Thanksgiving Report

I spent this Thanksgiving at Jud's aunt's house on Martha's Vineyard. Most of his family gathered there so that we could host a small memorial service for Jud's great aunt Mickey, who was the first one to buy property on the Vineyard and create a fun environment for everyone. Mickey died earlier this year, and we followed her wishes to have a small gathering to spread her ashes at one of her favorite beaches. It was a nice service. I only met Mickey once, but she seemed like a fascinating person.

Anyhow, Jud and I left Ithaca early (for us) Wednesday morning and stopped by Bennington, VT, to pick up Jud's brother Austin at his college. The trip was long, and I ended up driving because Jud had car problems before we left, but the weather was okay. Once we got there, we spent most of our time sleeping, eating, and playing Scrabble. It's really nice to be around people who are always up for a game, and I think I am slowly becoming a better loser. I also learned that "jo" is a word--one I looked up in desperation--that means sweetheart. It's always good to learn new words.

Thanksgiving dinner was delicious. Jud's aunt brined the turkey before roasting it. It turned out really well, but I'm not sure I'd say it was worth the extra time. We ate mashed potatoes, squash, baked sweet potatoes, stuffing, creamed onions, cranberry sauce, and rolls along with the turkey. This was topped off with some sort of sour-cream-and-apple pie and with the most delicious pumpkin pie I've ever had. This is saying a lot because I do not like to admit that anyone could possibly make pie better than my mom or my grandmother, but it's the truth. I heard the secret to the pie was some brandy. I don't know. I just know it was awesome. I need the recipe.

The only problem with the whole trip was that Jud and I were both allergic to something there, and we sneezed, coughed, and blew our noses constantly.

A good trip all in all, but I missed my family. I'm hoping to take Jud to celebrate with them next year. =)