Coat.

This is my new goose down coat. I feel like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in it, but when it's 10 degrees who cares? He was one warm guy.

Thanksgiving.

Don't be fooled, there's nothing glamorous about salting a dead cold bird, I know I make it look fun. This was my first Thanksgiving away from my mama. However, I was a big girl and I think I pulled it off!

My beautiful turkey before Phil got a hold of it.

This was a first for Phil too. He looked so calm and collected....at first.

Phil's mom and dad, Neil and Verna, came up for a few days. It was good to have family to share the day with.

And for dessert, an apple pie from scratch. I'm getting better at these.

Snow!

Our first snowfall came this morning! The weather channel says it's 29 degrees outside but "feels like" 16. I'm not going out there to see what anything "feels like". I'll enjoy all of this from my warm kitchen thanks.

No, this isn't a tank in someone's backyard. It's a tank in a park. I don't know why there's a tank in the park. I could probably tell you why there was one in someone's backyard though.

The Bancroft-Rosalie School band in front of our house; celebrating the occasion or not allowed to stay in just because it's cold, wet and snowing?

Day off.

Monday we took Phil's boat out for one more hurrah. We went to Lake Summit to cruz around and do a little fishing.

I was having a good time, really. Don't worry there was no one around to see me in this sweatshirt. The horror!

Television.

Antenna, not just for insects, crustaceans and other arthropods anymore. A member of the church gave us this antenna. Phil tinkered with it the other night, so we can sit in front of our television and actually have something to watch now. I really missed my Monday nights on NBC. The 1x6 is a temporary fix, we'll soon upgrade to a respectable pole. The wire strung through the house and open doors were temporary as well. Decent Nebraskans just don't go around with their doors hanging open, at least the ones that don't want to freeze.

Friends.

I'd like to introduce a few folks we've gotten to know here in Nebraska.

Here are our neighbors, Leanna and Vernon Munderloh. Leanna keeps us stocked with homemade salsa, tomatoes, onions and last month, pumpkin puree. They are also kind enough to let us crash their house for the Texas games since we don't have tv reception, a big sacrifice of love for them.

Sharon is our church secretary and of course as most church secretaries are, a huge help to Phil. We had her over Friday for lunch or "dinner" as they say in these parts.

This is Christy and Kevin Cook. Kevin is a pastor at St. John Lutheran Church in West Point, a town about 18 miles from us. We had dinner with them Friday night at JDs, yum! $1.75 brewskies! I learned a new word that night; "Gems"= Tator Tots, and what a treasure they are!

License.

I'm official now. Here's my new Nebraska driver's license. I don't look like I know what's going on in this picture though, I think I just smiled and nodded. It all happened so quickly.

One Month.

Today Phil and I celebrate one month of marriage. To commemorate the occasion, we'll go to West Point (NE) to get a Nebraska driver's license for me. There's no turning back now.

Sunrise.

Phil is gross and gets up absurdly early. He took this picture of the sunrise this morning. Not too bad I guess. Maybe sometimes it's not so absurd to get up that early.

Sick.

Nebraska will give you the strep. At least I think it's the strep. Dr. Phil and his trusty flashlight don't think it's quite that serious. Perhaps they're right. I just wanted to warn any of you that think life is so wonderful up here. Look what it's done to me and take heed. It's days of blogging from bed for me.

Ok, it's not that bad if you have a loving bundle of love that will make you a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup and let you whine a little...or a lot if you're bundle of love like me.

State.

Friday Phil and I went to Lincoln. For you Texans, this is the capital city of Nebraska and home of the Cornhuskers. The Bancroft-Rosalie high school girls volleyball team was in the State championship playoff games, we went to cheer them on. Before their first match we hopped over to the capitol building for a quick tour. It was interesting and informative for these new Nebraskans. Here's what we saw.



























The girls made it through their first playoff game and to the semi-finals that night. This game sealed the deal, they'd be going to the championship game the following morning and would defeat Humphrey-St. Francis (the school that beat our boys in the football playoffs) to become the 2007 Class D-1 State Champs. Go Panthers!

Phil was beside himself!

The Panther dudes made it out to show their support.

Reception.

The congregation of St. Paul's held a wedding reception for me and Phil this Sunday. We were thankful to receive such a kind and warm welcome. We foiled their attempt to get a kiss out of us by getting up for seconds.

Biscuits.

Saturday I rose at the crack of dawn with my love and made him biscuits from scratch. These are they and they were good!

Settling.

"Mid glad green miles of tillage and fields where cattle graze, a prosy little village, you drowse away the days. And yet-a wakeful glory clings round you as you doze; one living lyric story makes music of your prose." John G. Neihardt

The village is settling into Autumn. Phil took me up to the highest hill in town. From here we could see a fer piece, all the brown and yellow fields freshly harvested. We also went down into Myron Beineke's cave where he's been storing some of his brew.Phil thought this was the stairway to heaven, after two weeks of marriage he's ready to go.