We took a nice walk around town this morning as we waited for everyoen to wake up and get to max and beckys. We are really enjoying the weather and the light !

When we all got together.. we went on a nice walk in the dog park.. 

the rest of the day was about gettign ready for dinner. Max cooked the turkey  while becky and diane saw to all the other dishes. It was  southwestern themed thanksgiving with dishes for vegitarians, non -dairy peopke, gluten free people, non alchohol drinking people.. and just people 🙂 

here’s what I remember of the menu:
Beckys fresh  garden salsa and chips 
Southwest rubbed brined turkey by max
vegitarian blue corn stuffing 
blue corn muffins
multple gravies including mole turkey gravey, anchau red peper veggitarian gravy
cranberry slaw with onions
thanksgiving style cranberies
mashed potatoes from Beckys gardens
vegitarian enchilada pie with fresh garden veggies 
fresh slaad from the garden
squash and onion  stew
fresh wax and string beans from the garden 
really hot green chile sauce (hot even for me 🙂 
non-alcholi based mocktai of pomegranite and fresh prickly pear that becky and match had harvested all aroudn their neighborhood (from danny)

i’m sure i’m missing some stuff.. 

It was alll soooooo delicious. even these stuff . I got told be the meat eaters that max’s turkey was awesome.. and the only southwest style turkey they’d ever had.  

After dinner, diane gave the girls some little presents shed found in portland.  there was a dragon fly finger puppet  and a dragon fly cape for Vivian and a really cool crinkly noise make for jules.. 

then for dessert max had spent last night perfecting a non dairy pumpkin ice cream with non dairy whipped cream served on a bed of crumbs made from soem frozen vermont apple cider donuts that max had brought back on is last trip to vermont  That was paired with the gluten free green chile apple pie that Diane,. Max and Ihad picked up yesterday from Choclate Maven  

At about 8, the Neils gathered up and went home, while diane, max, becky and Iwalked across the steet to their house to watch a movie (guillermo del torres Frankenstein for the 2nd time _ 

vilet decided to use me as a pillow which was really nice !

great day. We missed every body who couldnt be here. MWe missed Gabe.. he made a good call to keep workign in Portland on an impossible paper deadline..before a planned trip to Germany to sscope it out..

of couse we missed Sam as we have done now for 19 years

We do have much to be thankful  for. and think about it every day.  Today especually Ispent time thinign about all the goodness and love in my/our lives 
 
Hope anyone reading this had a good and reflective day as well. 

nite all, nite sam
-me

Today was mostly prep for thnasgiving. We got to hang out with Beckys parents (and our very good freinds) George and Doreen and Beckkys Brother Dan, his wife Elizabeth and their two very adorable kids Vivian (2+) and Jules (almost 1).. 

we also got to hang out with Max and Beckys livestock of dog, chickens, bunnies.. .. Here are the chickens.. I remember helping move soem of these girls from their older place on Sibly 

Diane, Max and I went to chiclate maven to pick up the gluten-free green chile apple pie max and becky had ordered (only in Santa Fe !)  We had a great breakfast while we were there.. reallly cute place, and a good place for soem deep family talk. 

then Igot my wish to go to a grocery store on the day before thanksgiving. I’m not kidding.. Ilove to see the craziness.  Its really fun grocery shopping here.. so much cool Southwest stuff.. .. though I gotta say, I have trouble eating Hominy since the Colony where we ate a ton of it !    

We spent a good part of the day (aand of the whole trip) playing with Viv and Jules.. really cute kids !  It was fun taking them for a walk aroudn Max and Beckys neighborhood. with its glorius sunsets. 

we had a great spagetti dinner with sauce made all from Beckys gardens.. rely yummy !

While eating, this picture came across Max and Beckys photo frame. There was this picture of Max disguised as me using a picture taped over his face. It was a surprise visit from him in Portland for my 65th birthday.

After dinner the girls got to meet lestat and claudia, max and beckies very domesticated rabbits !

all thrighout there weas cooking goign on for tomorrow.. Check out this beets and squash all from Beckys gardens. They look good even to me and i’m not a fan of either beets or squash !

OK.. tomorrows thanksgiving.. .. more from then and there 

nite all, nite sam
-me

We caught an early morning uber to the airport with 6 suitcases.. we’re acting as mules for some of Gabe’s stuff on all our trips back

We had a nice long layover in Denver.. its such a bright space.. we appreciate the art in there 

we also appreciate the pommegranite mint water in the United lounge.. it looks like art !

THough all creatiivity isnt nabsolutely necessary.. such as these angry eagle boxer shorts.. really ?!?

We got ot our rental.. which is wonderfully accross the street from max and beckys. We rent from their wonderful neighbors. 

WeMax braugt gerwat SW food take out for us all from Aristos and we ate at the rental house, then got a quick tour of Max and Beckys always amazing horticulture.. Including their edible mushroom set up , potatoes and tomatoes.  It’s absolutely  amazing to see how much bouty they get from this small piece of land in the city. 

Great to be here with Max and Becky !

more tomorrow.

nite all. nite sam
-me

To day was our final push we made or las trips to goodwill and the dup. The pile of stuff Gabe is bringing by car.. or we’re carryin on our next trip is getting really small !

The pile of boxes we took to UPS was taller than diane.. and these pics dont show even half of it. 

After all of the dropping off and shipping, Gabe headed out to his mandolin lesson. . After his leasson, Gabe picked us up and we went out a nice dinner at the moon and sixpence.. we listened to soem music and ate fish and choips.. Gabes mandolin teacher Rene and his freind and gutarmaker Jeff were tehre too. We got to talk to them again. thei is our third time gettign to talk to Rene. What a wonderful guy. super kind.. he’s calm and reflective. I was not surprised to here that went to Goddard college back in the 60’s .. 

after dinner, Gabe took us back to our airbnb. we said good bye to him.. we’d said bye to nova earlier. I thk we’ll be back in less than 3 weeks.. . 

We are so proud of gabe.. even thought he’s got so much on his plate right now .. he was a wonderful host .

nite all, nite sam
-me