Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2001 14:24:25 -0500
Subject: Weekend Update: Thanksgiving week 2001

(Wrote this bit on Thursday evening)

I have taken the whole week off, which explains why this update is so late
in the week.  The Thanksgiving visit is over and my family is settled into
the barn to watch a movie on the big screen TV.  A fire burns in the wood
stove to take the cool edge from the air; we keep the barn and house cool
in the cold months to save on fuel costs.

Last Friday, Joy's Dad arrived to begin his visit.  He got a little too
close to something on his way up, knocking his driver's side mirror for
a loop.  We tried to paste an ill-fitting mirror where the factory one
once showed what was behind him, but alas, he buckled and took the
car to the dealer to get it replaced. Not cheaply, I might add.

On Monday, Joy and I took Dad to the auction in Concord, NH.  I dialed
Diane Adams just before we left to see how she'd do on the spur of the
moment, knowing that she has enjoyed the auction with us before.  She
passed the spontanaity test but not without a fight.  We got out of
there for under $40 and brought home a few things to add to the homestead.

The college girls returned on Wednesday, bringing a friend home for
Thanksgiving.  (Amber makes her home in Washington State.)  They
weren't home for too long before they called some friends and went
out to watch a movie.

On Thanksgiving Day, we took the van and the Eclipse to my brother's
home because I didn't want to cram eight people into the van. None of
us is small anymore. Miranda didn't complain because she got to drive
the sports car.  I even let Amber drive it back from Marshfield.  

I bet Thanksgiving was more than a little different for Joy and her
Dad, as it was for the rest of my family, because Thanksgiving has
always been the property of my In-Laws.  However, Steve and Sharon
put on a very nice spread and we all had a good time visiting with
my side of the family for the holiday.  My Mom and Dad were there, 
John and Steve's family, and us.  Russell took his family to their
eldest daughter, Jennifer's Boston apartment.

Steve did help Joy and the girls to maintain the tradition of a
family walk after dinner by taking us to the woods in Marshfield.
We walked part of the oldest commissioned roadway in America, the 
Pilgrim's Way.  Steve also took us to a tree that had a heavy rope
suspended from it.  (The rope came from some pier and was used to
tie ships to the pier. A very heavy rope.)  We took turns swinging
out over the woods.  They laughed when my backside connected with
the ground.  And they were laughing at me and not with me.

Tomorrow (Friday) the Christmas decorations will come up from the
basement and the week-long decorating tradition will come to pass.
Our annual Christmas party will occur on Saturday, December 15, so
I need to get cranking on the paper invitations.  (This email is an
invitation to those of you I can't get to in person!)

(Update to the Update)

Like clockwork, the day after Thanksgiving resulted in a royal mess
of boxes and partially constructed artificial Christmas trees.  But
this year, the kids all pitched in and by day's end on Saturday,
most of the empty boxes were repositioned in the basement and the
house has taken on a festive air.  It still takes Joy about a week
to completely decorate the entire hour for Christmas.  But the effort
is worth it because she always makes the place glow with Christmas
cheer.  I haven't counted our Christmas trees, yet, but there are
a bunch up and dcecorated, and some that have yet to be erected.

Joy roasted another turkey on Saturday, so that we could have 
Thanksgiving leftovers.  Jessica lamented that we wouldn't have
leftovers so I asked Joy to get a turkey for a second (smaller)
Thanksgiving dinner; so Miranda and Jessica could take some
back to college with them (and we could enjoy them, too).  As 
much as we enjoyed Thanksgiving with my side of the family, the
leftovers stay at the host house, so we decided to get a smaller
turkey for ourselves giving us the double dose. I invited the Hamlins
over to enjoy our second Thanksgiving with us and we had a very
good time.  The leftovers were very good, too!

We took Dad Crawford back to the auction last night since he had
such a good time on the previous Monday.  Joy came home with more 
bargains.  The auction in Concord NH is shutting down for the 
month of December and will return on New Year's day.  Perhaps we
will, too.

The girls are back at school, and I am at work preparing for my
west coast trip that was postponed by September's tragedy.  I fly
on Saturday so my next update may also be late.  Enjoy the Christmas
season, folks. (Now, what should I get for Joy?)  And if you can make it
to the Manor on December 15th, we'd love to celebrate with you!

Mark
-- 
+---_-----------+ Mark Metcalfe, metcalfe@cadence.com
| c a d e n c e | Cadence Design Systems, Inc.    Phone: (978) 446-6451
+---------------+ Manager, PCB Enterprise Publications