Post Holidays

My children and grandchildren arrived safely on Wednesday. I had prepared a lasagne to pop in the oven, so while it heated the young family got settled and my older son tossed a salad. We all sat down to a delicious family meal then promptly crashed after dinner. Travel wearies one and although I did not drive for 6 /12 hours like my grandchildren, nor endure the airport waits on line as my older son did, prep for Thanksgiving Day itself evolved into a marathon of table renting, pie baking, silver polishing and decorating. So after a very satisfying supper we crashed fairly early to face Thursday morning and its own "heavy lifting."

Thanksgiving day after a breakfast of blueberry pancakes, juices and hot coffee I set everyone to tasks: moving furniture in the living room to allow for the extra table I had rented, setting the tables, peeling potatoes and the piece de resistance: prepping the turkey and putting it the oven. My son Adam was delegated turkey duty and the end result was a perfectly browned, moist, delicious bird enjoyed by all.

In addition to our immediate family of 6, my friends Pat and Jack with their daughter and grandson from Chicago as well as four of my daughter-in-law's cousins joined us for dinner. The feast included: turkey, stuffing, Colcannon potatoes, sweet potatoes in maple syrup, brussels sprouts, fresh green beans with and without mushroom soup/fried onion rings, two kinds of cranberry sauce, olives and carrot sticks permitted the table to groan appropriately. We had 4 different pies (pumpkin, Pennsylvania Dutch apple, pecan, chocolate cream) and a decadent devil's food cake. Champagne, white and red wines, and sparkling cider for the kids complemented the meal.

I had a wonderful time and every aching aging muscle that resulted from this effort was worth it!

On Friday the "boys": my two sons and my grandson.........went to the 3-D version of the movie Bolt. The "girls": my daughter-in-law, granddaughter and I went shopping. Not the black Friday-type of shopping but my grandson's birthday is 2 December so we bought him birthday gifts to celebrate early. That night we had leftovers and an ice cream cake with candles.

On Saturday I drove my older son to the airport to fly home to San Francisco. My younger son and his family drove to Goodyear to spend the day and early evening with their cousins. About 2:30 pm Saturday I thought: something is wrong..........then realized it was quiet for I was once again alone in my home.

My grandkids left about 8:30 Sunday morning for their 6 1/2 hour drive home and I played bridge on the internet nearly all day.

I could not have planned such a wonderful visit....it was grand having them all here to see me in my new home and enjoying the family time together.