Florida Thanksgiving

When I told people we were going to Florida for Thanksgiving, everyone could relate to being in warm weather, though people did think it was a bit unusual. I have to confess to liking it in New England at this time of the year, especially if we have snow. On the other hand, we sure did enjoy our Thanksgiving in Florida, and I for one would love to make it a family tradition. It’s easy for me to say, however, because R did all the planning and arranging, and I think everyone takes it for granted how much work it was for her. We all just show up and enjoy the fruits of her labors, but her work begins months in advance. It’s not easy to accomodate so many people in different parts of the country who are all moving in different directions, but she did a fabulous job. Yet another reason why we love mom.

The house we rented was in a great location, literally across the street from the beach. The house itself was clean and nice, though not unlike a hotel, with not much in the way of a personal touch, not that we needed it. In a way, it’s better because you feel less like you’re in someone’s home, infringing on their space. The house was also a bit bigger and more luxurious than I would opt for, but I’m not complaining, merely pointing things out. The size was just right for all 8 of us to be comfortable, and that’s all that matters.

Since it was a new house, we had to stock up on food for the week and for Thanksgiving. There were plenty of places to accomplish this, and we didn’t get too crazy and managed to get all we needed. We even got a turkey. For the big meal, I pretty much stayed out of the kitchen and let JR and mom do the preparation. As much as she might deny it, I think JR enjoys certain aspects of being in charge of the kitchen. She does a fabulous job of cooking and keeping it in order, and though it’s a lot of hard work, I think she thrives in that environment.

They made a fabulous meal, to boot. We even drank wine with our meal, which we never do, and the kids had ginger ale. It was really nice, and afterward we had this amazing chocolate fudge cake that was, amazingly enough, amazing. There is a little backstory to this cake.

When N had his last birthday, we slipped a little on the planning. We had just returned from DC the day before, and he wanted to golf for his big day. We pretty much woke up after our trip, hit the golf course, then went to dinner. We didn’t have a lot of time to plan a cake and all that good stuff. He didn’t complain, but he did inquire as to why we didn’t get him a cake like we usually do, which meant that it crossed his mind. I felt bad, and thought that this Thanksgiving would be a good time to have a cake with the whole family there to celebrate. The cake was good, and I think he was happy about it. I know I was.

The meal was fabulous, kudos to JR and mom for their efforts, and thanks to everyone for making it such a wonderful holiday. I sure hope we can do it more often.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to sbpp and monmart for the pics.