Over the bridge and through the woods to Thanksgiving dinner

With most of the relatives living in the area but scattered most of us do not have the room to have everyone in the same room for Thanksgiving Dinner. So that leaves us with little choice but to be "hosted" by the one who has the space. An attempt was put forth to beg off which results in their feelings being hurt in the process.

The problem is the distance involves three elderly couples having to drive forty five minutes one way and then back in the dark on winding narrow two lane roads through countryside loaded with deer not to mention tipsy driver guiding speeding cars. They will have us scattered in a basement game room at converted pool table, air hockey and other game tables with a TV set blaring the football game and the kids playing the pinball machines, air hockey and foosball (not sure of the spelling at that at all). At least two of the kids will be running around with dripping noses and coughing all over the food with no attempt whatsoever to cover their mouths, one in the bathroom, with the door wide open, upchucking all over the sink, floor and commode. Of course all of this is always at full volume including crosstalking from one end of the huge room to the other.

The male host just happens to be a state health inspector. The food served will be a turkey previously shredded and displayed buffet style on a high counter with the flow of people ending against a wall and having to squeeze past the entire line to go seek a suitable eating place...like on an air hockey table. Not one item, including the giblet gravy, will be anything beyond room temperature.

Cutting it short here. Two hours later with the food still on the counter everyone will be encouraged to take plates of food home for thirds for their lunch tomorrow. Yeah sure. (Remember the kids were running around barfing, coughing, sneezing and all the whole time) I'll tell my wife that I had had enough to last me until next year and we will leave without any of the remains. On Friday I will cook a small turkey dinner while the wife is out with the female clan enjoying the Black Friday shopping endurance race.

Sometimes I almost would rather be out there trying to drive in the shopping traffic getting a sharp stick stuck in my eyes every couple minutes rather than endure the gatherings of the entire clan.

Pictures from last year's family Thanksgiving dinner

Everybody seated for dinner





Relative sincerely asking about my health





Watching the clan enjoying dinner





The grand daughter's date





Grandma carrying leftovers home







The notes for what the grand kids want for Christmas

Urea makes for good fertilizer

So help our forests by installing these.

Look it up HERE if you doubt me

Hiring Chart

Why some people get hired over your superior qualifications:

Rule #1: Follow all the rules

Fall surely has more deep and rich colors than Spring

Innocent Child #1

Compared to the one a couple posts older which one is innocent?  Or are they related?

Waterfall

From a Google gadget linking photos from Flickr.  The text from below the photo :

Probably not the best place to stand with a camera on a tripod! The camera was only inches from the surface of the water and I was hanging on grimly to stop myself and equipment from being washed away. The water was lapping over the tops of my wellies, thank goodness I'd worn shorts, and the tripod was vibrating with the force of the water.

Taken whilst on a morning trek with six friends from the WFC (WelshFlickrCymru) group.

Washing instructions a kid can understand

AN ELECTION DAY FIRST DEER

A farmer's advice to the youth of our nation

* Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

* Keep skunks and bankers and lawyers at a distance.

* Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.

* Meanness don’t jes’ happen overnight.

* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.

* Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

* It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.

* You cannot unsay a cruel word.

* Every path has a few puddles.

* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

* The best sermons are lived, not preached.

* Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.

* Don’t judge folks by their relatives.

* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.

* Don’t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t botherin’ you none.

* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.

* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

* The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin’.

* Always drink upstream from the herd.

* Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

* Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.

* If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.

* Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.