TGIF

Here's hoping your holiday was everything you wanted it to be.  Mine was, and more.

My first Thanksgiving with my husband's extended family.  Many from New York City, which is always fabulous because I love New Yorkers.

This smart and lively group was full of oldsters and children, all moving  harmoniously in the same direction of enjoyment of good food and each others' company.  A stark contrast from my family of origin, where gatherings are rather subdued and fastidious.  I shared my chocolate cake with my husband, and then the hosts' mother/mother in-law, and then father/father-in law, all from the same plate and the same fork.  Not a care in the world!  Not a single sniffle or grabbing of a "clean" fork.  This moment, for me, was symbolic of the vast difference in my two families.

Grandpa hoisted 2 year old grandson onto his shoulders, at the dinner table.  Fantastic.  The grown ups sat at the kid's table, declaring, "Why should the children always get the small table?!"  Soccer was played in the empty lot between dinner and dessert.  Wild stories were exchanged.  Kids ran in and out of the house.  Mid-town Sacramento looked like a ghost town, it was so quiet.  There we were, right on the corner of a usually busy street, and I don't recall a single car passing that afternoon.  We had the joint to ourselves.

And today...well, today my daughter and her family arrive.  We have much to do, as we are having many of last night's revelers to lunch today to meet my family.  Better get on with it -- fun awaits!

Here's to you and yours, and thank you for stopping by and sharing yourselves with me.  Have a fantastic weekend!