This week, my beloved grandmother, known as "Gram" to her nine grandchildren, passed away at the age of 89. 

We're very fortunate as a family to have had time to say our final goodbyes and I love yous. But even with time "to prepare" including a final trip in September to see her, and final calls to let her know how much I love and appreciate her, the pain of her death has been so much more intense than I imagined. 

I am so fortunate to have had so much time to get to know her, both as a young child and through my transition into adulthood. Despite living five hours away growing up, we saw her every Christmas, she attended my graduations and wedding, and even traveled to see me compete in various sports and activities. She was a pillar of my life, there to hold me up in good times and in bad.

She was a very special woman and an amazing grandmother, who had a unique bond with each of her 5 children, 9 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren. We all knew how much she loved us and how much we meant to her. In fact, she ended each letter or conversation with those sentiments, most frequently, "Love you always." 

This week as I read through the cards and letters from her that I had saved over the years, the love I have for her, and the love she has for me, was only further cemented in my mind. 

I'm intensely grateful for the relationship I had with my Gram. To know that someone loves you that deeply and unconditionally is a truly priceless thing. This Thanksgiving, I hope everyone can take the time to not only reflect on what we're thankful for, but also to let those you love know it. 

Love you always, Gram. Life just won't be the same without you.

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Together, We’re Thankful for:

• Our health
• Good friends
• A loving family
• Lulu and Mel having had successful tumor removal surgeries in August
• Living in a country where we’re awarded many freedoms, including political and religious
• Our education
• For discovering Old Town Alexandria back in 2000, and being lucky enough to call it home
• Having had Oliver in our lives, albeit for too short of a time
• Having the means and jobs that allow us to travel to many parts of the world
• Being gainfully employed
• All of you. We’re thankful for those who read and/or comment on Old Town Home, and make this hobby such a rewarding and enjoyable one. We especially appreciate the tips and advice you share, so that we can continue to refine our DIY skills.

Wendy

• Earlier this week, I fell when out for a jog with Lulu and lost control of the leash in the process. Lulu kept on running. I’m so thankful that when I called to her, she stopped, and ran back to me on the sidewalk rather than in the street. I’m also thankful I’m only bruised and not broken.
• Having a spouse that knows how to fix things, and goes along with my hair-brained ideas, i.e. let’s renovate our kitchen even though we have several other large projects already in the works.
• Good television that provides a laugh and/or an escape, including Homeland, New Girl, and Happy Endings.
• My happy places: Napa Valley and London
• Puppies

Alex

• The opportunity to work on our house, and to be able to transform it into the home of our dreams
• Projects that leave me feeling fulfilled, both professionally and personally
• My ability to grow a goatee, which I didn’t realize was possible until this “Movember”
• We believe the thieves that stole our copper down spout have been caught. (More on that later.)
• That our home and our town were spared the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy
• My somewhat patient and accommodating wife, who is my partner in crime and is the reason I do most of what I do including many of my over-the-top home improvement endeavors.

For those of you who are celebrating, we’d like to extend a heartfelt happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours. As we officially kick off the holiday season and a new year is just weeks around the corner, do you stop to reflect? What are you thankful for?

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Like most people in the United States, we'll sit down to a traditional Thanksgiving feast. This year we will be dining with great friends rather than family since we're staying in DC. But before we eat, we'll be going on a Thanksgiving run with Lulu (to prepare for our eventual overheating), doing some parade and football watching, working on a few house projects, preparing a dish or two for dinner including mom's famous sweet potato casserole of course, and whatever else comes along for the day.

Even though we'll be quite busy, we'll still be thinking about the various things we're thankful for in our lives. Wendy and I realize just how fortunate we are. We have some really great things we have to look forward to and some wonderful experiences to reflect on. So we wanted to take a moment in this post to mention a few of the things we're very thankful for as it relates to Old Town Home.

We're Thankful For:

• The readers who think our blog is worthwhile enough to come back and read our posts (in spite of the fact it may take us months to complete a seemingly simple project).
  
  
• The great people who have interacted with us and left comments on many of our posts.
  
  
• The friends of the blog who have helped put us in touch with various people and publications that have helped us to gain a few accolades here and there.
  
  
• The fact there will never be a point where we can look at our house and say "yep, we're done." This means we should never run out of content.
  
  
• Friends and family that support us, ask questions, share our links, tell us what a good job we're doing, and act truly interested in our modest website about our house. I know it can sound a little odd, so we appreciate their support.
  
  
• The amazing crew of Lulu and Mel that follow us around inspecting all of our handiwork and getting into any messes we leave. It's great to have them around.

Beyond the blog we're thankful for our loving family, our great friends (especially the ones kind enough to invite us into their home for Thanksgiving), the people who work and fight every day to protect the things we often take for granted, and for the fact that our good friend Colin is safely back from Afghanistan after spending his last Thanksgiving on a base in the desert.

We hope you and your loved ones are able to have a wonderful day. Whether or not you celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving, we encourage you to take a moment or two to think about what you are truly thankful for, both today and every day. And if you feel so inclined, we'd love to know what tops your list. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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Even though sappy sentimentality plays a big role in the holidays, I'd be lying if I said that food isn't an important tradition, especially this time of year. Family favorites, delectable treats, and special cocktails top the list for me. But as far as Thanksgiving goes, it just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without my Mom's sweet potato casserole. 

This particular casserole has always been a staple on my family's table each year, but it quickly grew in the ranking when Alex declared it his number one favorite holiday dish. We both bring it each year to our annual work potlucks as well as to Alex's parents house if we're enjoying our Thanksgiving meal there, and in an off year if my Mom suggests striking it from the menu in exchange for something a little healthier, you can hear the shrieks and cries from 400 miles away.

Since this dish holds such a special place in our hearts, I wanted to share it with all of you, in case you're looking to add something new to your holiday lineup, or if you've been tasked with bringing a dish to a gathering -- and you desire something really quick and easy that's a crowd pleaser. 

Here's a picture of the front of the recipe card from my Mom, that was given to me, along with a collection of family recipes, at my bridal shower back in 2002. 

Without further ado, I give you my Mom's sweet potato casserole...

Ingredients:

• 29 oz. can sweet potatoes
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 stick melted butter or margarine
• 1 cup Ritz crackers, crumbled
• 1 stick butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans recommended)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar

Directions:

Drain and mash sweet potatoes. Add egg, sugar, cinnamon and 1/2 stick melted butter or margarine. Put into greased casserole dish.

Mix Ritz crackers, stick of butter or margarine, nuts, and brown sugar. Sprinkle over potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Yep, it's really that easy. One tip: my Mom has started cutting the topping in half to make it a little more waistline-friendly. It still tastes great and is very rich. Alex, on the other hand, might have misunderstood this tip one year and actually doubled the topping while making this for his work potluck (I think he's made it for them seven years straight now). People seem to gobble it up either way. 

Do you have a dish that's a favorite in your family or one you couldn't see celebrating the holidays without? Maybe you'd like to share what you're thankful for this year? I'd love to hear all about it. Until next time, I'm off for a run, trying to workout in anticipation of next week's caloric onslaught. Happy Thanksgiving!

As seen on...

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This recipe was given to me years ago by a close friend/former boss. Her version of the soup is so indulgent and rich, you can hardly eat more than a 1/4 cup at a time. With waistlines in mind, I've taken her recipe and scaled back the fat to create a lighter version that still packs the same flavor punch as her original. 

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp. chopped onions
• 2 tbsp. margarine or butter
• 6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth (we go the veggie route)
• 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 4 ounces light cream cheese

Directions:

In a large soup pot, saute onions in margarine or butter until tender. Add squash, broth, marjoram, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil. Cook 20 minutes or until squash is tender. 

Puree squash mixture and cream cheese with an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender,  puree in blender or food processor in batches until smooth.

Return to pot and heat through. Do not allow to boil. Serve. 

Makes approximately five one cup servings.

I hope you'll give it a try. It's so delicious I know you'll love it. If you make it this Thanksgiving, be sure to let us know how it works out for you. 

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