To Joan and the “Framily”:

That said, it is all about tradition (cue Fiddler on the Roof). We have ours, you have yours, and you shared it with us. I thought a small list of the things that we learned is in order, as we are thankful for finally having been there/done that.

Thanks to the Vermont Department of Transportation for roasting us on our drive up

I’m known for telling really bad puns. Really, Really, REALLLYYYY bad puns. I have nothing on the Vermont DOT, who’s “Right on the DOT” such as it were.

A sampling from our drive through the state, all stately and stuff with snow on the ground:

“Don’t get Sauced. Your no Cranberry.”

“Mash the Potatoes. Not the Car.”

“Don’t Drive Basted. You’re No Turkey.”

And my personal favorite: “Visiting the Inlaws?  Be Late and Slow Down.”

Thanks for the food – I may never eat again

This was the first time in about 25 years that I have not made the Thanksgiving dinner for family. I always thought I did a pretty good job. But here’s the thing – I make one big meal. Apparently, I’m wwwaaaaayyyyy out of your league.

This doesn’t even get at the constant buffet table of breads, cakes and cookies; the plentiful amounts of wine, beer and cider in the back-porch-deck-fridge.

Yes, our annual single-meal Thanksgiving dinner has been massively outclassed.

Thanks for the walk through the woods – We’ve been put out to pasture at Shelburne Farms.

This tradition makes the most sense of all:  On Friday morning we don’t have breakfast (if you ignore coffee, pastries and anything else we want to eat). Nope, we went on a 5-mile hike through Shelburne Farms, along scenic Lake Champlain. 

What is the real purpose of this hike you may ask? Naturally, to create room for the Friday Leftovers. Think Thanksgiving Dinner Part 2. 

Thanks for making me puzzle over the holiday

In their upstairs area is a large community puzzle.  It was not finished during the holiday, but I (and a few others) found ourselves working through it during the long weekend. I hadn’t done one in years.

So, I came home and, wouldn’t you know it, there’s a puzzle that Lizzy got me to work on. 

You see, my mind is like a steel-trap. One that has been so rusted out over so many years that it will never catch an idea much less solve a 500 piece puzzle. I may actually finish someday, but don’t count on it.

Thanks for the lesson in plumbing – I now remember why I’m no good at it (and DO NOT WANT TO BE).

Something always goes wrong. In this case the kitchen sink plugged up.

Fortunately, Jay was right on it.  Unfortunately, I tried to help.

You’ll have to picture this image.  Jay and I are prone on the floor taking out the “P-Trap” to see where the clog is [Factual note: The trap looks NOTHING like the letter P; We leave it to the reader to guess the origin of this plumbing term.] Basically, our tail-feathers are sticking out from under the cabinet for all to see. Jay’s trying to explain where the clogs might be, patiently and with a good knowledge of plumbing. I’m trying to thrust a plumbing snake through the pipes to find the clog, to no effect.

One thing we puzzled on (get it?) was how the plumbing worked in the house. This is similar to the magic bullet that killed JFK. Apparently, the upstairs drains down one wall, where it meets the kitchen sink, runs all the way to the other side of the house where there are some large pipes, then runs all the way back across the house again where it apparently heads for the sewer. Or so we would guess.  It’s kind-of like watching the Zapruder film, but with more drama.

In any case, with Great Effort and a bottle of Drano, Jay gets the sink working well enough to avoid the need for a holiday plumbing bill which would exceed the national debt. If not for that, Joan would probably be better off burning down her house for the insurance money than paying holiday plumber rates.

Puzzle solved.

Thanks for making the holiday a Trivial Pursuit.

So, on Friday Evening we all have Pizza and Beer. WAYYY TOO MUCH pizza and beer, but at this point I’ve given up all hope on my diet.

And they pull out the Trivial Pursuit game. Boys vs. Girls.  But the best part is this: In order to make all us old codgers not feel so old, the game is from 1996.  The kids in the room don’t know anything that existed before Al Gore invented the internet. So… it was a fair game (except for the part where the girls got not one but two clues on Jimmy Johnson, which won them the game. Not that I’m bitter…..)

Thanks for teaching us the meaning of Framily.

Jacques Pepin was recently interviewed in Forbes Magazine. As to why Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday, he said:

“Thanksgiving is not a time of experimentation. It is a time of remembrance. Whether your family heritage comes from Peru or West Africa or Turkey or Italy, there are dishes that you may have had as a child that are very visceral and the memory of those foods stay with you for the rest of your life. Thanksgiving is a time to incorporate some of those family recipes.”

Thanksgiving is a time of tradition, regardless the coast you are on.

We visited from California, 36 years in the making. Joan, Steve and the crew welcomed us into their home. There was wonderful conversation, good food and wine, puzzles and fun times. They shared their traditions with us. We felt like home from the moment we arrived until the moment we said our goodbyes.

It may just be me, but family is not just the people you were born with; it is the people you wish to spend your time with, the ones that are part of your life. These may be friends across the coast, neighbors across the street, people you work with. You may see them once every year (or 36), or you may see them every day. Family is who you choose them to be.

It seems that the traditions of a fall Thanksgiving seem to be getting lost in the blizzard that is Christmas marketing. That is unfortunate, because this is a time to remember why we are so fortunate.

But this change in seasons also serves as a reminder to take the time to say your gratitude for those that you care for.

Thank you for sharing traditions with us.