Beyond Thankful

Yikes!  Dave, Lorraine, and Jester drove up about three hours early, right after I got back to the house, so of course I was caught with my dusting down.  It makes no sense to shower and change before going to the barn, so I didn't even have time to spiff up a bit as I'd planned.  Oh well.  My Kids are a forgiving bunch.

Deb, Craig, and Pete arrived soon.  Many hands make light work, and yesterday was proof of that.  My job is pretty much over when the turkey goes in the oven.  Deb and Lorraine helped ready the side dishes, and Craig is the official baster.  Dave is the traditional carver of turkeys, and Clay took Larry's place as sous chef and taster.  Yes, that's a mountain of sliced turkey.

There is that wonderful moment for any cook when guests begin to eat and suddenly all are silent and she knows they are savoring those first bites.  I mentioned that I've cooked the same Thanksgiving meal for over fifty years and suggested it might be time for a change.  "Gasp!  Why?!  Why would you do that?"  I guess Thanksgiving is not the time to try something new.  We did forego pumpkin pie in favor of pecan pie to celebrate Craig's birthday.

There was the traditional poker game before and after dinner (I won!).  The Kids doled out leftovers for everyone and then cleaned up the kitchen while I sat like the Queen of Sheba and stayed out of the way of the worker bees.

We were all conscious of the missing faces at the table, with Larry in Hawaii and Jake in Saudi Arabia.  Deb and Craig had made this sign and we sent this photo to the guys.  (Ain't technology grand?)  I asked Deb, "When did I get so short?"  "Mom, you've always been short."

Slowly, the group left in twos and threes, and Clay and Pete stayed for conversation for awhile.  Then the house was quiet, Celeste came out of hiding, and I was left to reflect on just how thankful I am for family and friends...beyond thankful, truly.