Happy Thanksgiving!

Kansas City's Union Station

Thanksgiving has long been one of my favorite holidays - what's not to like about food, family and friends?

My friends, Dale and Brian and their two offspring have long been part of my Thanksgiving tradition,.The year I was remodeling my 'new' house and part of my family wanted to come down to restart our every-other-year-in-Kansas-City tradition but I had no kitchen, they offered to host the dinner.

Turns out Dale can think of nothing better than planning and cooking Thanksgiving dinner for twenty of her closest friends. (We're pretty sure she's still of sound mind...) The new tradition is for my family to come to town, but eat dinner at Dale & Brian's place. I have to admit I rather like the twist. I still make the pies - my favorite part - and get to see my family, but I don't have to plan and prepare the bulk of the meal, so I can focus on getting everything else ready.

I thoroughly enjoyed our gathering this year. We gathered at Dale & Brian's around noon for appetizers, ate too much good food at three, then just sat (or napped) for a bit and let the food settle. We went back to my place just in time to work off a bit of the food by traipsing down to the Plaza to watch the annual lighting ceremony, then went back to my house for pie.

I'm not sure what I did to deserve friends willing to go so far above the call of duty, but I am most thankful they are part of my life. ** insert happy sigh here **

In the olden days, I'd always have a project for my family to do when they came to town, but we've all gotten older, and my list of projects smaller, so after a quick game of Shuffle Janice's Furniture (I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take advantage of the many willing hands), we had time on Friday to visit one of Kansas City's landmarks, Union Station.

My hat is off to the people in charge of holiday planning there at the Station. There are a half-dozen model trains set up and running at the back of the North Hall, a small train set up for kids to ride. The overcast sky provided the perfect backdrop for the banners and lights streaming from the ceiling; the crowd was not too heavy, but heavy enough that one could lean on the rail of the second story balcony, and pretend for a moment that it was 1940, and all these people were here to meet loved ones coming in on the train. (It IS still a working train station, but few of the people there were actually there to travel.)

My clan headed back north on Saturday after breakfast; all made it home safely despite the snowstorm. I managed to fit in just a few chores, but found myself collapsing around four, happily exhausted from the gatherings.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!