It's hard to be responsible, adult and sensible all the time.
How good it is to have a sister whose heart is as young as your own.
    ~ Pam Brown

Yep, my adorable sister's a basket case.

But then so am I.

That's what makes her such a great sister.

Sister and I went to the Homestead Heritage Fair at Brazos de Dios (in Waco, Texas). It's an amazing place that feels like a living museum. But the Homestead Heritage is actually an active 510-acre Christian agricultural settlement. For three days after Thanksgiving every year they open their community to share their patterns for homesteading, self-sufficient farming, gardening, and other homestead crafts and practical skills . . . like basket weaving.

We had so much fun on Friday, we went back again today and whittled a spatula. Our Dad would be so proud of our newly acquired wood working skills.

I love that there's a community preserving all these arts and sharing the skills with others – and I love even more that I got to share it with my sister.

Thanks to all of you Catered Crop made it to the next and final round of the Blog Guidebook Top Blog nominations – the top five! Thank you! This contest has taught me that I hate campaigning for votes, but I love getting your votes. Your votes, sweet comments, encouragements, and help with the campaign are such a wonderful gift! So, I'd love to return the gift in a least a small way.

We put the names in my new basket of all of you who left comments here that you voted for Catered Crop. The winner of our drawing gets this fun, kitchie retro kitchen calendar by feb10 design.

Congratulations to Kate Ward! Kate, just email me at cateredcrop@gmail.com to claim your prize.

Thank you, everyone, for making this contest such a fun and rewarding event.

Any man should be happy who is allowed the patience of his wife,
the tolerance of his children, and the affection of waiters.
   – Michael Arlen, English writer

Here in the states we're knee deep in Thanksgiving . . . got one eye on the Macy's parade and the other on my pies. And, between mixing and measuring, there's a hot ping pong tournament going. I haven't been eliminated yet, but I also haven't had my turn to play yet. I'm hopeful.

I wouldn't be doing justice to Thanksgiving if I didn't take a minute or two to say thank you to all of you. You have no idea how much joy you all bring to me with your entries to the Follow-the-Recipe challenges, your sweet comments, and just your willingness to take time out to hang out with me.

Happy Thanksgiving! And thank you for being such a big part of what makes me happy every day!

If at first you don't succeed, you're running about average.
     ~ M.H. Alderson

Thank you, thank you, all you wonderfully patient people out there. The second round of the Blog Guidebook poll for the next Top Blog 2011 has been, well, frustrating for the last couple of days . . . but the race is back on.

The darlings tried a Facebook App that just didn't work as well as they hoped. They cancelled the voting for a couple of days while they went to plan B, which was the original plan A . . . what? Anyway, if you voted before, I'm sorry, but you'll have to go to the polls again. If you didn't vote – Why Not?! Or, actually, I guess it turns out you were smart to wait.

Don't wait any more . . . go vote . . . for Catered Crop that is.

Just go HERE for instructions and a link to vote.

Just leave me a comment on this post or on my original here that you voted for Catered Crop before November 25, when the current round of voting ends. On November 26, we'll have a drawing to choose a winner from all of you who voted and came back two either of these two blog posts and left a comment.