Rhode Island Reminiscing

In what has become a cherished part of our annual Thanksgiving holiday we journeyed down to Rhode Island yesterday for a second Thanksgiving dinner at my sister’s house.  She’s a nurse and invariably has to work on the holiday so this tradition grew up around that inconvenience.  It is so much fun that we do it even when she has the holiday off.

Yesterday my sister was dealing with the loss, the night before, of her beloved mother in law, Miss Louise.  When I questioned whether she and the in laws still wanted to gather I got a resounding “Yes”.  After the month long campaign Miss Louise waged against her injury with her kids constantly at her side there was a real need to get together in a more mundane and festive environment.

Keene Friend Assisted Me Destroying the Turkey In My Glorious Apron

The forces gathered early in the day in Charlton, but not before I destroyed the piece of cake I secreted away earlier in the week.  It just so happened yesterday was also a keto holiday – damage would be done.  My daughter assisted in the cake destruction much to the consternation of my late arising wife who had designs on scoring another piece.

Second Thanksgiving Dinner With My Favorite People Surrounding Me

My son, the MEF, and the Keene Friend all arrived to make the journey to Rhode Island.  My sister had done her usual incredible job creating a fully realized Thanksgiving dinner and she left the turkey carving to me.  With the Keene Friend nobly keeping the bird from flying off the counter, I held forth with an electric knife.  I was able to don my traditional lady’s apron to keep that custom intact as well.

Where I spent Most of the Night Flanked by my Son in Law and Brother In Law

The food was fantastic but the company even better.  My brother in law was able to join us for the first time in years because he was not at work.  While we bemoaned the reason for his availability it was so much fun having him around to pelt with sports inquiries.  

My Daughter's Friend Meeting my Nephew's Gargantuan Turtle
I Don't Know What to Say About the Viking Garb 

Following the afternoon tryptophan comas we geared up for the second part of the day which was a gathering of my brother in law’s entire clan.  This is the favorite part of the day for me as we sit around the table and enjoy each others’ company.  It just never gets old and there’s a vibrant passing of conversation throughout the night ranging from subjects too obscure to the overriding emotion of the night – remembering Miss Louise.  

We also mourned the death of any real trivia battles because of the ability to, as my son in law put it – “consult the oracle” .  The combination of Google and I-phone is certainly a lot more reliable than it’s Delphic predecessor but it does take the fun out of arguing about who is right.

Miss Louise's Gift to Us
Her Fantastic Three Kids

I thought last night was a fitting tribute to the incredible Miss Louise as each of us were able to share our memories of her and it was unsurprising that she had touched so many of us so deeply.  She would have loved last night.  My daughter mentioned that on past Thanksgivings she would always stop by where Miss Louise was sitting and pass a few minutes catching up with her and how much she missed that this year.

I may not have mentioned it but there was also a significant amount of wine and beer sent down range, but you probably already figured that out.  We reluctantly took pity on the Keene Friend and my wife who volunteered for designated driver duty for the drive back to Charlton which would end after midnight.  It was a really mundane trip until my daughter decided to spice things up by hooking her I-phone into the car stereo system and playing calypso music really loud.  The car was soon rocking to Jump in the Line by Harry Belafonte and I’m sure we scared the hell out of the some of the people that passed by.  I was forced to counsel the wife on the restrictions on dancing while driving.  Fun ending to a fun day that everybody there really needed.