Thanksgiving and Beyond

The chronology: Spaulding, Molly and Teddy flew in the Friday before Thanksgiving for a week at the timeshare her dad owns. Along with Steph and her family, they joined us for dinner: chicken noodle soup and pasta e fagiliol with sourdough  bread. The next 2 days, they had tickets to Disney. That worked out because we were booked for LAWD on Saturday. I made the cranberry tiramisu on Sunday. We pressed our electric camping cooler into serviced to have room in the refrigerator.

Mary, Ryan, Bella, and Remi arrived on the red eye Monday morning. Everyone came for waffles mid morning. Swimming in our cold pool, chasing poor Gracie with the laser, cousin bonding. We took hotdogs to the timeshare to grill for dinner. 

Tuesday, Steph got us all tickets to Universal. She even borrowed the Senior VP of Entertainment’s gold pass so Grant and I had free valet parking. It also got 6 people into the Express Pass lane on each ride. Exceptionally valuable for the Velociraptor roller coaster. Much of the day was spent refilling our special Universal cups (buy 2, get 1 free), drinking the drinks, then going to the bathroom. I decided to treat the experience like bird watching: walk a little, stop and look at something interesting. As the afternoon wore on, first Teddy and family left for naps, then Grant and I voted to give our knees a break and headed home. The Warners stayed for the holiday parade, then Steph joined them for a show. 

Wednesday was traditional pie baking with Clara. This year, Bella and Remi helped. Fridge space had reached critical mass. However, I’d read the tip about moving all of one’s condiments to a cooler. Mary arrived with ice, and I cleared the shelves. Now 3 pies were able to be fitted in. Tiramisu went to Steph’s freezer.

After dinner, pictures at Bass Pro Shop. Steph had made a 7:45 reservation with the hope that Patten would be there by then, but not to be. Teddy was enchanted with climbing on the boats. Not so much with Santa. Grant and I picked Patten up at Brightline. The busiest I’ve ever seen it.  The entrance line was so long that he walked out to meet us and I made a U-turn to leave before we ever got to the station. 

Thursday was more cooking: Grant cooking green beans and smoking a turkey on the gas grill; my roasting 2 small turkey thighs in the oven for gravy, making regular and cornbread dressing and whipping cream for pies. In the midst, Grant had to move his turkey to the oven because he ran out of gas and he decided to make pickles. 

We schlepped it all to Steph’s where she was finishing up deviled eggs and an appetizer of melted feta with roasted pecans in a sauce on top and another cheese log with apricot sauce. She had mashed potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes. Kyle was trying to roast 2 turkeys on a reluctant grill. Eventually, we decided to start with Grant’s. Pumpkin pie, chocolate pecan cheese cake, and cranberry tiramisu. 

Grant did his usual sweet speech about us all being here and being thankful. Spaulding announced what was obvious the whole week: Molly is pregnant, baby due in April. Happy, happy, happy. 

Although I thought I’d been conservative when I put food on my plate, my stomach said it was too much. I’m going to propose having Thanksgiving spread over 3 days: appetizers, dinner, desserts. Mary suggested Wednesday be appetizers and desserts, then Thursday the turkey. I’ve put that on the calendar.

Grant and I drove Patten back to Brightline, giving ourselves extra time, but fewer people leaving Thursday evening. Too expensive to change his ticket to stay over. We’d already said goodbye to Spaulding because they were flying out at o’dark hundred Friday morning. Back to Steph’s to help clean up.

Friday, breakfast at our house, early for me, late for others. Mary’s rental car is an electric Ford Mustang. Really nice, but where to charge it? We found charging stations, but who wants to sit at one? I called area shopping sites but couldn’t find any. Then I remembered one at the Oakland Nature Preserve. A call there confirmed my memory, plus the person said it was free. That turned out to not be true, however, Ryan put $10 on the meter, and we walked out the board walk. No gators, but unseen catbird singing, black vultures, ospreys, and a red shouldered hawk. Bella liked all the lizards. After about an hour, the car had only charged 7%, and there was still money on the meter. They waited around a while, then went on to Disney Springs. We went home. 

Saturday, Grant moved the Roku box to our office TV. The set in the living room quit yesterday. Good timing because we could watch the Macy’s parade, then buy a new one with all the Black Friday sales, which of course we haven’t gotten around to. We watched UM beat Pitt 38-7. Ryan’s back is hurting. We are still eating leftovers.

Sunday, everyone was going to LAWD. Clara and Steph decided to go see decorations at Epic. Ryan’s back hurts so bad much he can’t walk. I put my scope in the car, and Grant and I went anyway. The scissor tailed flycatcher was no longer at the front gate, but I got a great view of the ash throated one with just my binoculars. We went on to the first pond. I identified American wigeons, plus the usual coots, gallinules, and blue winged teals. Lots of northern shovelers in the next pond, and the solitary sandpipers I’d seen listed in the eBird rare bird list. Mary arrived, having made Ryan choose between calling a colleague for a prescription or being dropped off at a walk-in clinic. He opted for the first.

The great gator count began. As is now usual, we got confused, but at least 40. Grant said 42 to give authenticity. At the bridge near the end, we looked down on 12 baby ones, but no mom in sight. I saw another solitary sandpipers and the broad winged hawk that was also on the last rare bird list. In the trees near the lake, I spotted 2 house wrens, one of which was fluttering its wings and calling like a fledgling begging for food. 

At the end of the drive, Mary went to pick up Ryan’s prescription. Grant and I went home.

Sunday evening through Tuesday afternoon, Ryan’s dad and stepmother plus his mom are visiting from their respective sides of the state. Since I assume that they wanted to concentrate their time with their son and  grandkids, I’d hoped to have Mary to myself all day Monday. I’d planned to have us go shopping so she could help me buy some new clothes. Not to be because Ryan is basically immobile. Mid afternoon she appeared with Remi to do laundry and use our computer. Bella stayed behind to entertain.

Monday evening, Grant and I womaned up and went to Best Buy for a new TV. The one in the living room quit a couple of days ago. I have resigned myself to a 75” since we are hanging on the wall opposite the sofa. Any TV there will be ugly, IMO, so why not get one we can see. After 45 minutes of listening to David patiently explain all the many features of many different makes and models, I was overwhelmed. I don’t care about pixels, back lighting, gaming ability. I decided the 75” Samsung, $499 marked down from $899, was obviously the best Cyber Monday deal. Why else would there be so many of them right by the front entrance? Installation is December 10th. Done. Then, if Grant thinks we need a better one, he can research it. Best Buy will take our money and swap it out.

Tuesday, I finished my gingerbread house. The kit came with “buttercream” frosting which wouldn’t hold the roof. I let the house dry overnight, then mixed up some royal icing using powdered meringue to glue on the roof. I particularly like the glow through the gumdrops along the roofline. I added a nesting flamingo on the chimney for good luck like the storks in Alsace.

Ryan was still really hurting. They came over, he laid on the office sofa and spoke to a colleague about exercises to loosen his back. I made turkey tetrazinni. Almost at the end of the leftovers.

Wednesday, Grant and I walked over to Dixie Cream for breakfast. Perhaps the beginning of a new habit. I finished my Christmas decorating, putting up my nativity scene and some nostalgic pieces including the usual angels and stars. The poinsettias I bought a couple of weeks ago at Costco, $15 for big ones, look the worse for my neglect, but I put them in standing pots either side of the garage door. With the lights on the eaves and a decoration hanging above the poinsettias, we are showing our festive selves. Mary, kids and I picked up the “Ice Pink” poinsettia I’d bought through the  Bloom and Grow fundraiser, also $15, but table sized and from Knox Nursery. Absolutely beautiful. I also bought an Oh Deer mini vase with a little air-plant from LiveTrend to go with my 2 snowmen. Silly, but I like them. 

Ryan is still in misery when he sits, however can walk a little. His mom Katy came over for pizza dinner and spent the night at their hotel.

Thursday, Mary packed and packed, Ryan laid on the office sofa, getting up to circle the kitchen occasionally. We tried one more time to get them to stay, but I understand the call of one’s own nest. The kids hunted lizards. After lunch, Mary and Remi left to charge the rental car. We loaded their suitcases and other bags into our truck and took Ryan and Bella to the airport to meet them. We left them in the Drop Bag line, Ryan in a wheelchair, Bella and Remi with their backpacks and neck pillows, and Mary marshaling them and 2 huge suitcases, all the while toting the gigantic backpack with 2 car seats and 3 blankets inside. A tough group.