It was about to be Thanksgiving but first I needed to have my quadrennial meeting with Ilhan Aksay.

The meeting being completed, I could return home the next day to see Josephine cutting vegetables as the sink filled and many groceries waited to be used while many recipes waited to be executed as more food including eggs and breads among the other foods waited to be used while Nathaniel showed up football in hand and so was tackled out of his shoes -- a worthwhile prelude to the events of the next day.

Jane was sleeping (or trying to sleep) when Sara Just arrived with her mandelbrot and posed with Suzanne as the eggs were separated the milk was measured and Seinfeld tapes were in the family room even as some of the desserts and the raw materials were in the kitchen and the dining room table was set as the chocolates held forth and Ben enjoyed the Steeler chair while our first environmental visitor came (there would be another at the end of this story) and left his literature even as the pizza boxes suitably filled and ready to be enjoyed with beer arrived and the first pizza was opened which satisfied Suzanne as Ed and Sarah arrived, ice cream was served, Ben demo'ed guitar hero and the puzzle was completed.

The next day was the main event and so there was laundry to be done as Suzanne stretched for her coffee, I took this self portrait and Ben stretched as Sarah bade farewell to Ed and I ate this Fiber Bar while testing the sun to see if the field would likely be dry even as we watched the Macy's Parade and the turkey stood guard as the clementine was opened and Suzanne and Ben ate breakfast before Suzanne and Sarah gathered various materials for the meal to follow before the pictures were shown and the potatoes and bananas kept baking as the vermouth for the Mayflower martinis was placed and the placecards were installed even as the bananas were deemed ready and the yams put back to cook for longer which gave Jane time to admire the Princeton poster and get ready for the game as I took this self portrait and Kai arrived for the game as the turkey was unveiled and Max's mother checked us out before leaving Max with us. Meanwhile, Kai and Jeff were chopping as Sarah stirred and new materials were emerging including this chunk of turkey the sliced yams and this softened brown sugar all keeping the pots of the stove busy as Justin arrived so that we could make our way to the field where Max and Ben Justin and Jane Nathaniel Caleb Ross Kai and Jon and his dog assembled for the game and I surrendered the camera to Sarah who began to record the details of the game

before we assembled for the game picture as the McKeon-Williams arrived and were suitably greeted

before Ben and Jane posed together and the game was celebrated.

Back at home, the cooking continued as Jane and Ben engaged with the Wii as Matt Trailor arrived and posed with Jane as the hot sauce was poured and the various parts of the meal were being prepared

as the table was set and Matt Trailor took the video home leaving us with our table as the casserole nuts and potatoes were ready while Ben looked for the right music and the soup and other servings were still being prepared even as the turkey cooked and Sarah and Ben continued the preparations as the table inspired Ben and me to take foot pictures and the final details were installed at the table before these nuts were served in this bowl but these nuts were interrupted by Jeff's arrival with this wine before they could be served in this bowl (which was later rejected by the good taste police). The cheeses were organized and the turkey was getting ready (at least on the outside) as Jeff learned his trade and rose to the task of pouring martinis while Ben admired the turkey and Jane and Sarah discussed the serving of the dips even as Jeff did the potato ricing int e new machine

which seemed to be the perfect prelude for the arrival of Leslie and Claudia (not pictured here) and the Mulveys who came with many foods including this world's best macaroni and cheese as I returned to the nuts and admired the appetizers being served when Kai arrived and took to his martini.

It was nearly food time as the turkey came together with the salad and the cranberries as Jeff held forth even as the soup was stirred as was the gravy even as Johnny brought the macaroni and cheese to the table which was now complete extending to a second service area as dinner was taken and my plate looked like this as the guests assembled and I admired Claudia's plate as Sarah ate and Leslie spoke Hungarian before the various desserts were served

along with chocolates as Suzanne and Sarah Laurie Leslie and Kai the two Johns Jane and I and Jeff and Claire showed signs of enjoying their meals while Sarah opened the chocolates and Leslie seemed contented as the chocolates made their way around the table and the kitchen clean up project was left for another day.