enjoying a day at home, I find myself filled to the brim with gratefulness, as I simply look around. I'll ramble just a bit, if you don't mind, and list some of my thoughts.

I am GRATEFUL for:

• the changing seasons. I love the brilliant colors of fall... like the maple tree in my front yard. This morning it looks magnificent, and tomorrow it will be even prettier.
• my cozy little study, with its huge picture window draped with fabric from India.. Right now I'm looking out at the squirrels playing in the magnolia tree. This is my room. Everything in it contains things that I love, or things that hold special memories for me. Okay... you've guessed it. It contains LOTS of books.
• the ability to send out a quick email to a friend who was looking for a Godly response in a parenting situation. "Thank you Lord, for the counsel of Your Word."
• my little black pug dog, Gypsy, who is snoring away in her sunny bench at the kitchen window. Haven't our pets brought us much joy through the years? I am grateful for our Brittany Spaniel, Mandie, our Ll-asa, Lady, and my first little black pug, Puggles. Each of these pets gave unconditional and consistent love.
• the sounds above the quiet in my house.... the ticking, and chiming of our family clock.... the melodious sound of the wind chimes on the patio... and the snoring I mentioned, of the pug dog. I love moments like these.
• the fluttering of my heart as I think of my husband. 

Life contains so many blessings. I am grateful for the chance to slow down a bit, and reflect.  

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."  ~Colossians 3:15

A Mixture of Blessings

Day 21 {25 Days of Thanksgiving}

 

These grateful pilgrims are holding bags of "Blessings Mix," a simple snack mix favor to remind us of things for which to thank God. 

 
Here is a peek at the gift tag which lists the ingredients... and corresponding blessings.

 
And here is my work table, as I assembled the bags of blessings. I chose my own proportions, but if you don't like guessing, you can check out the Blessings Mix Tutorial online.

 

The "Blessings Mix" bags were handed out in our Sunday School class this morning (the class being another huge blessing!), and also distributed during nursing home and hospital visits.

On Thanksgiving Day, my leftover ingredients will go into a huge bowl for munching, along with a framed label to let our guests know the meaning of the snack.

"Blessings Mix." A great (& tasty!) little project to make and share during the Thanksgiving season.