Turkey Day With Our Dallas Family

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Evie With Renee And Tyler

It’s 7:52 AM, and I’ve been up for an hour. Mitch and Marisa just came downstairs for coffee. Yesterday’s high was a balmy 80º, but today it’s only 53º—a stark shift. Chautauqua is expecting plenty of snow over the next week, and just like last Thanksgiving, we’ll miss the snowstorm. Hopefully, we won’t face any challenges getting home next week.

Yesterday was a mix of anticipation and preparation. We were waiting for our grandson Tyler and his girlfriend, Renee, to arrive, while also prepping for dinner for both last night and today. By 9:30, everyone was up and enjoying the warm, T-shirt weather. Beth needed a few more items for our meals, so we joined her on a trip to Central Market, our favorite grocery store. It’s easy to see why it’s the busiest and most popular in the area—its selection is incredible. From fresh foods and artisanal breads to a wide range of beer, wine, and produce, they have everything you could imagine. We took our time wandering the aisles with Beth and, as usual, bought more than we intended.

Shopping

Central Market

We were home by noon, just as Rami returned from work. Lunch was simple—most of us made sandwiches, but I heated up leftover chicken and rice. Afterward, I retreated upstairs for a brief but refreshing nap.

Watching Beth Prep

The afternoon was spent in the kitchen, helping Beth as needed. Dinner was pasta with Beth’s signature Bolognese sauce, which took some time to prepare. Rami also got a head start on sous vide-ing a prime rib for today’s meal. Evie chipped in by prepping Brussels sprouts, and Beth made a delicious Caesar salad.

Surfer Dude

At around 4:30, a crew arrived to hang Christmas lights on the roof peaks. Armed with ladders and reels of lights, they worked efficiently in a team of five or six, finishing the job in just an hour.

Yum

Tyler and Renee’s flight from Atlanta was due to arrive at 7:45, so we had plenty of time to enjoy dinner before Beth and Rami left to pick them up. The meal was a hit—everyone raved about the Bolognese sauce, salad, wine, and bread. Beth and Rami headed to the airport at 7:15, leaving the rest of us to relax with an episode of The Great British Baking Show.

Tyler and Renee arrived around 9:00, and it was wonderful to see them. It had been nearly two years since we’d last seen Tyler, and this was our first time meeting Renee. Tyler is deep into his PhD work on brain and depression research, and Renee is in her residency for neurology—both are busy but thriving.

Renee And Evie

Beth And Tin Tin

We caught up on their lives around the kitchen island while they enjoyed their pasta and salad. The evening ended with slices of apple pie from an Atlanta bakery that’s a favorite of the Stranger Things cast. Evie and I called it a night around 9:30, though the rest stayed up chatting until 11:00.

It was a full day filled with good food, family, and, of course, the dogs.