Turkey Time...

Thanksgiving was a wonderful time in our home this year. Claude and I did all the grocery shopping except for the fresh foods the week prior. Then on Monday we fought the grocery store to pick up fresh veggies and breads. We have not set foot in a grocery store yet. That really helps to get the holiday off right. 

Tuesday Claude smoked the brisket. He would have done it Wednesday but he is doing physical therapy for his back and that would take up his Wednesday morning. So, Tuesday we had the great fragrance of smoking brisket wafting through our home. So yummy.

Wednesday the family would arrived. First came the Marx family at dinnertime. Claude prepared home made macaroni and cheese to go with brisket sandwiches. So very good. Then we settled into our visit. Bailey had a sweatshirt that needed repair. She and I went to the basement and stitched it right up. Andie found this pictures taken of Hayden in his Oldham County Symphonic Band tuxedo and holding his baritone. He is one handsome young man. The Marx family is watching Friends as a family. So we all watch several episodes of Friends. Then we played a game Andie brought called "5 Second Rule" or something close to that. The basis of the game is you pull a card from a box full of cards and read it to the person on your right. They must come up with three items that fit that category before 5 seconds are up. If they don't get it, the next player gets to guess in 5 seconds but they can't use any answers the first player thought of. It was a fun game. We all enjoy watching the game show "The Chase". Claude and I saved an episode that has James Holtzhauer on it. He won big time money on Jeopardy. This show was done before he ever played on Jeopardy. Since we all followed the James story on Jeopardy, it was fun to all watch him win on The Chase. Jake arrived around 10:30pm. He did great on that drive down from Michigan. We all agreed to sleep in Thanksgiving morning.  

Thanksgiving morning we did sleep in. Andie won for sleeping in the longest. She is a first grade teacher and when she gets an opportunity, she tries to catch up on all the sleep missed preparing lessons and things during her own time. Claude prepared a nice breakfast of sweet rolls, bacon and eggs. A little before noon I went to Georgetown to pick up Papa for the afternoon. He was happy to be with family. I pulled out photo albums from trips Claude and took to South Africa and to Alaska. He sat pouring over them the entire afternoon. We all decided we should share our favorite Papa stories after I got home from returning him to the nursing home simply because he didn't share one of them this time. He had a good afternoon and we were happy to have had him with us for one more Thanksgiving. Claude smoked a brisket for our dinner and we filled out the rest of the menu with mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce, moonshine corn, tossed salad, and rolls with chocolate cake and ice cream cake for dessert. We were very full. Elizabeth Schepens sent us this picture of her son Luke enjoying the blanket I made for him when he was born. Elizabeth worked with Claude when Claude was Kentucky League of Cities president. Luke was born during that time. We played another game of 5 Second Rule and also Apple to Apples. Michael enjoyed ball games on the television in the basement and we watched movies on the television in the upstairs. Raelyn called us in the early evening. That is always an adventure as this rambunctious three year old carries the phone around to show you things or what she is doing. She was happy to see Hayden and Bailey on this call. Such a nice day. 

Saturday we had a nice breakfast together and then the Marx family were off to stop at a couple of stores on their way home to LaGrange. I had not taken one picture. Not one. But I had told everyone we were going to get a group selfie before everyone parted ways. Hayden set up his cell phone with the timer and took this grand picture of all of us. I really like this picture.  (Hayden, Jake, Sandi, Claude, Michael, Andie and Bailey)

I went to visit Papa in the afternoon and left Claude and Jake watching some programs about Saturn and its rings and the Cassini information learned about them. Jake loves all things about space. When I returned we all piled in my car and drove to Ted's Montana Grill. We wanted to share this treasure of a restaurant with Jake. We all ate bison in some form. Jake really enjoyed it and I can see a return to this place in our future with Jake. The evening was spent with Jake finishing his laundry while we watched programs on the history of baseball. 

Sunday, Jake would head back to Chelsea, Michigan. We had been very concerned about his safety as there were storms coming from west to northeast. Fortunately the track of them ended up being a bit north of Jake and he made it home in fine shape. 

Today the mail came with a package in it addressed to me. It turned out to be the t-shirt I ordered Claude so he could wear it on Thanksgiving. Alas, that did not happen. However, I have been assured I get full points for effort. It will be a great t-shirt for Thanksgivings to come. I think he looks quite handsome in this shirt and we enjoy it because we watched this television show when it first aired and laughed our sides off.  

So I give Thanksgiving 2019 a star for success. Nothing earthshaking but everything family and time together. That is the best for any holiday.