Grand Adventures: November 2011

Thanksgiving at Grandma Nelly’s is a sight to be seen. The festivities began in earnest on Tuesday evening, when Uncle Billy serenaded friends and families with variations of Waltzing Matilda. Grandma claimed that he had drunk one too many glasses of wine, but no, Uncle Billy is full of jolly without a drop of liquor. Thanksgiving itself involved twenty-eight of us, including three first-timers (congratulations, Stephanie, Anne Marie, and Quanli!) and one cute baby. As always, every dining room chair was covered with a plastic trash bag, for fear the “children” might make a mess, and leftovers were synonymous with the devil. Nelly insisted that her great-granddaughter serve as a centerpiece for the big meal. Which was so exciting to Lillian that she decided not to sleep for the next four nights.

Saturday brought the Ohio State – Michigan showdown. We made like undergraduates, donning yellow and drinking before noon. Except that between the six of us, we couldn’t finish a twelve-pack, so I guess that qualifies us as officially old. The game was amazing, which obviously means Michigan finally beat OSU. Hail to the victors!

By Sunday night, there were only eight of us left, eating pizza and sprawled in front of the Patriots game, conquered by a week of food, family, and fun. The dining room table was back to normal size, the chairs were uncovered, and aside from some chocolate frosting and some stewed fruits, most of the leftovers were gone.

I’m grateful for it all.