Happy turkey day! It’s a cool, gray and rainy day but I can’t wait to celebrate Thanksgiving. After a year of celebrating holidays without family, this is long overdue.
This year, Roy invited us to his home as he hosted his very first Thanksgiving dinner. Surely he was the host with the most providing quite a delicious spread: the requisite gobbler seasoned to perfection roasted atop a bed of onions, carrots and celery, yummy dressing, gravy, sautéed carrots, mashed potatoes and buttery crescent rolls. Divine! Terry and I brought along baked corn and Grandmother Ginny’s cranberry relish. For dessert, Lily whipped up a batch of homemade mini-cheesecakes using Dad’s tried and true recipe and Elijah made a jiggly, wiggly, fruity and refreshing, strawberry Jello.
While Roy was cooking and pulling the last elements of our meal together, Elijah gave us a solo performance of “Jingle Bells”on his baritone. He’s been practicing and practicing for the upcoming BGA holiday show in a couple of weeks. We were thoroughly impressed.
The kiddos and I also had an opportunity to play a friendly little game of ping pong. Don’t let their youth and slight stature fool you. If money had been on the line, I’m sure I would have been hustled.
Over lunch, Roy and the kiddos talked about how they were learning how to play the guitar. They assured me I too could learn to play in a snap. (Insert guffaw here.) Color me skeptical as I have zero musical ability or natural aptitude. After savoring our desserts, we went upstairs so they could prove me wrong. And prove me wrong they did! Using a tablature method, you learn what strings and frets to play using a succession of numbers instead of notes. So, for instance, the opening riff of the British rock group Deep Purple’s, “Smoke on the Water” would be look like 0,3,5 -0,3,6,5-0,3,5-3,0. Boom, mic drop, I’m a rock star!
We happened to have two Thanksgivings meals coinciding at the same time today so mid-morning, we dropped Shirley off at David and Katie’s house so she could enjoy lunch with all the Bailey’s. After our delicious luncheon with the Laws gang, Terry and I said our farewells and made our way back to David and Katie’s arriving just in time for an afternoon visit.
Meanwhile at the Farm, they were having a laid back turkey day as well. Their morning began with a hearty breakfast with Chris, Jill, Josh and Levi before the Pelletier’s spent the afternoon with Josh’s family later in the day. Meanwhile, Dad, Janice and Chris hung close to the hearth and a cozy fire and shared a turkey dinner together with all the fixings.
I also talked to Grandmother Ginny this morning and she and Phyllis were going to be partaking of turkey day with Tim and Donna Briscoe later this afternoon.
In a dark and drizzly rain, we made our way home just in time to see the end of the re-broadcast of the 95th Macy’s Day Parade as Santa made his grand entrance on his sleigh marking the official start of the the Christmas season. What a perfect way to end the day!
Last minute preparations.
