An Austin Thanksgiving

Since Kenneth and Melinda were going to be in India for Thanksgiving, we decided to go to Austin to be with Di.  She invited all 70 of the graduate students in her department; thankfully not all of them could attend.  What Di didn't know is that her Aunt Kathy was going to join us.

When we arrived, Kathy knocked at the door.  Di was only a little surprised - and panicked because she did not have four places set.  Never mind, it all worked out.  We stayed at Di's but Kathy stayed in a motel not far from Di's condo.

Wednesday was spent shopping and cooking, enjoying each other, and eating at Phil and Amy's.  After dinner, we learned a new board game, Dominion.  It was a very interesting game, and I can tell it could become addicting.

On Thursday, Di was up bright and early to begin preparing the dressing.  She did not need much help from me, but I was there just in case.  We were responsible for the turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and mashed potatoes.  The rest was going to be brought by her various friends.

We brought Di some of her grandmother's silver serving pieces (which, by the way, when polished look fabulous), and she and Kathy set the tables for the dinner.  I think they turned out quite pretty.

After the meal, all of the friends went to the loft and talked while we did the dishes.  They spoke a combination of Spanish, Portuguese, and English, so frequently, we didn't know what they were saying, but that was all right.  They were having fun, and that is what Thanksgiving is about.

The trip ended too soon.  We left early Friday morning, hoping to avoid the awful traffic we encountered coming down.  Luckily, we had none of it and returned home in time to rescue Bella from the kennels.  Fun times, and a great Thanksgiving - a little non-traditional for us, but that was what made it special!