Table of Plenty

Unfocused but Some of Best People Currently Breathing

I didn’t think Thanksgiving could be topped but once again my older sister proved me wrong.  In what has become something of a Thanksgiving tradition since she usually is working on the actual day we all journeyed down to her house for a day after Thanksgiving celebration.  I was joined by my wife, daughter, son in law, son, his Most Excellent Girlfriend, Buddy, and our Keene Friend. 

My sister had prepared a huge turkey that her son got up to put in the oven at 4:30 am (or approximately seven hours too early – but I digress).  My sister has a fairly well-deserved reputation for cooking adventures with turkeys so we made a prank call to her (my Keene Friend’s idea) before driving down.  I claimed to be calling from the Butterball Customer Service Center responding to calls from concerned future consumers of her bird.  She was reminded to do a thorough cavity search prior to stuffing the turkey (and remove the giblets).  She was a good sport about her annual teasing about a mistake she’s made in the past (several times).

Buddy was a lot more fun to travel with yesterday than he was on Thanksgiving Day when he kept dropping gaseous bombs in the car.  Yesterday he was more gastro-intestinally kind (at least until the return trip).  He loves going to my sister’s house where he can hone his counter climbing skills with scant chance of reprobation from my too kind sister.

The meal was fabulous and my sister had about every form of dessert available in the western hemisphere.  My wife went on high alert to insure my cholesterol count didn’t climb into the quadruple digits.  The best part about the meal though was sitting around the table with the people most important to me in the world and enjoying the interplay of stories and jokes.  Buddy would emerge from under the table occasionally usually into someone’s lap to grab any low hanging bits of food.

After dinner, my brother in law (augmenting the circle of most important people) arrived home from work and took up station at the table.  His fantastic family trickled in over the next couple of hours and it was a terrific evening as it always seems to be when I’m blessed to spend time with them.  The star of the evening was one of the younger generation who’s a junior in college and singularly pride of the probationary status his house has achieved after being cited four times by the police for loud parties in the two months he’s lived there.

I didn’t want the night to end or to leave but since I wasn’t driving I had to be a little understanding of the plight of our designated drivers – the true heroes of the night.  Buddy provided a couple of reminders to keep our eyes open, even though they were watering.  I am so blessed to have these remarkable people and gaseous dog in my life.

My Sister and I at the Table

My Daughter, MEG, and Son

Buddy Emerges in Keene Friend's Lap and my Nephew

Later in the Evening Around the Table

My Son, Keene Friend, and Son in Law