Saturday, our family gathered to watch and then celebrate the Florida Gators victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks, 24-14. This game extended the winning streak to 20. Two of our grandchildren, Laurel and Robert, were here for the festivities, dressed for the occasion.
The design on Laurel’s shirt is one I have used before. A cheerleader skirt, braided pony tail and ball cap have been added to the baby alligator design from Brother’sMoskowitz card #6, with the help of BuzzEdit 2.
 She was very excited about the football game, celebrating with her “hats off” pose for the Gator lead at the half.
Robert, too, was pleased, though his enthusiasm is always a little less conspicuous than that of his Drama Queen sister.
This  was one of those red letter days. If Thanksgiving had not long since been declared a holiday, I would have begun the process of its establishment. It could only have been improved upon, greatly, if our daughter Rebecca, her husband Harvey and Alastair had been here with us.
On a sunny 72 degree Florida fall day, our house was filled with the sounds of laughing grandchildren, barking dogs and cheering Gator fans. There were tantalizing scents of a crockpot of chili, apple slices (a classic Midwestern variation on apple pie, recipe below), and our family’s favorite snack mix. The crowd included my brother and his wife, who have been sailing around the world for the past 5 years and are home to stay, our son and his family. It was a day to file away in my memory bank.
But today, I sew. Alone. Quiet.
An hour with your grandchildren can make you feel young again.     Anything longer than that, and you start to age quickly. ~Gene Perret
I can’t say that I agree entirely with this statement. I’m usually good for several hours. But then the inevitable, increased aging process begins.
APPLE SLICESÂ ~the modern version of an old fashioned recipe . These are very popular for tailgating.
 Preheat oven to 425.
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6-8 Granny Smith apples
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1 1/2 cup sugar
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3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
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1/4 cup butter, room temperature, not melted
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2 boxes refrigerated, rolled Pillsbury pie crusts (4 crusts total)
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GLAZE
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1 1/2 cups confectioner’s powdered sugar
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1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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enough milk to make a drizzle glaze, perhaps 1 tablespoon…or more
Directions:Â Â Â Â
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Line a 9×15″ (or thereabouts) jelly roll pan with two of the pie crusts. You have to cut and piece the round crusts to fit the jelly roll pan, but that’s okay. I wet my finger, smooth the raw edges where they meet and then press with the tines of a fork to seal the seam. Bake for 5 minutes if you don’t like soggy bottom crusts. If you don’t mind, just leave the crust as is.
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Peel, core and slice the apples into approximately 1/4-3/8″ slices, placing the slices into a large mixing bowl. In a 2 cup measuring cup or similarly sized bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
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Pour cinnamon-sugar mix over apple slices and tumble until all slices are well coated with mixture.
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Pour apple slices into jelly roll pan with pie crust. Spread evenly. Dot with dollops of butter. Place remaining two crusts over apple slices, cutting and pasting as with the bottom crust. Slit top crust for steam to escape. Wrap aluminum foil strips around the edges and over the top, covering approximately 1″ from the edge. This prevents the edges from browning too quickly.
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Bake for about 60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool until room temperature.
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Mix glaze. Drizzle over top. Serve plain or with vanilla ice cream.
