Riding Off To Texas As The Sun Rises

Marlena With Bella In Her KC Chiefs Jersey

With The Guys

With Granny

Tom Two of His Favorite Girls

We are up at 5:45 because we have an eight to nine our drive to our daughter Beth's home in University Park, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.  We hope to be on our way some time around 7:00 and it looks like we will make that take off time.  We have had great week here in our son Tom's home in Lee's Summit and his new Condo on The Lake Of The Ozarks.  Like us, they have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Mysterious Marlena

Thanksgiving Day morning was a busy one for the gals, as Evie and Mary were up working from 9:00 on, getting the turkey, the dressing, the other sides ready for our big meal as the Thanksgiving Day Parade from New York City played on the TV.  While Nick slept, the gals worked, I walked and Tom and Marlena went to the store to pick up a few items we forgot to buy.  It never fails, does it. After the turkey was in the Weber, everyone helped clean up the kitchen, vacuum the living room, and we even started organizing our car for our trip.  Then it was time for showers, putting on our best for a Thanksgiving day of family, good food, and too much football, the American way.  Nick's buddy, Chris came over for an hour to say hi and then the two of them went outside and shot hoops for awhile.

Tom And His Father In Law, Frank 

Mary And Her Mom, Rose

The Ladies Of The Kitchen

 Mary's Mom and Dad and her brother, Mike, came over around 2:00 and  it was really nice to have both families together, something we do every time we have Thanksgiving or a visit here in Lee's Summit.  Mary is lucky to have her parents live only about a half hour away in Raytown, MO.   Dinner was self serve, from the island, an easy way to do it and people can take what and as much as they want.  The turkey was a hit as was the mushroom green bean casserole and creamy cauliflower with prosciutto.  It was a fun dinner as we sat around table for quite awhile telling stories about the 'good old days' which always makes everyone laugh, especially Marlena and Nick.

Dinner

The Guys, After Dinner

After dinner, the ladies did up the dishes while the lazy guys sat around groaning from over eating and watched football.  After dishes, we had pumpkin pie as well as a banana cream to finish up the night.  After dishes and pie, the girls gave up on the guys, left them to their football, and played a couple of rousing games of Telefunky.  And the guys, finally tired of football, went downstairs and played a couple of games of both ping pong and pool until it was time for the Acurso's to head home, with Bella this time because Tom and Mary are driving to Columbia today to watch the Missouri/Arkansas football game.

Marlena At Rest

With Dad

Because we ate so early, it was strange to have dishes done, pies eaten and it was still just 6:00.  I think many of us guys were ready for a nap if not bed by 7:00.  We made the most of it as I mentioned above, playing games as well as watching football until about 8:30 when everyone went home.  Evie and I did a quick packing for out trip and the rest of the evening we relaxed with the family, talking and occasionally paying attention to the TV.

I came across this quotation by John Muir in a North Face catalog of all places but it perfectly explains my feelings about hiking in the woods:

" Between Two Pines Is A Doorway To A New World."