It’s Thanksgiving again. Too many pies have been made. Two chocolate, an apple, a pumpkin, a sweet potato, 2 pecan pies, and 2 zucchini breads. This morning is going to be full of cooking, the mashed potatoes, the stuffing, the mac and cheese… None of it is complicated. We cheated and bought smoked turkey again, so we are just warming it up. The recipes are simple; it’s the logistics of serving everything still warm that are complicated.
It’s only the family this year. Kid 1 picked up a part-time job at a dental practice. They are critically short-staffed, and she is helping them get through the holidays. We are trying to minimize her exposure, so no friends.
It’s traditional to reflect on life during this holiday and count your blessings. These last couple of years really wore me down. I feel like I’ve aged. I feel threadbare sometimes. There were times I wanted to quit writing this year. Not just authoring – I want to quit that all the time – but actual writing. There is no way to sugarcoat it. The last two years pummeled everyone.
I don’t have any wisdom to offer this Thanksgiving. I have a strong suspicion that I become dumber every year. Or maybe the world just gets bigger, and with each year my little corner of it feels smaller. So no profound insights. Instead, from me to you, here is a digital slice of pie.
Sometimes you just need a minute to catch your breath. Sometimes you have to gird your loins and visit people you would rather not see. Sometimes your pies are ugly and your turkey is dry.
I wish you resilience and comfort this holiday. I wish you the feeling of safety, the warmth of friendship and family, the one you were born into or the one you found, and the simple joys that come from the little indulgence like a slice of pie and a cup of your favorite coffee or tea.
We could all use some joy.
And Happy Thanksgiving to House Andrews and the BDH. Your books and blog have helped me a LOT during this rough time. The BDH is like a family. And reading the blog and comments cheers me up. Thank you for being there for us HA.
Thank you for being honest and raw!
I adore your books but you need to do what’s best for you!
Enjoy your Thanksgiving! It sounds delish.
I feel blessed by YOU – to ‘know’ you through your wonderful blog – and to know your heart through your writing! Thank you for sharing so much of yourselves with us.
Sending thoughts and prayers for joy your way! ❤️
And thanks for the pie!????
Thank you for the well wishes – right back at you! May the upcoming year be easier on us all, so we can back on an even keel.
Happy Thanksgiving. As others have said your books and blog are ansource of joy help me get through the tough parts of life. Very thankful for you.
I have to say, even if you guys haven’t felt your best in the past few years, you still manage to make an impact. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had an especially bad day, ready to come home for a good cry, and a wonderful snippet or silly joke awaits. Every time I see a new post, my day brightens a little more. Thank you so much for all you guys have done for us. I sincerely wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope that next year is much better!
Ditto. Perfectly said, Ash – thank you too.
++ ❤️❤️❤️
I couldn’t say it better!
Happy Thanksgiving to HA, Mod R and the BDH!
+1
+1!!!
Well said! Happy thanksgiving to everyone seeing this ♥️
This.
+1
+1
What Ash said!
Ash said it more eloquently than I could have. This year our family is permanently, significantly smaller than last year. What you’ve already written has helped me take little vacations from reality. Even if you never write another word, it is enough. That’s not to say I don’t look forward to more, but never at you or your family’s expense. You only get one life, live it for you and your loved ones because sometimes you only get today with them. I’m thankful for what you’ve already given and wish you peace and hope in the future.
+1 on what Paulette wrote. I love your work and and grateful for what you’ve already gifted us. I can appreciate it when the joys of what you’re doing leave to the point that there may be no other choice then to stop.
Of that ever does happen, just wanted to say that you’ve both made a possitive mental difference to a lot of us over the years, especially over the last two years of lockdowns and other stuff as the pandemic started and took ahold of the world.
Thank you
This is real.
+1
^^^Yes, Ash said it all (Thank you, Ash). Thank you, HA, for everything you do. Wishing you all respite and hope for the future.
+1
Well said! Infinite blessings to House Andrews, Mod R and the BDH!
Happy Thanksgiving. Reading your books and recommendations has made my last two years much happier. Be kind to yourself. I know it may be hard, but take care.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving – Your work brings me joy, as does this blog. I hope you are able to relax and luxuriate in the love of your family. I am looking forward to starting to read ‘One Fell Sweep’ with my oldest kiddo, who has a birthday shortly after Thanksgiving. Innkeeper is the first of your worlds I thought he was old enough for – we read Book one when he turned 11, book 2 when he turned 12 (I am cruel – I made him wait), and now book 3 soon. It is so much fun sharing your work with him – and giggling over vampires drunk on coffee, and Orro’s histrionics, and so much more. Thank You!
Finding your blog & the BDH (as well as several author newsletters) has been a great help these past 2 years. Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family. Stay safe. Hoping next year will be better. The virtual pie is lovely 🙂
Thank you for the pie, the books, and the carefully cultivated slices of life at House Andrews (especially the pets). They bring us joy. I hope the upcoming year gives us all more warmth, connection, and books.
❤️
Happy Thanksgiving! Its been a rough couple years, which I thought I was fine, but truly my world was on fire. I ended up being part of the great resignation, my teenagers were struggling to hold it together as well. But I am starting a new job in December, hubby is retiring soon and I think we as a family are finally breathing a bit easier.
We decided to get a hotel room and visit our oldest near his school. I cooked yesterday, so we travel today, meet up, eat watch movies and enjoy each others company. Friday we will go see a lantern festival, then come home Saturday and decorate the outside of the house.
Our extended family isnt happy we arent driving 12 hours Nj, then have to visit someone new each day. But I dont care. I’m going to see my biggest baby and let his younger siblings and dog enjoy him and be lazy all day.
Wow! Sounds like the best Thanksgiving!! Family, food and relaxing. And the lantern festival! ????????
Safe travels!!
+1
“ These last couple of years really wore me down. I feel like I’ve aged.”
No, you got better, not older.
Now, about KD #11…
Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for all the pleasure your books have given me.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you for your books (that helped me enormously to get through the past taxing weeks), for being patient and kind to us on your blog and for being wonderful human beings in general.
These are difficult times and I wanted to say that it’s completely understandable if you want to take a break from writing and concentrate on yourselves. Your health is more important than feeding our greedy BDH :). Take care!
Happy thanksgiving to you all!
You are not getting dumber; the world is getting crazier, and the older you are, the better you remember the world being less crazy. This makes you feel dumb, but in reality you are smart!
Did that make any sense? 😉
Nevermind, have a relaxing thanksgiving. Your books and posts are keeping us sane!
As you said, it isn’t getting dumb, it is that craziness has exploded and honestly I think it leaves many ppl saying ‘What the **** happened’
Happy Thanksgiving … your stories have helped me get through these last two years, and I am thankful for them!
And they’re going to get me through this one too.
Thank you for your writing, on this blog and your books. You’ve made a positive difference to so many people, not least me.
I think the BDH by nature is demanding … have you ever heard of long service leave? It’s a thing here in Australia. Apparently it originated as a way for people to be able to visit family in England, back in the day when Australians were overwhelmingly from British stock, or British emigrants. We still have it – I do love this country – not every employer, but all government ones, offer long service leave – after 7 or 10 years of employment you get 3 months paid holiday. In addition to the usual one month a year ????????????
I highly recommend it, if you can swing it – close the door on the world, shut everything else out, look after yourself, and take a decent chunk of time off ????❤
That sounds a little bit like the sabbatical that academics and clergy take (though academics get a full academic year, I believe). In any case, a good idea if you can swing it.
My family says I take my sweatshop with me on vacation, but it is so much fun to craft without my home to do list running in my head. May you figure out how to make what you like to do fun. We all find recharging in these crazy, exhausting times (can we be done with this illness soon) hard; and yet there are glimmers of precious memories (the teenager that came to our neighborhood and played Christmas carols as the neighbors all ate dinner on our lawns and driveways to celebrate the season) that just don’t seem to balance out the crazy. As a BDH member, I really enjoy your world building, and your blog can be just as fun – all the Chinese dramas for example, so I hope you can continue,but it is more important that you do what’s right for you. May next year make good memories and be more fun.
Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for your wonderful books and the amazing characters who bring us all joy. Thanks for these beautiful words and the delicious pie picture. Your blog is a delight.
I hope you and your family have a relaxing holiday. Enjoy all the pies!
Happy Thanksgiving, best wishes and happy vibes to all, will throw in Happy Holidays too. I’m thankful for great authors who give me something to look forward to, and an escape from this reality, I guess am also thankful for family and friends and wish everyone good health and happiness, be known or unknown. Sorry really early morning and haven’t slept so know I mean this in a good way even if confusing
I often questionned my professionnal life those last two years too… I’m 44, so maybe it’s the mid-life crisis, maybe it is the pandemy that wear me down….
I understand you, writing seems very demanding .
But you give us so much, you have no idea.
I know some readers are jerks, some are disrespectful, a lot are too needy, and harass you for nothing. I can’t imagine the burden it carries…
I am among the thousands incredibly grateful of what Gordon and you create. Life is difficult. Sometimes, to just being able to escape reality, laugh, feel joy, fear, anticipation, every émotion, it means so much.
Thank you.
+1!
+3 thousand!!
The world hast been spinning a lot more differently these past years. Thank you so much for brightening my days through your books and blog posts. Through all this many people I know have taken a step down, cut hours, took a leave of absence or went on vacation. You are always there for the BDH and I am immensely grateful for it. The only thing making it better for me would be knowing you were happy and taking good care of yourselves. So, with all my heart I am sending a big dose of joy, laughter and lots of content moments over the ocean to America to you and all the people who make the world a much nicer, happier and better place like you.
Please enjoy the holiday and take care.
Jazzy said it all so beautifully that I can only add Very Happy Thanksgiving! May you and yours be healthy and your house – full of light and laughter!
Wishing you and yours a happy thanksgiving, needed rest and respite, and joy.
You give so much to others, I wish there were a way to echo your generosity so that you could share in the delight, amusement, excitement, and downright glee your writing (books, posts, etc.) that I (and I suspect the BDH as well) feel.
????
Your food sounds so AMAZING ????
I’m living vicariously as me and baby are too poor for Thanksgiving dinner this year(it’s okay, he’s too little to eat anything besides milkey and a bit of baby food). But it gives me something to look forward to in the years ahead.
I’m spending the day re-reading the Kinsmen novels in preparation for when I can purchases Fated Blades❤️
I hope y’all and all the rest of the BDH have an AMAZING Thanksgiving????!
Hey Kimberly,
Please check your email! Happy Thanksgiving <3
❤️
Bless you Mod R…I’m guessing what Kimberly will find in her email. ????
Happy Thanksgiving!
????
Best wishes to you and your baby. Hope every year gets better for you. Meanwhile, enjoy a day of peace and quiet.
Peace and well-being to you and yours.
+1! May you have joy in your lives!
I hope you know that your books have been a source of light and laughter during dark times, precisely one of the simple joys that you had described. Of being able to sink into a good read by trusted authors and knowing that I could have a breather and take a break from everything, even for just the amount of time it takes to finish reading or rereading your books. I hope you have a restful holiday because you deserve that and so much more. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Many blessings to House Andrews, the ever-patient Moderator and the BDH. You are all part of the things I am thankful for. I hope you find joy in simple things, like finding the last carton of whipping cream and good parking spaces. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you so much for books, snippets, blog, jokes, etc. it has been an island of calm in the crazy of the last 2 years.
I hope as you finish up your obligations with your contract for Ruby Fever, you give yourselves time to just be together and relax and recharge.
The BDH will be fine, and we will be here when you are ready!
Have a joyful holiday season!
Happy Thanks-giving! I’ve been doing the yearly holiday baking. I have made fruitcake for the past 40 years or so. I don’t like it but the husband’s family grew up on it and do. I also do cookies for friends and my family. Lace cookies, almond shortbread, almond jam thumbprints, chocolate drop, sugar, gingerbread, and oatmeal raisin using brandy soaked raisins left over from when I made the fruitcakes! Heifer International also had a honey spiced pecan recipe that tastes like Christmas which I will make sometime soon for just my household. Live long enough and you get a lot of recipes. And remember, the horrible times will eventually pass and it will get better. Someday we will look back on these years and be able to remember at least a few bright moments. Happy Thanks-giving and keep safe.
Happy Thanksgiving! ???????????? Wishing for better times for you and your family, and for us all. Take care of yourself. You are amazing and we appreciate all that you do!
Happy Thanksgiving to You
You and your hard work bring us joy and lighten the life of the Horde.
Thank You!
Thank you for the pie.
Thank you for making our lives a little easier and happier with the joy that you have brought us, despite having a hard time yourself.
Wish I can help make your life a little easier and happier too. Hope this thanksgiving brings you much warmth and laughter.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you at Casa Andrews! Thank you for thinking of us your fans. Enjoy your pies and turkey and really take some time for you. I also want to send my heartfelt thanks to you for keeping me entertained during this cruddy two years, couldn’t have made it through without your literary contribution. 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving to House Andrews and the BDH.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. My wish for you for the coming year is peace and that you find your joy again as you have given all of us so much of both.
Thank you for pushing through. You give joy to many. And you are definitely not getting dumber. Maybe more critical which is a good thing. I am dreaming of your sweet potato and chocolate pies.
I think we are all burned out, it has been nearly 2 years of hell in so many ways. I find myself in a position where I feel weary and old,where at the end of the day I want to just sit on the couch and moult. I finally have the resources to build a train layout, so many decades in coming, but I just don’t have the energy to do much.
But there is a lot to be grateful for, our peripatic son,the violinist, is going to be home for Thanksgiving, the first time since 2012 ( only a day or so,but I’ll take it). Team Andrews had also been a blessing, not just your books, but sharing your sometimes crazy,always interesting lives, reading your posts always is a highlight.
And if you find yourself needing a touch of snark, Mystery Science 3000 on their you tube channel has an all day Turkey day marathon of bad movies and great,snarky commentary:)
Happy Thanksgiving to all celebrating! May by next Thanksgiving we can look back and say ‘what an amazing year it has been’
Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for not giving up writing-you bring so much joy to us, your faithful BDH.
Awkwardly curtsies, nudges a small offering, could be a slice of pie, scuttles away.
Happy Thanksgiving
Thank you for your warm messages.
I’m grateful for you and your family, the way you share things on the blog, the wonderful books you write that have provided us many hours of relaxation and relief from the world. Mod R, I’m grateful to you for your guardianship of this blog and the time you put into making sure this stays a good place. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas in advance!
Happy Thanksgiving ????
You are so strong. I hope you can enjoy your family time, and focus on what gives you joy. The pies sound fabulous. I think you will have a great feast.
I buy a smoked turkey as well. It saves a ton of work. It’s a great idea.
Hugs to all of you.
Thanks are given to House Andrews, their critters, and the BDH. You’ve all made me giggle, snicker, and belly laugh, much needed.
Does the pie count include what Charlie managed to acquire?
Firstly: a happy and hopefully restful Thanksgiving to you and yours. And to Mod-R and family, even though you don’t celebrate it, have some pie anyway! Because pie.
Secondly: there is no such thing as too many pies.
I was hoping for chocolate pie, but I’ll take pumpkin. Thanks, and have a wonderful day.
Having finished Fated Blades last night, just please know today that many of us are thankful for you & your writing.
Here’s to resilience and comfort and simple joys for all. *raises glass*
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! Don’t be so hard on yourself, life is though, but don’t give up writing if you enjoy it! We the BDH support you and are here for you always!! Take some time off during the Holidays to enjoy life, as it is too short. Then make decisions in the new year. I love your writing, but you must take care of you first. I do hope you continue writing because I would so miss your books!!
Happy thanksgiving to house Andrews.
Not being able to go out or gather with our group is really bad on the psyche. I’m thankful some restrictions are getting lifted. And definitely thankful still got a job
Take care and stay safe
Happy thanksgiving day to you and your family!! We are all thankful for your talents, imaginations, and the sharing of them with us.
And you said you didn’t have any wisdom to give… I am grateful for your kindness and creativity on every blog. I am grateful for your snippets of life that you share, it lets me know that life in general during this horrible time is not just isolated to me and my folks.
But most of all, I’m grateful for that you and Gordon give us (BDH) a space to share with like minded people. Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to you, to family, and to the BDH. Ours will be just the two of us, as usual; what family we have are widely scattered across the country. We usually have duck, but duck has been hard to find this year.
The world does get bigger each year, or at least we become aware of more. My indulgence these holidays will be to learn a little more of one part of that world. All of my piano training has been classical, but I’m developing an interest in jazz, particularly solo piano jazz. I want to learn to improvise, to sit at a piano with no music in front of me and no music in my head, and just create music in real time. It’s hard; there’s a mental block there, a big one. I want to give that block a good shove, but that requires a time of peace.
May each of you find a place of peace that gives you space to grow.
Happy thanksgiving! I hope y’all eat everything at the perfect temperature and it’s a relaxing day!
Thank you for the comforting words and the slice of pie! And sending resilience and comfort back to you and your family as well.
And happy Thanksgiving to mod R as well.
🙂
It’s been a rough 2 years. I never had to seek mental health until last October. I am now on meds and feel better but still not “normal” for me. I don’t think things will ever be normal again as I knew it. But I fight on and today cooking traditional Turkey dinner for the 2 of us. I do this to honor our families who are gone.Fight on! The one thing that helped tremendously was quiet and reading your books and others ,and a great husband who continues to support me. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Go you! May you have a wonderful day.
Thank you and same to you.❤️
All I did during the pandemic was read. Okay, that’s not true, I did countless loads of laundry, home schooled my kid, helped my other kid get through school with a mask on every day and fear he would infect us all. I made much EVERY SINGLE DAY. Why does lunch exist!?! We just had breakfast. Anyway, I digress. What I meant to say was the only thing I did for myself was read. You have no idea how much I enjoy your books. I reread entire series of yours. Thank you for keeping the rest of us going when you really didn’t want to. We all appreciate it. Happy Thanksgiving from Hawaii.
Sending thanks to you for illuminating or small corners and helping us feel connected in this crazy moment in time. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family, breathe, and enjoy all that pie!
The pie looks yummy! I hope you enjoy the day with your family and thank you so much for your well wishes; I wish the same for you and your loved ones.
We have made it this far so many thanks-feeling grateful. Bless your household.
Happy Thanksgiving to all Americans out there and happy Thursday to everyone else ????
The very best to all of you this Thanksgiving. As usual, your words are meaningful.
Happy Thanksgiving. Your books have helped me cope with the past two years. And save what’s left of my sanity. This has been trying on everyone.
Wishing you and yours all the happiness. Much love your way.
I think we can all sometimes feel as if we are filling everyone’s cup but our own. I hope you and your family find comfort and joy this holiday season and that your writing fills up your cup as much as it does your readers.
Going to the movies – “Encanto” – love the previews, and music by Lin-Manuel Miranda! ????????
Sweet potato pie for later!!
Happy Thanksgiving to House Andrews, Mod R and the BDH!! ????????
Happy Thanksgiving may it be the respite you need
I’ve had an “easy” pandemic. I’m truly lucky, and I’ve got a lot to be thankful for.
Still. Anxiety, fear. While we “sheltered” we watched violence against marginalized people, massive fires, conspiracies.
I haven’t been able to read ANYTHING new over the last (checks calendar) 615 days. Nothing new. So much anxiety. So much fear. Fiction hasn’t been a source of comfort, just more fear.
I re-read your books. Over and over and over. Okay. Yes. I also read the new stuff you released. Somehow that was “safe” enough.
Thank you for building worlds where I could go and feel safe and at home.
Logistics of the Thanksgiving meal get more complicated every year in my family. List of things that at least 1 person in the party can not consume safely: eggs, dairy, wheat, onion, garlic, high fat or high acid foods, FODMAP foods, and strawberries. And it is not the same person. Person A can’t have eggs, Person B can’t have wheat, Person C can’t have strawberries, Person D has declared food the enemy after it’s long history of cruelly attacking their digestive system.
We came up with a menu with enough on it for everyone to eat that is safe and not cross-contaminated. Everything is labeled. I need a year long nap.
Enjoy your pie and your holiday with family and thank you for persevering with writing through the suck-fest that has been the last 2 years. It’s appreciated.
Thank you House Andrews for bringing me enjoyable escapes over the last couple of years. Enjoy your day with family.
Happy Thanksgiving all. Last night did the stuffing. Today I roast the chicken and make gravy. Tomorrow I make frittatas for brunch with family. Planning on spinach, mushroom and mozzarella for one and mushroom, bacon and cheddar for the other.
Thank you. Much love and Thanksgiving to you and your family. You all have made the last couple of years bearable. ????????????
Happy a Thanksgiving to all. May you find joy and happiness in friends and family.
I hope you have a happy day.
I’m going to be with my firstborn and her kids – across the parking lot is such a huge trip. The only baking I’m doing this year is the Trader Joe’s mini croissants, though I’ve bought an apple pie and doughnut holes for dessert, and a bottle of bubbly.
My grandson asked for a sweet potato pie, but I wasn’t going to the store that had those, and he likes apple pie just as much as his sister does, so he’s fine with it. We had sweet potato pie the day I fed him lunch last week anyway.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all, and thank you for offering wisdom by putting thoughts and feelings into words. I think many of us have similar feelings but most of us cannot express them so eloquently.
And sometimes a piece of pie is all you need (and yours looks delicious).
Happy Thanksgiving y’all.
May your burdens be light,
your crises easy to solve, and you always have time enough to read.
Happy Thanksgiving to you. From a completely selfish note, please don’t quit authoring. Your books, especially the original Hidden Legacy novels, are among my absolute favourites. I gorged myself on Fated Blades yesterday and as usually found myself hungry for me. Hence, I’ve dived back into White Hot (I don’t always start with Burn for Me when I’m impatient to have Rogan and Nevada more aligned). 😉
Passing along my best wishes for a wonderful weekend, an enjoyable and safe holiday season and bright hope for the year ahead.
Happy Thanks giving to your house. Sending blessings and warmest wishes. Thank you for sharing your feast. Yum!
I agree the last couple of years have chewed me out and spit me out again. This too will pass.
Sending wishes to all that are celebrating this occasion.
In London I am cold. Count down to Christmas is on. I’m going out to buy more mince pies . (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mince_pie)
Thank you for not giving up. These past few months have been especially difficult around here, and your books are some of the staples that help me get through. Wishing you and yours the happiest of Thanksgivings!
Happy Thanksgivings to everyone, find the joy in the smallest moment that makes it all worthwhile, or as the great Ronnie Barker put it “Don’t let the b******s bring you down”
Happy Thanksgiving!????
Try to rest, these last 2 years have been mentally and sentimentally exhausting for everyone. All I can say is that reading your books and following your posts has helped me a lot through this, thank you very much.
Enjoy your day with your family. That’s the most important thing.
You don’t have to make any big decisions today. Hold on to hope and your sense of humor. You’ll figure out what works best for you and yours. Sending hugs your way.
Hope you have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving. The past few years have been hard on everyone. I just keep thinking that this to shall pass probably like a kidney stone but it will pass
Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for the words of wisdom. I have found much comfort in re-reading my favorite authors and HA is at the top of my list. During the holiday season, I hope that you are able to step back, relax and rejuvenate and that in 2022 we will all find our missing brain cells.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Just as you give to us, Ilona, let the Horde give back to you. We are here for you & Gordon. If you need rest, take it. If you need to vent, do it. If you need to feel the love, then take it from us. If you need inspiration, you know we’ll give it to you. ????
Enjoy today with your family. Watch movies or take a nap. Whatever you do, know that we are here for you. ????
Happy Thanksgiving HA! With gratitude for your work that has truly helped me make my own way these past couple of years, may you be refreshed with the kindness, joy & love of others in your lives this holiday season as you have encouraged us, the BDH.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Enjoy your pies (any chance we could get some pictures?) und family time.
Sounds like you guys really need more down time. Any chance you could take a short holiday, maybe?
I hope you discover more joy in your lives going forward….
From my family of dedicated Horde membership to yours, a photo of a Thanksgiving favorite, just like my own mother used to open!
What is this thing ????
This is canned cranberry sauce.
It’s best described as a thick cranberry jam.
In some families, it’s a point of honor to shake the contents out of the can perfectly intact to serve as a side dish during the Thanksgiving meal.
Thank you Regina !!! ????
It doesn’t look very appetizing, it’s like a bit blob of frozen blood… but bon appétit ????
OK, I count 7—I repeat 7 pies! I’m getting in my car and driving south for leftovers since there is NO WAY the four of you plus boyfriends could possibly eat that much PIE. That means LEFTOVER PIE….ahhh, the gloriousness of it.
Many blessings and good wishes to House Andrews, the BDH and everyone who needs a hug and a slice of pie. I can remember many years when I thought the world was going mad (I turn sixty in 11 days) but the past two years have been truly horrendous. I do thank the pandemic for bringing my family closer through weekly Zoom meetings, we actually spent more “together” time in 2020 than we have in the past twenty years!
I am so thankful that I made the difficult choice to leave a secure job in order to be back with my family, and this Thanksgiving we have a big family feast planned. All I had to make was the broccoli slaw (it’s much enhanced!) and we’re going to have a wonderful meal. My heartfelt wishes that everyone have a good day, whether they celebrate this holiday or not.
I am incredibly thankful that our family has gotten through the pandemic with no COVID, but we did lose my mom’s older sister to cancer on September 11 this year and my mom had a fall that broke her jaw in three places last December, so again it’s been tough. I know everyone has felt stressed and worn thin, but I am grateful for all the good fortune rather than dwelling upon the bad today.
My friends and family are a constant source of support and joy, as is this blog and all the great books from House Andrews, Honor Raconteur, Melissa McShane, T. Kingfisher and many others. I am grateful for the escape from our many troubles and hope that the coming year finds our world growing less fraught with woe. Best wishes to all and take care!
T. Kingfisher is awesome! Not as awesome as Ilona Andrews, though 😉
I like to think we have room for totally different kinds of awesome, too 🙂 (Ursula – T Kingfisher’s other name – is a neighbor and friend and I knew her as a gardener and friend of friends before I started reading her books.) I mean, such a different tone – one of the things I love most is how well she writes about such profound awkwardness 🙂 With some of her more recent ones the very lesbian woman I’ve been flirting with kept dropping me notes part way through about how even she wanted to scream at the straight main characters to just bloody sleep together already.
Love, love, love her work
SO MUCH.
Wishing you and your family all the best! Thank you for your profound insights – wishing you happiness and resilience.
Thank you so much. I feel like last two years had chewed me into a mush and I’ve been trying put pieces together. Yours and other writers had kept me sane and I want to thank you for it. I wish you happiness and piece of mind.
Today at House Andrews…
Everybody, go get stuffed. ????
Happy Thanksgiving to you and those you love. If it means anything, your books have brought pleasure to my life, especially this year. They are my go to, to reread when I need escape. Take care of yourself. You are valued!
OK, so I just got a better understanding of the poll about when to prepare the Christmas Tree.
Even though I didn’t want to say anything I thought Thanksgiving was completely out there. Now I find out that you guys celebrate Thanksgiving at the end of November, while we have our “Erntedankfest” on the first Sunday of October (and mostly ignore it but never mind that).
Yeah, a nearly-2-month discrepancy explains a lot about the poll.
Happy Thanksgiving to all you North Americans!
All the joy to you and yours, this day and every day.
Thank you for what you give us.
Best wishes always…
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Thank you for finding the energy, fortitude, or the grit to make the magic you create. We reader’s are a horrible, demanding bunch and we smother, this is a fact. I just wanted to say thanks and that I appreciate everything your family does to give me the joy and fun from reading your books.
Happy Thanksgiving! That’s some lovely looking pie. The last two years have been a drag but having books to escape into makes it just bearable. Things to be thankful for.
Have a fantastic, peaceful holiday.
Thank you, and a Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Blessed be.
Thank you for your warm wishes! Sometimes simple and kind words are all that is needed.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family as well!
Amen Ilona. I wish you and your family the same. May all the BDH have wonderful holidays and remember to love thy neighbor.
Happy Thanksgiving! That…. is a lot of pie LOL.
We’re doing very small\non-traditional again this year as well.
As hard as the last 2 years have been – I have quite a bit to be Thankful for, some of which absolutely is Ilona, Gordan and House Andrews for the wonderful stories and tidbits that helped me get through.
Take some time, enjoy family and get some rest!
I had to stop writing for a year due to family circumstances. It’s not the end of the world. It’s okay to stop and let the pressure off. You won’t forget how. Keep that inner flame of you burning; that’s all that matters.
I asked for top five reads this year from blog readers. One such reader (April the Dragon) sent in her top five and also sent in her top five authors EVER in each genre. Your name is in her top five EVER for urban fantasy. Your name is in my top five for urban fantasy too although she picked Kate Daniels and I picked On The Edge. For this year, I happened to read Emerald Blaze (Spoiler: My top 5 list isn’t up yet so don’t tell anyone! For that matter, neither is April’s list. Both will be published over the next couple of weeks.) So while the last two years may have battered you about like a fly being sucked into a hand-vac, know that you brought many people joy.
Have a happy and filling day. We smoked turkey and brisket. There is pie. There is tea and coffee. And each other!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Timing is everything around here… And I just lost an hour watching the dog show on the tv. Oh well… Everyone who’ll be here is family in one way or another and no one cares if things are off. As long as it’s all delicious.
Your books have brought me so much joy and cathartic comfort during the pandemic.
Thankful to have found you, and I’m thankful that you haven’t given up yet!
Thank you so much for your Thanksgiving blessings. So sorry you haven’t been feeling like writing. I appreciate y’all’s writing. I wouldn’t want y’all to continue at the expense of your mental health. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Happy Thanksgiving House Andrews and family and also the BDH. You give so much to your readers, House Andrews. Your books and your blog are a blessing to us all, and so appreciated, especially during these trying times. Mod R you are much appreciated also, happy day to you!
Thank you. You have no idea how much I needed to read this.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and even if the pies look ugly, I bet they are delicious.
Thank you from my little corner of the world. Your writing may not seem like a huge thing, but it has brought me light and laughter to get thourh some really hard days. Here’s hoping that your day with your family is warm and wonderful.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Got the first add from Amazon for Fated Blades today,
on Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for all the smiles your blog has given me this year. It has been a rough year for everyone so I am grateful for every smile And laugh I can get
You might be tired but you are always humorous. You remain endlessly funny, “just ask Peaches.” No matter how many times I listen to Burn for Me, I cannot hear that comment by Rogan and not chuckle.
Through good times and bad you shine like a bright star on the darkest night. Happy Thanksgiving.
My husband read Fated Blades on Kindle while I listened to the audio version as I hand quilted. He finished 2 hours before me then taunted me with his glee at knowing the ending first. The line “I will break you” is powerful. Thanks! ❤️❤️
An eagle flew directly over my house, right in front of us, when my dog and I were on the way back up from morning barn chores. It was heading south to north, for what it’s worth. So I started the day grateful, and I’m hanging on to gratitude with everything I’ve got. Thank you for helping out with that.
I’m a Brit, so no holiday weekend for me. But I feel you. So much. I’ve had a lousy couple months with having one rabbit put down, a big fall off one of my work horses I’m still fighting to get fit from, and now another very poorly bunny. And no money cause covid and health and jobs and rising prices. Seeing my Facebook feed full of my American friends Thanksgiving posts, I’m trying really hard to focus on the fact that I am very, very lucky in so many ways, and do have so much more than many others. I’m holding on to having a 6 month old baby bunny who is the brightest spark, and that while I may not be fit, my horse is now sound again and happily back in work.
Here’s to everyone holding on and finding the brightsides in what has been a very trying couple years.
I know that I’m only echoing others here when I speak of our gratitude not just for your writing but for the gift of you, funky, delightful, and reassuringly imperfect. Remember on those worn thin days that friends are there to fill in the spaces in the weave and are grateful to return the favor for all of the times that you have done so for them. Thank you.
Take care of yourself. We just got a book, ignore us until 2022. Or only post on Mondays and Thursdays.
Happy Holidays!!!
Thanks for your warm wishes, hanging in there to keep writing and the best kind of pie… not fattening. ;-} Appreciate you a lot. Not just the books, but the posts, as well. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Happy Thanksgiving. May your day be blessed and you get a nice nap.
I am thankful for your wonderfully entertaining stories!
Be safe and be well!
I am not a normal commenter on your site. I merely would like to thank you and your husband for the beautiful writing you do. It’s not always the grand story that brings the joy in your books. Sometimes it is the clarity of the world you describe, or the tenderness of feeling in a quiet moment between characters. I have been inspired to save descriptive passages to sketch for the sheer joy of burying myself in the rich world you created. So on this lovely day of thanks, thank you for your creativity, wordsmithing, and sharing of your fabulous stories.
Karen
Happy Thanksgiving g to you and yours!
This member of the BDH is so thankful for you and your books!
Take care and have a wonderful holiday!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful words with us all. Wishing everyone a more comforting and handle-able year.
Hope you and yours find your way back to happy. Those of us who were already running on empty in 2019 BC (Before Covid) have had little opportunity to recharge as we go from crisis to crisis surviving in our own little personal dystopias. Strangely enough, I went back to writing in 2020 and that has been my saving grace, but then my hubby is not in the biz, so he keeps me somewhat balanced. Just to say, much as I love your work and look forward to new releases, I had my time of “can’t stand this pressure. This is no longer a labor of love- just labor.” It was a short break that lasted nearly twenty years and I can’t say I regret it. My personal juggling act had too many fragile pieces that I couldn’t afford to drop. Thankfully, none of them broke and neither did I. Your past books have and will continue to give readers joy even if you ultimately find you need to close up shop. Thanks for the virtual pie, enjoy the real ones and the blessings that you share. Be well and be blessed.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and the BDH. I am home with my Husband’s sister and her husband and we are taking a break from marathon cooking. We just made my husband’s family’s Greek stuffing (also called the “stuffing of death” due to the amount of meat, cream and nuts involved) and we are remembering the family matriarch calling out directions on how to make it correctly. My husband’s Mom would be standing behind her making signs to correct amounts. There was apparently great disagreement as to the amount of sage needed…. It is a lovely day of cooking together, laughing and remembering family and being just a bit catty about those who didn’t come this year. If you are not here to protect yourself…oh well. We are moving into our 70’s so we cherish these holidays even more. Thank you, House Andrews for your marvelous addition to our Thanksgiving.
Thank you for your wonderful books, and your generosity in sharing your life with us. I’m sorry that the last couple of years have worn you down. I hope that life gives you a chance to recharge. You certainly have brought your readers much joy – you deserve joy in return.
In the years to come, no one will remember if the pies were ugly, or the turkey was dry. Instead, people will remember the joy they felt at gathering with the people they love.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Who needs all that food with all those pies? All you really need extra is a roasting pan of dressing. Dressing and pies. That’s plenty. ????
Thank you for writing amazing stories and blogs. Burnout is real and in pandemic harder. Hugs to all who are struggling right now.
IMHO: There is no such thing as too much pie!!! ????
Very berry happy thanksgiving to your whole family, here and wherever!
Finally read Fated Blades, made myself wait until I could savor and enjoy the whole thing! Very nicely done.
You should take 5 (min, hrs, days, wks, months) whatever you need. Relax and recover.
I don’t see you quitting tho’, you seem to enjoy it too much.
To you also. The last few years have been difficult, even for those who lives weren’t affected as directly as some others were. Have a lovely Thanksgiving feast and family visit.
I didn’t expect to cry reading this but life is full of surprises. Happy Thanksgiving, I am thankful for you being in the world.
I’m sorry that the last few years has really taken it out of you. I’m sorry that your fans demand so much of you. You have many fans, like myself, that don’t demand. We wait with bated breath for you to release something, anything. We appreciate you and all that you give us. You make our lives so much better by what you put out into the world. I just want to thank you for making my life better. My life is particularly difficult and you offer me away to escape from it even if it’s just for a little while. You make living on this Earth a little bit more bearable. Thank you for that. I hope that in the spirit of this day you accept my thanks and know that it is sincerely and wholeheartedly given.
That’s a lot of pies!!
(I love pie for breakfast.)
I wish you and your family a joyous Thanksgiving. May you all sit a little closer and soak in the warm glow of good food eaten with good people. Hugs
PS Thank you for the warm, all’s well feeling of a new book well ended. 🙂
Blessings
Happy Thanksgiving!
Getting through this, you can just about get through anything. Everything moves eventually and I wish it moves in a positive direction for you.
Finished Fated Blades – it was fun and I understand now why you had so much fun writing it. The Davenports could have their own book. Just saying… Loved them and of course Ramona and Matias.
Happy Thanksgiving fellow fans!
What a beautiful holiday sentiment (which I will embrace despite being in another country!)
All very best wishes to the Andrews family and global BDH.
I hope the next couple years bring you all rest and renewal, writing or no writing. Best wishes for good pie as well. I think it’s safe to say that HA has brought all of us a ton of joy during tough times, and I hope it is returned to you tenfold.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Hang in there please and thank you for the pie. I make sure to buy pie, since I can kill one in seconds!
Our feast will be smaller, only 2 here, but that means we get all the leftovers, hooray!
Not only do I appreciate the writing, I love your blogs. They make me laugh, cry and share with my hubby. And also the tea recommendations, yum!
Please enjoy the holidays and take time for YOU! We’ll be here waiting.
Now… back to Fated Blades!
Since this is Thanksgiving, I give thanks for your blog. Your books are great too… hours of well-written rides to different (fictional) realities (they feel real!). Obviously you work very, very hard on on them, so thanks for them too.
But your blog, the little mundane things about your life: yarn, tea, the lawn orphans, the teleporting cat, Artha the Viking, and your life’s trials (not so mundane) written with wry wit and wisdom, is what I really love.
So thank you for sharing the good and the bad and making a lot of it funny, even when it’s also sad. It has made the last two years of pummeling less lonely. And thanks for the pie. Happy Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving. Just wanted to say you’ve been my favourite authors for many years now and have brought me joy, laughs and tears with your wonderful storytelling. If your bodies are telling you to slow down or stop writing then maybe you should do just that. You both write at an amazing pace and the BDH is very lucky to have so many wonderful stories to read and re-read. I wish you well and hope that you can re-energise and feel fulfilled but do so at your pace not ours. Lots of love and hugs from the U.K.
Try a tablespoon of makers mark in pecan pie p s not dumber smarter knowledge is limited we learn more and more about less and less soon we know everything about nothing left keep writing
Dear House Andrews ,(and you are dear to us)
Thankyou from the bottom of my heart for sharing your wisdom, humour and the fruits of your writing talent with us.
Thankyou also for setting smart blog rules so that we members of the BDH can forget temporarily health, economic and political pressures in our everyday lives and come here and enjoy ourselves speculating on future plot developments and discussing characters and story. (On that note, should we start shipping Alvina (Karat) and Klaus ? Plus, who would Dina and Sean invite for Thanksgiving and, more importantly, what will Orro cook?)
Thankyou to Mod R for the knowledge and generosity you bring to your role.
I’m an Australian and we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but I can see the value in taking time to say Thankyou to those who positively impact our lives as House Andrews does.
Happy Thanksgiving and best wishes from Australia.
Happy thanksgiving House Andrews. I’m grateful for your writing, which has inspired my own (not to mention your many amazing advice blogs). I am sure many have said it before but I just wanted to add that if you guys can take a year (or some time) off, we’ll be waiting for you when you come back. Don’t burn out on our account <3
PS Mod R we love you too! Happy Thursday (since you’re in the UK)
I wish you nice holiday – no such luck here 🙂 Well next week there is St. Nicolas. So the Nicolas, Angel and Devil will be walking around. Or not due to that damn pandemic situation.
But anyway, take your time to relax and do whatever you like, don’t let the world take away your joy of life.
Also a little tip for enjoyment – Pathfinder: Wrath of Righteous. Damned good RPG.
Happy Thanksgiving. Your books have been safe, happy, reheartening places during the past few years of turmoil, difficulty, and loss. Thank you. May this year bless you with peace and joy.
Your words were beautiful today, they deeply moved me. I wish you and your family comfort and joy also.
We don’t have Thanksgiving in Australia, but your sentiments ring true for everyone I know. Thank you for bringing joy into my World, escaping into World Andrews has sustained me for a long time. You have a wonderful family and the times together are the moments of joy to hang on to. Take care, enjoy the Season(s), and may the year ahead be a little less pressured.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Never doubt your impact on this world. I’ve had a rough time for the last four years; your writing gave me a place to which I could escape – and breath.
Today I am thankful for being settled, safe, and having a community. And always a welcome into your worlds, of course.
Here’s wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving too! As an added special bonus in appreciation for all of the joy and happiness you bring to others, here are some eternally renewable virtual hugs. ????????♀️????????♀️????????♀️(sorry, could not find a hug emoticon…this is the one my daughter and I agreed to use for virtual hugs!) When you most need it, you can use these hugs to help chase away any bad, sad, and generally no good feelings, and then these hugs renew to full strength, just waiting until you need them again!
???? 🙂
Thank you. You put into words feeling I had no words for. Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy family and PIES.
Happy Thanksgiving to House Andrews.
Thank you for the great reflection ????
These have been a rough couple of years for all of us. Take a well deserved break or two ????. Breath for a while, knit, game, hit the beach. Cooking just for the two of us is always an adventure. My husband was getting dressed when I called for him to come into the kitchen for a minute. Asked him how he felt about me trying shallots in a recipe. “Sounds good. Can I put pants on now?” Yup there he stood in a shirt, boxers & slippers.
If this helps: you and Gordon gave me joy this Thanksgiving in Fated Blades. I appreciate your delightful writing. It was as always fun. The romance and characters was such fun. You made me laugh, the adventure was exciting.
So hugs to you, and to your kids, and to your Mod. Have a happy Thanksgiving!
May your pie be delicious and your turkey a delight. I hope you can get some of the rest and recuperation you need. <3 You are more than an author, you're a person, and a lovely one at that; please please please if you need to step away from anything, do so. You are loved no matter what. Peace and love to you and yours.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Wishing you a wonderful time with your family and enjoy your delicious sounding pies.
Thank you for the good wishes, the virtual pie, and the wonderful books and the blog covering the whole spectrum from hilarious to practical to insights and snippets.
I hope that you’ll feel the good vibes from the BDH returning your way (if we’re not nagging for books that is) since you so generously give to us.
Best wishes to the BDH on this day as well and to our resident fairy godmother Mod R.
Fated Blades turned up in my inbox a few mornings ago. I really enjoyed it!! (if that’s any help) And ordered a paper version for a friend!
Thanks to you both for what you give of yourselves. It helps many of us enjoy and persevere.
Have a safe & happy Thanksgiving everyone.
????
On my list of what I give thanks for:
Books by authors who are so good at worldbuilding, plot lines, character development and suprise, yet accurate, integration into our ‘real’ world. I only know of 4 whose books I can, and do, reread over and over, and never tire of.
You are of the 4 who give my life, no matter what else is going on or wrong, a space to decompress and live somewhere else.
Thank you.
Ok Barbara give! Who are the other 3 authors?
Boy, you took the words right outta my mouth. I’m right there with you, and sadly, I hv no excuse, no justifications on which to hang my hat. I think there are a lot of discombobulated people out there, wanting to turn the page in their Book of Life and do something different. I think the World’s psyche is undergoing some radical changes. Take a year or two off. The BDH will mourn, but that’s our problem, take care of urself!
Thank you for the “pie.”
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. You have brought me more joy over the years than I can adequately express. I would like you to know that I am grateful for your books but also your wonderful selves!
Maybe this will help… I was lurking on a Reddit forum (AITA) and someone used the phrase “Ripper Cushions” instead of repercussions. Another person explained in detail what ripper cushions meant, and so 2 of the BDH have successfully assimilated some new people. We are everywhere, spreading the joy!
resistance is futile
Happy Thanksgiving to all! I hope you have a great day. I appreciate all of you as well. It is a fun community we have going here. And special shout out to Mod R who helps keep us in line but clearly is one of us as well! 🙂
Does anyone leave their turkey in overnight on a low temperature? My mom taught me to do that with roasts. It makes for incredibly tender and juicy meats that don’t need basting.
My hunting mentor, who is a foodie, has been trying to convince me to put together a sous vide set up, which is a similar concept, but not yet? …and for the moment I’m more likely to play around with long slow smokey cooks in the kamado. Ahaha, okay, I really need to grab a leg of lamb, and put it in a wine brine before giving it that kind of treatment. (This was one of my T-day standards, when I had the wood burning brick oven.)
Wishing you and for family a great day together.
I’m coming out of a good, if busy semester – teaching in person has gone really well, and I realized how much the human interaction helped my work. I may love my cottage in the woods, but I do better not being a hermit! (And thank you, UNC-CH students, for having such a high vaccination rate… especially my bio students. Well, and just generally. My students are *so great*, and I’m having to actively restrain myself not to burble about some of the things they’ve been doing.)
It’s a quiet T-day, though – my sister was out here just over a week ago (and continue our BBQ and venison tradition) but today it’s just me and the cats. I’ve been catching up on seasonal house stuff – cleaning all the cheyenne lamps in the windows that I burn beeswax candles in during the colder months, and the oil lamps that I use a lot less but which provide a lot more light during power outages… and making a giant pot of shredded chicken, which I’ve been craving. And squash, and maybe gingerbread. Meanwhile, I’ve been sending recipes to and answering questions from both my nephew and sister for their T-day, which is pretty perfect. I really hope T makes the pumpkin chiffon pies – my sister will faint. Possibly into them with her mouth open.
I’m thinking a lot about family, this being the holiday for it. In a very short period of time my father, mother and one of my uncles (who had played a big role in my childhood) all died. While I’ve gone on and done my own thing, there were a lot of family politics that had pretty big effects on my life and that of my siblings and cousins… and then, all of the sudden, poof, we’re the older generation, at least in our corner of things. (These were all people I had strained relationships with at best.) It has some pretty big upsides – like having my cousins who I grew up with but who were strongly encouraged not to have anything to do with me back in my life in a public sort of way. But it’s also profoundly weird. I wonder if the Alaska cousins have grampa M’s recipes? (This doesn’t mean that I don’t still have a ton of aunts and uncles with complicated familial politics. But nothing I have any real stake in. If Uncle A wants me to stop by and talk research, I’m there. I’ll continue to chat and visit with Aunt G. H and I will go out for coffee next time I’m in town, and maybe I can finally meet his wife and kids. Etc. Etc. )
I’ve been listening to Fated Blades as I work, which has been lovely. In a time when it was hard to travel, and many of us really needed the break, you’ve given us a ticket to other worlds. I appreciate that so much, and hope you take the time and care that you need.
Pumpkin Chiffon pie is the best.
Right?!
My mother originally got her recipe from a Betty Crocker cookbook, I think, and we made a big fuss about how her pie was the best and she should always bring that. (Mostly because she’s generally a mediocre cook, and the pie was great.) The first year she didn’t come, I pulled out the recipe from the joy of cooking, and my ex made it. Still fabulous. (I generally don’t make pies when I host.) Various folks have made it over the year, and it’s always *so good.* The year other people discovered how good it was, so my sister and I could no longer hide away the second pie was sad! (Okay, it was also great to share a long time favorite, but our ritual of splitting the second pie was also a lot of fun.)
(I am also really fond of pecan pie… but it’s fallen off the list since I acquired a tree nut allergy.)
Oh, and as it happens, my nephew elected to make a pavlova with some kind of fruit sauce, and my sister was super impressed by the whole thing. I might have to get him a copper bowl for whipping up eggs whites…
Thank you for your wishes, they mean a lot. I feel the same way as you. I will send some thoughts of joy your way when I’m eating an apple pie later tonight!
Dear HA
Time zones, work schedules and emergency vets for my kids puppy – so I am late to the party. No Thanksgiving down under. We are on the railroad to end of school year and the Christmas tunnel.
My girlfriends at work and I often speak about how hard the last year has been . We ask each other are we getting slower or dumber, is there more legislation we have to deal with, are we missing something?
I can only say to them – Don’t beat yourself up. Be kind to yourself.
Recognise the mental load you carry on top of all that you do just to get through the day. Don’t beat yourself up.
I am grateful for friends to talk to – it often ends in laughter.
Its the best medicine.
I grateful for my kids – the first thing they do is hug me.
We all need a hug.
And I’m grateful that they have started showing Forged in Fire in Australia.
I love it. Easy to say – the next best thing to pecan pie(It will CUT!)
Thank you HA
Maria
Thank you for the slice of pie and the warm wishes. Y’all are so generous, I’m thankful for the gifts of joy and relaxation that you’ve given us all year!
Happy Thanksgiving! I would hate for y’all to stop writing! Your posts and books brighten my day. I wish I could share a homemade chocolate chip oatmeal peanut butter cookie with y’all!
Happy Thanksgiving!
May you have a blessed holiday.
Thank you for your wonderful books and all the recipes you have shared.
I just want to share a little recipe from my grandmother in return.
Grandma’s Mystery Fruit Salad
1 can Pineapple Chunks
1 can Mandarin Orange pieces
1 or 2 sliced Bananas
1 box lemon pudding
1 cup mini marshmallows
lemon juice
Drain juices from the fruits into a seperate bowl and save.
Mix pudding mix in with juices to make a sauce and pour over the mixed fruits
Slice bananas into coin size chunks and soke in lemon juice
Add banana chunks and marshmallows to fruit and sauce and stir well
Chill in refrigerator for about an hour before serving
Have a wonderful time this holiday season!
Pummelled is the perfect word.
Even so, ugly pie still tastes good and dry turkey usually means awesome gravy to wet it with.
Comfort and Joy. I hope for more of both for all of us. Thanks House Andrews for being a haven from the world. You make things better.
Many Thanks to you Ilona and Gordon. Your stories bring us joy and escapism (is that a word? oh well :-))
Thanks ModR as well for the work you’ve done and to make us laugh!
Happy Thanksgivings to the BDH who do it.
And no, not getting dumber, the world is getting crazier and we’ve been on hiatus for almost 2 years now. You said you wanted to stop writing, me some days/weeks I cannot read even books that I have enjoyed for decades, that’s how I know I need some mental help.
So enjoy your time with family and friends!
Happy Thanksgiving and lots of love to this little corner of the internet. Very thankful for House Andrews and the joy of reading ????
Grateful for the hours of pleasure you gave me this year reading your books. Hope you and your family have a lovely holiday and you get some recharging time.
Thanks for the virtual pie. Thanks for the wonderful stories you’ve shared with us over the years.
Sometimes you just need to borrow Great Aunt Matilda’s ear trumpet to shoot cooked shrimp at your racist Uncle across the dining table. 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving
Much of this post echoes my own inner thoughts: the feeling of being worn down and threadbare, feeling I’ve aged beyond what 2 years should have caused, feeling worn out with my career and wanting to stop. Despite that, I have so much to be grateful for.
Thank you, Ilona, for the digital pie and the wish for resilience and comfort. It’s what I need most right now. In turn, I wish you the same. I hope you find your place of peace and balance, and the resilience to get you through. We’re your fans not just because we enjoy your books but also because your blog gives us glimpses of a person and family we really admire (and provides a little shelter from the crazy too). If you stop writing, we will still love you and read your blog every day. ❤️
Yes. <3
You and yours, with or without your books (although I love your worlds so) are a bright spot in my day. By being who you are, regardless of what life throws at you. Thank you for sharing and helping me not feel so alone and for giving a view into a generous kindness. Thank you to the moderators also. Thank you to the BDH…I have rarely felt so in sync with a group of book followers than I do with you. You are all a blessing to me.
+1!
Well said!! +1 ????????
Wishing you the best this thanksgiving! I love your books, your humor and the decency you personally show to mankind and have instilled or encouraged in your children.
I understand getting down with all the things out there telling you how bad everything is, but I would like to point out that that is what they want you to feel. The truth is humanity has survived worse and will continue to. In the immortal words (from I honestly don’t know who) “this too shall come to pass.”
When I feel down, I think of all the happy and funny moments that I have had and then I call my brother. He is 9 years younger than me and I was like his second mom- we were extremely close growing up. He is now turning 30 in about a a month and a half and his son is turning 3 in about 3 weeks. I live in Florida and he’s in Colorado so a lot of our contact is via phone. Watching him raise his son is one of the most beautiful and entertaining things I have ever seen. Today’s phone call went as follows:
Me- hey, sweetheart, how’s it going?
Bro- good, the family is all here for thanksgiving. Do you want to say hi to Liam [my nephew]
Me- absolutely!
Liam- hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Bro- say happy thanksgiving to your auntie
Liam – mumble, mumble, squeak…
Bro- eh, he kind of said it in a whisper.
Me- lol, that’s alright. So…
Liam (in the background)- ROOOOAAAAAAAAAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Roooooaaaarrr!!! ROOOOOAAAAAAR!!!!!!!!
Me- what’s he doing?
Bro- roaring around the house…
Me-(laughing), that’s awesome! Hey, I am putting you on speaker so my friend can hear this.
Bro- Liam, can you roar again for auntie?
Liam- no, I’m done.
Bro- well… okay then.
[we continue talking and wrap up]
Bro- hey, Liam, come say goodbye to your auntie
Liam-ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love this child… lol
so cute, thanks for sharing 🙂
This is awesome and brought a huge smile to my face. Thank you.
Hope your Thanksgiving is wonderful. Praying you refresh and feel better. I love your work but not to where you hate doing it. Blessings to everyone
I have the same wish for you and your family, Ilona!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to House Andrews and the BDH. May your life be amazing and your worries be light.
You always make me feel less alone. Whether it is re-reading your books or reading this blog. Thank you for that. It’s been a hard couple of years here. My husband and I separated one year ago. I am in a new state, with a new job, newly single. And if it were up to me, my soon to be ex-husband and I would still be together.
I know what you mean by threadbare. I have had a few scary lows the last few months where I’ve worried myself.
But my family and my animals have kept me tethered. And I am thankful for them. I’ve been looking for unconditional love all my life it seems. I had it with my grandparents, but they passed. But, I looked down at my cat the other day and realized that I have it. Just not the where I thought and hoped I would. But I do have it. And it was a good reminder.
I hope when you look back on today you’ll see something that helps you keep going too. A line from T.S. Eliot always goes through my head at times like this: “these fragments I have shored against my ruin.” Like a squirrel I hoard the good things, and if I am hoarding extra hard right now, well… it’s that kind of winter. But hopefully spring is coming. For all of us.
Thank you for your words, always. This year my Thanksgiving was with only close family, on paper plates… again. I miss the togetherness, the building of bonds. The community. But I know everyone else is going through this too, and this is just one Thanksgiving. Next year will be another, and then there will be a new crisis to deal with, and that’s just life. And life is beautiful. So that’s ok. But it’s also good to take a vacation sometimes.
Sending BDH love to HA and Mod R. On this Thanksgiving day, we give thanks for the worlds you create and share with us — they recharge us when we feel worn down and put a smile on our face (I mean who can resist “ripper cushions” ?). We hope that you find joy and relaxation with your loved ones this Thanksgiving, and remember: there can never be too much pie.
I feel the same about the last two years. Hugs and thank you for writing about it. It feels like I can say it out loud now too.
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Hugs and love from northern BC. We had our Thanksgiving a month ago or more but I still wish you nothing but the best.
I for one I’m truly thankful for the hard work and sacrifices talented people such as yourselves. Make so that the greedy book devouring hoards like myself. Might Gorge on your creative genius while we laugh and cry with the characters you have brought to life.
And thank you for the pie I don’t think I’ve ever tried pecan before. And yours looks wonderful.
Oh, I wish I could give you a big hug and make you many cups of tea!
I think in a way, we’ve all gotten a little dumber. Chronic stress is no joke. It impacts our ability to think deeply and regulate our emotions. And a pandemic that drags on and on, bringing not just personal danger but repeated political upheaval, is like an incessant assault on our capabilities.
Like you said, the last two years pummeled everyone.
I wish you, HA, and all of the BDH, a little mental distance from all the suffering in your life, where you can see it as part of the human experience, feel you are not alone with whatever you’re going through, and afford yourself a little inner kindness.
Your wish for us is absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much; and I wish the same for your family.
Lovely! Thank you for your kind words. Breathe and relax. We (the BDH) are just greedy for your books, but we don’t want to wear you out! Happy Holidays, ya’ll
An excellent wish. May you have the same. Perhaps you do really need a break; not a 2 week vacation, but a real step away. You’ve had a tremendous amount on your plate, writing, authorship, Covid, alarums, and and panics. Do whatever you need to do to relax until you feel boneless. Then decide what you WANT to do. Not have to do. Want to. If you spent a year as beach bums, or sitting on a mountain top,who could blame you? Go for it, whatever your “it” maybe. I’ll miss your books, and blog, but there’s a good chance you’ll both be back with a whole crop of new ideas. Or old ones that have your rubbing your hands together and chortling, “Heh, heh, wait until they see this.”
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+1!!! 🙂
I hope your Thanksgiving was restful and everyone got to snuggle up on the couch in a carb crash watching silly movies. The video you made of Charlie was adorable. I shared that with my whole family and everyone loved it. (My brother especially got a kick out of the cat.)
We had to stay home this year (car trouble). So instead of a huge spread, we made chicken soup and made a lot of phone calls. Our silly movie this year was Die Hard, and a binge watching of Castle tv shows. (We love those, so much fun.)
Thank you for writing, even when you’d rather not. It helps me keep going when I’d rather quit, too.
Take the time to rest, renew, and recharge.
I enjoyed your post. Thank you – and joy to you and yours.
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Thank you for the pie, the writing, and delivering so many good hours of happy reading to myself and the BDH. I’m virtually passing around nice cups of tea.
The past 10 years have been mega hard for me and my family (which gets smaller each year), and I have found that practicing gratitude changed so much of the awfulness by focusing on the little things that were still good and brought me joy. Family, friends, pets, books, music, being outside and watching the birds in the garden … your books and the companionship of this blog are definitely regulars on that list. I wish you time to find and experience daily moments of joy.
The holidays get harder as the physical distances between us become broader. That hurts, especially when it’s our children we’re missing. Hope your holidays bring peace of body and soul. For all of us!
Thanks for the pie!
Your comment about girding your loins and visiting people you’d rather not made me think of my SIL; she lost both of her parents this year, and I know, the last place she wanted to be yesterday was with my family. But she came for my brother. I wish peace and joy on house Andrews, now and always.
Thank you for your books -print and audio. They are a great comfort and distraction in these parlous times.
Thank you for sharing your family with the BDH on this blog.
And thank you for the pictures of the pie – btw pumpkin should count as a vegetable in any ones diet plan!
And thank you Mod R for putting up with us.
Happy thanksgiving!
Happy US Thanksgiving from here in Canada. It has been a rough year but my loved ones lived through it..a blessing! My friends and family are well. Life is going forward and the world is turning. It may be a different world but there is still so much to be grateful for…I can afford my rent. My sweet old boy pup Dolce passed away BUT I welcomed a wonderful new boy Shorty a rescue from Texas into my home who makes me laugh daily. So yes, it was a pretty bad couple of years but I prefer to be present and think of what I have that so many don’t. I am Thankful.
Have a great day:)
So it’s not just me who feels a little dumber every year? Lack of energy is the issue I blame on these last two years. I hope you get your joy back, and I especially hope you don’t stop writing. You’re gift is a joy for the rest of us.
Going back to college, I definitely discovered I was dumber, every semester. But thank goodness perseverance makes up for a lot.
Gravy covers a multiple of cooking sins, thank goodness.
This makes me think of a story I saw on reddit yesterday. The gravy was a war crime. A plastic cooking utensil had melted into it. 😀
our family has a simple motto. “pies for breakfast, pies for lunch and pies in the afternoon” you can eat them for any meal!! Happy Holidays
The last paragraph brought tears to my eyes. As an ICU on the frontlines in an area that at one point was the nation’s biggest hotspot, your words went straight to my heart. I’ve wanted to send you a message so many times through this last year telling you how much all of your books, and I mean every single one of them, meant to me while re-reading them for some amount of comfort and joy during the darkest of times. I downloaded all of them on Audible, and heading in to the ICU in the morning, taking off the helmet we had to wear (curses on CAPR’s) to catch a quick break listening to your words, leaving one ear-bud in while taking care of patients who ultimately would die, and then walking out day after gut-wrenching day- you were there with me, lifting me up. When I saw your dedication in Blood Heir, I cried, like literally cried. I wanted to quit too this last year and a half, but I kept going back with your stories as help and support. I’m glad we didn’t quit. I have been a fan of yours, Gordon and Ilona, since about book three of Kate Daniels, have devoured every book since then, and I want to say thank you so much for your dedication to writing. I don’t know what I would have done without your characters keeping me company. <3
Clarissa, thank you for your work in the ICU and for not giving up. I don’t know what we, as a country, would have done without you. We owe you a debt of gratitude we can never repay. Stay safe. <3
Happy holidays to you and yours and may we all endure.
I’m surviving by buying smut tea. Because tea.
https://www.fridaytea.com/products/smut-tea?variant=39391784337492
Hear!, hear!, bravo! Ilona Andrews. Thank you for the post. We could all use some joy. Peace, quit, less stress. Etc
Best wishes and thoughts to House Andrews this holiday season. And thank you for the tales you have spun and the snippets you have posted funny or otherwise that made to world seem better for awhile.
I’m sorry you have the “Sorrow”, and tho it doesn’t mean much, Many have been visited too. There just isn’t any magic wand to swoop in and make things better and my best wishes and virtual hugs don’t mean much, but I’m sending them to you. Thank you for wonderful stories, and great worlds from your creative minds.
Thank you for your Happy Thanksgiving wishes. The ePie is wonderful! Having room for pie is a grand thing! I too have dismantled the complex dinners. I would love to buy the smoked turkey, but I only got to make that once. Turkey provided by skeet partner, smoking provided by me. Gravy seemed like gilding the turkey, but hey, live and try different things. I wrapped the turkey breast in butter soaked cheesecloth & made the stuffing the night before. Potatoes were made by various grocers, peas came frozen. But for ONCE everything got plated up at once, all at the same temp! Simplicity can be rewarding! Less cleanup and chef stress! Here is to less brutal times ahead. If only we could spread love as a virus…
I hope it helps that you do not have an ongoing contract if I recall correctly.
So you are not forced to write anything at all. So you can take all the time you want before starting to write a new book. If at all.
Thank you for your words, this pandemic they’ve helped me cope. I hope that once again writing will bring you joy.
Happy thanksgiving to you and yours and all the BDH. Omg the pies! More power to you getting thru all those pies hehe.
The last almost two years have truly been a long slog. No you are not getting dumber! I’ve personally pulled away from all the news I used to follow just to protect myself. I found I was getting so very anxious and developing a dislike of people. Neither state is normal for me. Six months with minimal news and I feel pretty good again. So perhaps a sabbatical from writing?
That’s all the unasked for advice, promise! Best wishes always. Your books and this blog have made a tremendous difference in my life and I’m sure the BDH feels the same!
Thank you for bringing happiness and joy into our lives.
I so wish I could do the same for you. If you lived in New Jersey I would bring you homemade soup, wine and bread, with lots of ???? hugs
I am grateful for you, Ilona.
And if you stop authoring or writing, I will still be thankful for you!
Warmest regards,
Carrie
That’s a beautiful slice of pie. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family too.
We added a smoked turkey to our fried turkey this year and found it dry, but the flavor was good.
Hoping you find some time to re-center and then reclaim your joy.
And a Happy Thanksgiving and Holiday season to both of you! I am super grateful that I stumbled across your books years ago. You guys are great, and I want to thank you for all that you have done.
Thanks for the pie! I brought cookies for everyone.
My youngest brother has Downs Syndrome. His favorite cousin usually visits for Thanksgiving and the two of them make sugar cookies the day after. Cousin hasn’t been able to visit due to COVID, and it’s been hard on my brother. I told him we’d make cookies together, and made a list of cookies I know how to make for the family to vote on. Everyone voted frosted sugar cookies except Brother, who wrote “oatmeal raisin” at the bottom.
I’ve never made oatmeal raisin.
I didn’t even know he liked oatmeal raisin.
I felt like Nevada (or maybe it was Catalina) who said at one point, “if my sisters wanted sushi, I would get them all the sushi”. If he wanted oatmeal raisin, he could have all the oatmeal raisin. So we made both.
He also loves sprinkles, and pulled out random cookie cutters and sprinkle colors along with the Christmas cookie cutters and the Christmas colored sprinkles. We made all sorts of fun frosting colors, so now we have Smurf blue bats covered in green sprinkles, and cantaloupe orange snowflakes covered in spring green sprinkles. We have cookies so caked in sprinkle strata layers that they audibly crunch when you bite into them.
It was the best day. Those cookies bring me joy every time I look at them.
I’m sorry it has been so hard for you. I understand the desire to just stop all things that feel like an obligation, and what an intense burden it is when something you love turns into that.
All of the people responding and the many more who don’t respond have been given a gift by you.
Thank you for that gift.
The gift we can give back is only our thanks and understanding if you do what you need.
Thank you for the brilliant stories.
Thank you. Reading this post-Thanksgiving but got a little teary-eyed and feeling seen. Appreciate your thoughtfulness and kind wishes.
I’m with you on feeling minimized from current events. We are all in this crappy situation together, your blog makes me realize I am not alone. Please know you aren’t either.
It’s not you. You don’t become dumber every year. More and more of the rest of the world becomes dumber every year.
You, and the rest of us in the BDH, feel pummeled by having to expend more and more energy to fend off the ever-expanding Dunning-Kruger crowd.
You share your gift and quite often your heart with us. Thank you for helping make the times we are struggling through a bit more bearable.
I have heard saying that the wiser you are the more stupid you feel. So the fact that you feel dumb just mean that you are wiser.