Thanksgiving day was nice and relaxing, the food turned out very well (I'm posting a fabulous recipe for sweet potatoes after the break), the company was good, there are lots of leftovers in the fridge, and we have quite a bit to be thankful for (including some leftover sweet potatoes).

But, things haven't been perfect.

It started last Friday, November 20, when we took Harley to get his toenails trimmed. Being the lazy slug that I am, we don't do this often enough. So on top of the stress of the car ride (which Harley handles pretty well), being grabbed by strangers, attacked with a power rotary tool, and stuffed back into his travel cage (which he doesn't handle very well), Harley is dealing with a big change in the length of his nails. While he's much less likely to inadvertently scratch us, he's also less capable of gripping on to things. A few days of moping and testing out his abilities usually gets him adjusted pretty well. But this time around hasn't been so easy.

Saturday, November 21 I had a little jewelry sale, and being the lazy slug that I am, I left my Box O' Stuff in the bird room. That night/morning, Bruce got up at about 4 a.m. to make sure the heat was on, tripped on the box, knocked some things over, and scared Harley right off his Sleepy Perch and into his cage wall. After some frantic flapping, Bruce managed to get Harley untangled, calmed down, and settled — onto his perch at the window of our bedroom. We all dozed there until it was time to get up for the day.

Harley refused to eat breakfast in his usual spot on the top of his cage Sunday morning, but although he seemed a little reluctant to be in or on the cage for the rest of the day, he went inside easily enough when we went out to run some errands, so we didn't think anything of it. However, that night, he absolutely refused to go into his cage for bed.

Under normal circumstances I would have forced him in, left him clinging to the side of the cage, and crept guiltily upstairs. Bedtime is bedtime, after all. But I knew he'd been badly scared the night before, so we went back upstairs for "five more minutes." When I tried again, he still Absolutely Refused to go inside the cage. So I caved in, brought him back upstairs, gave him more scritches so he'd fall back asleep, and finally, close to 1 a.m., we let him sleep on his perch on the headboard. About an hour later he got startled off the perch, over the bed, and onto the floor. But he settled back onto the perch, and we all slept the rest of the night through.

Monday night, I think because we were all so tired, Harley went onto his Sleepy Perch, and we all slept normally. But Tuesday night I had to force him into his cage, and I guiltily crept upstairs and left him clinging to the side. Wednesday took a little less force, but still with the guilt and the clinging. None of this has been made easier by Bruce's nocturnal habits, which of late have included getting up in the middle of the night to check on the temperature, throwing parties for the Underpants Gnomes, and even odder things he won't tell me about. He hasn't startled Harley out of bed again, but he's woken me up (and possibly Harley) most nights, and truth is, we've probably all been sleeping a little rough because it really is colder than normal in the house.

We replaced the thermostat today, but since the heat still won't go above 68 F (in fact, independent thermometers say it's between 63 and 65), we're now waiting for Monday, when a Wee Man is scheduled to come look at the furnace. If we remain above 60 F we're fine, plus we have some space heaters. But I suppose Harley will use the cool nights, with Bruce checking on the heat every few hours, as an excuse to sleep upstairs with Mom and Dad.

Here he is today, just a little puffed up for warmth.

Isn't he adorable!

Surprisingly, Harley wasn't interested in joining us at the table for our Thanksgiving meal. I'm guessing he was too tired, and a little out of sorts. Just as well, since he couldn't have shared the sweet potatoes anyway. I'm including the recipe for this dish after the break, because they are definitely The Best sweet potatoes I've ever had. For adult humans only.


Shelly's Famous Pureed Sweet Potato
Interestingly, until I looked at the recipe card this year, I'd always referred to this as "Shelly's Famous Bourbon Sweet Potatoes." Don't judge me.

3-4 big sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into cubes, and steamed until tender. We've boiled the potatoes in the past, but I think steaming gives you a much nicer consistency.

1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 stick butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1 tblsp bourbon. This year we used a heaping tablespoon of Buffalo Trace.
1 tblsp maple syrup. We didn't have any, so we substituted more bourbon.
1 tblsp orange juice. If you're out, you could probably use more bourbon.

Mash the potatoes or puree in a food processor (we mashed). Mix all ingredients, using up to 1/4 cup of milk to get a nice consistency. I suppose you could use bourbon instead of milk. You know, if you had to. Taste to check on flavorings. Place whatever still remains into an oven-safe serving dish. Sprinkle brown sugar and more bourbon on top. Can be made ahead, just store in the fridge and reheat when needed. The recipe says this will serve 12 people, but I'm not sure you'll have that much left. The potatoes are very good, but it can take a few tastings to get the flavors just right. When I took my first bite at the table, I swooned a little and said "Why don't we have these every day?" Well. It could be all that bourbon.