Thanksgiving Season 2005

This year Thanksgiving wasn't a "Day" it was a season. My mom, near Houston, decided to have Thanksgiving the week prior. That worked out great for everyone, but it turned the holiday into a holi-two-weeks. Also sandwiched in between the two Thanksgiving weeks was our grandson's first ever Grandparents Day at school (Kindergarten, this year). Marilyn had campaigned hard to host Thanksgiving for her side of the family at our house. It was a campaign that paid off because we were blessed to have her mom, two of her siblings and their families here for the thankful celebration.

So, accounting for these gatherings and their associated events will take some time and some blog space. We had camera trouble early, but that was corrected later. Thus pics are sparse at the first Thanksgiving and more abundant at the second. So, here goes:

We drove to Oak Ridge on Friday - that's the Friday before the week of Thanksgiving. It was a beautiful day and drive. Our arrival was glad and warm. Mama was waiting for us. It seemed as though we hadn't been there in a while. My mother's house is the house that holds the most memories for any of our family, since my parents moved there in 1966, or so. It has changed a little, superficially, through the years but is fundamentally the same. The change that my mom wanted to happen this time was to bring her computer into the house. That sounds a bit strange, but it's easily understood if you understand it. What used to be an area of the back yard that was covered by the house's roof eventually became a back patio area and then evolved into a closed in back porch area. Later, in that area's next life it became a back room that houses a TV and an extra dining table and the computer that serves as Mama's email communication with her world. She had decided she wanted the computer brought into the regular part of the house so she wouldn't have to "go out there" to check email and use the computer.

The trick to this project was to run a telephone line to the new location for the computer. Oh, this transfer also involved a switch from dial-up to DLS internet access. This is a techno-move that seems rather natural to those who know Mama, but something astounding to those who simply know her as a senor adult in her 80s - not exactly the DSL generation. Anyway, the project occupied my arrival afternoon and ended in incompleteness because the DSL folks had scheduled her account to open on the 23rd and would not change the date. All other parts of the move were accomplished.

The evening brought the opportunity for Marilyn and me to go with Mama to the church seniors group's Thanksgiving pop-luck gathering. It was fun being the youngsters in the crowd and meeting several new friends who have come into my mother's life.

The next day, Saturday, was "Thanksgiving." We were up leisurely and piddling in the morning. At least, that was my activity. Marilyn and Mama were busily getting ready for the feast that was scheduled to start around 1:30 or 2:00p. In the late morning I went for a jog and got back in plenty of time to clean up and get ready for family arrivals. Let's see . . . here's the list:
Becky and James
Andy and Stephanie
Jesse and Becky with Jaden
Chris
John Taylor with Meghan
Abbey
Brady
Later:
David and Shelley with Samuel and Jeremiah
Larry and Ann with Michelle and Kenny

We ate and talked and ate and laughed and ate and played games and ate and remembered and ate. Then, they brought out the dessert. It was a great time of love and family joy.

Sunday Marilyn and I stayed for Bible Class and Sunday Assembly. We seldom get to do this anymore, with our obligations at RHCC. So, it was nice. We went to Bible Class with Mama and were introduced as two young people visiting the class. After worship services, we packed up at Mama's house, ate a bite and headed to Fort Worth. We drove straight to RHCC. Marilyn went, late, into the assembly and I went to my office to finish preparing for our 6:30p Bible Class. After class we went home - tired.

I went to my office on Monday while Marilyn unpacked and repacked in preparation for our trip that afternoon. I had a 2:30p Departmental Meeting and came straight home after the meeting. We decided to make the College Station trip in the Miata. It was fully packed, but OK. It was more economical. Our purpose in the College Station trip was to attend Grandparents Day, Tuesday, at Samuel's school. His other GPs were coming down from Longview, also. They weren't coming until Tuesday morning.

We arrived at David and Shelley's in time for a late supper. It was good to work more on getting caught up. Our conversations at my mother's place two nights earlier had been incomplete. We closed out the evening with a video chat with Sara, in Mexico.

Tuesday morning Samuel walked to school, as usual, with his friends and one of his friend's parents - their "walking school bus." Before he left we briefly played his game for which he doesn't know the name. He was dressed to leave as he finished his last play. This was the only pic we got. That's the hat he picked out when he was given a choice. We got a good bit of video of the GP's Day program, but our camera battery life problem prevented more still pics.

Before we went to the school we sat in lawn chairs in the beautiful weather in the driveway in front of David and Shelley's house. Jerry and Ann had arrived and we had a warm happy conversation. It's always good to get caught up on what they are up to. Bob Davidson stopped by and sat and visited a while. He was about to ride his bike to the campus to play handball - he's 76.

When it came time to go to the school we walked - the six of us. We all attended the program and then David and Shelley left. The four GPs visited Samuel's room, met his teachers and had lunch with him in the school cafeteria. He was very glad to be able to show us how his life at school proceeds. Six years ago he knew nothing!! That is a statement that is absolutely true. He has come from zero to this is six short years?!?!? How in the world is that possible? He instructs us in his life's routines. He speaks one and a half languages and is completely fluent in one of them. He calls us up on the computer, so he can chat with us. He knows friends and what is considered good behavior. He plays games and understands strategies. He prays and reminds us to pray. I am amazed! No, "amazed" is not the right word. Stunned!! That's it - stunned.

We left College Station mid-afternoon. The traffic north out of Waco was very heavy. But, it thinned out when I-35 split sending more than half the traffic to Dallas as we went to Fort Worth. It was good to get home knowing that our driving was over. We went to bed tired.

Wednesday was yard day. Marilyn had already done a lot to prepare the house to receive guests, but we hadn't touched the yard in weeks. We raked up 15 bags and a yard-cart of leaves. We swept and trimmed. I ran and worked a bit on my Sunday school lessons. Then, the day was done. It didn't take long to pass that day. Oh, did I mention it was an absolutely beautiful day?

I think Donna and her friend, Mercheria, were the first to arrive. Mercheria is from Kenya and was hobbling on crutches because of a broken foot. He attends church with Donna and was invited because he had no where else to go for the holiday. It has always been a practice (at least since I began my observations) in the Brabham family that there has usually been a non-family member at the Thanksgiving gathering. Usually that person is a foreigner. I don't think it has been done by design it simply seems to always work out that way. Hospitality is a genetic trait in the Brabham family. I'm not sure if it comes from the Brabham side or the Platt side, but I do know it is there.


Then Larry and family arrived with Modene, Marilyn's mom. They had driven up from Oak Ridge after having spent the night in Fairfield. Larry had been here before, but this was the first visit in 7 years for the rest of his family. At my encouragement they had brought Kenny's bike. I had planned a bike ride for Larry and me and we wanted to take Kenny with us. They also brought the turkey and other dishes. The feasting was about to begin.


While final preparations of the food were underway, Larry, Kenny and I went for a brief bike ride. Larry rode Marilyn's recumbent Rans Tailwind and I rode my V-Rex. This was Larry's first recumbent ride other than a brief driveway experience with my Linear a couple of years ago. Later Michelle also tried the Tailwind. We were planning a longer ride on Friday morning. I think Michelle would have liked to have ridden with us the next morning but had no bike.

The Thanksgiving meal was as traditionally Thanksgiving as it could be - turkey, ham, dressing, cranberry sauce, gravy, other delicious dishes and all in abundance. We truly live in a blessed status in a blessed country full of more to be thankful for than we could ever "say grace over." After lunch, we got out the Monopoly game and actually got Larry to play with us. Later on an exciting game of Nertz was played. We found that Ann was almost a 'professional' in this game. It was fun and followed by popcorn. How could we have been hungry??

Friday morning the three guys mounted up and left on our bikes about 7:30a. We arrived back about 11:30a. We had logged a little more than 26 miles of riding. We had found our way to Main Street in downtown Fort Worth. We took a break at Starbucks, toured downtown a bit and peddled home. It was a beautiful day and great workout. When we got home Meghan and Mark had already arrived. Donna, Meghan's mom and Marilyn's sister, made a return appearance. Ireland and Caleb added to the excitement. Maghan had brought her bike and wanted to go for a ride. Three miles was about her limit. So, we took her on a four mile ride. She rode the whole way. As we went down the big hill she not only rode her bike, she also rode her brakes.



Then we got around to eating all the leftovers from Thanksgiving and there was food to spare! Thanks to Donna and Ann for bringing yummy salads and desserts to add to the feasts.

Everyone hung around visiting until about 3:00 or 4:00p. Then, they all left at once. I told Marilyn I was declaring the day a resounding success and congratulated her on her hard work. Then, as Larry noted as he left, we went back to being empty-nesters. Of course, that is what we are!

Now the Thanksgiving Season is over and we get a few days of normalcy. Then, the Christmas Season begins. God has been unnaturally gracious to us. He is to be praised and thanked far more than we could ever praise or thank Him.