HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 🦃

[Captain Kidd]

A lot to be thankful for today: faith, family, freedom, fitness (aka health - the alliteration is the preacher in me coming out).

We have a big family gathering today. For the first time in about 5 years or so, my daughter and her husband will have their whole family together. Three grown daughters, two of whom have just moved back to the south from Vermont and Japan, will be here. Guess there'll be 15+ of us eating turkey. Forecast is 57 and sunny. Should be a good day.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

[Spot]

Thanks for starting the thread.
Small gathering here, warm greetings to all.

[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

My fambly will gather on Saturday because we're flexible and let others do what they need to do on the day.  Happy Thanksgiving, all!

[Frank B.]

Sounds like you got lucky with the big family gathering.  We will have one son and family on TG, leaving on Saturday morning, 2nd son and family coming in Saturday evening, leaving Sunday.  However, Christmas we will have all three sons and families, so total head count counting us and several in-laws 13 folks, two granddogs, one grandcat.

[Norm L.]

Frank, the holiday fusion family dance sounds familiar. Today, four people and four dogs. Christmas, a houseful.

Tables around the country loaded with traditions, from the Pilgrims reported repast, to Italians with lasagna, Creole with their gumbos, and a family in Hawaii having chioppino.

It's about gathering.

[Riley Smith]

The water has been smooth all day and the sky had a high overcast and was dreary. You can hardly mention the water without mentioning the sky, because it mirrors the sky. The overall effect made it a damp, cool, and dreary day. Only once today did I see the diamonds dance on the water, and that only lasted mere minutes before the high overcast thickened once again and the faint sunlight on the water disappeared.
 It is nice cooking in the Labrot House kitchen. We started the previous night, and continued about daylight after some stout coffee. Cecily arrived to watch the dressing being done. Mother passing off those cooking secrets to daughter. Everyone knows nobody can hold a candle to Sonya's dressing. Off course, there were frequent trips to the porch to get out of the hot kitchen and look out upon the water
 The brown pelicans were a source of interest as they came in very close to the shoreline diving on bait. They know, and I know too, that the cold is coming. The hard time for them is very near, when the food becomes scarce. Many will not make it, but right now they're gorging themselves. Sort of like us. Nature will make sure that there are only strong ones to carry on.
 I always love Thanksgiving at the Labrot House. But this year the central heat was on the blink and Rusty worked on it half the day. He finally puzzled through the problem and we were thankful for the heat, in addition to a fine feast. Just like those pelicans, God said we'd be refined in the furnace of affliction, so we counted our blessings and thanked the One from whom they come.
 The damp and chill made it less pleasant on the porch than normal. We aren't like many people and spend our life indoors, rarely venturing forth; so we knew the signs and forecast called for less than optimal conditions. That only dampens our outdoor exposure a little and after a nap, it started a sprinkle. The darkness came without one of those fabulous sunsets. I finally noticed a shrimp jumping under the pier lights and hied to see what kind of fish was biting.
 The first cast was nailed by a large redfish which promptly broke my line. And took with it the best lure. I had to go swap for the Garcia all the way up the bluff. And the fish didn't want the minnow lure on it. A legal speckled trout finally took it after many bumps from fish biting short. The sprinkle had gotten me damp and I saw another huge redfish in the lights before quitting. There were two white pelicans paddling around in the darkness as I headed off the pier, their white feathers reflecting the lights and making them glow.
 Yes, thanks was given for all these things. I am definitely aware that they will not last forever. After several former co-workers have passed lately and one being paralyzed in an accident, that affliction has been negligible in my mind.