Thanksgiving Day Festivities

We had an excellent time, as usual, over the Thanksgiving Holiday. We jetted down to MD on Wednesday night, with no major traffic. Whoo hoo! After a quick bite at the Whea-tone Subway, we went to bed and arose very early on Thursday for the Virginia Run Turkey Trot. This was a different race than I've done in years past--a 5K, it's half the distance of the Bethesda race--and it was also conveniently located just a few minutes from the Flynn's house. All four Flynn kids, plus me (a psuedo Flynn) ran and enjoyed the unseasonably warm temps (check out our team pic, taken by Mr. Flynn). I crossed the line in 15th overall (20:41; it was very competitive with a lot of the typically fast NoVA runners showing up!), feeling great and ready for the big D (that's D for Double, as in two Thankgiving meals!).

Meal #1 was a scrumptious one at Gaffney's. Aside from the regular crowd, we got to see Ann Marie and Tyler, who is now 4 and adorable. I held my breath at the beginning, hoping my various contributions (chocolate cheesecake, spinach and cheese puff, and pumpkin spice cake) didn't poison anyone. Fortunately, they went over well!

We then shot up the road to Thurmie for Meal #2. The drive up 15 was beautiful, with the Catoctin Mountains splashed with autumnal hues of reds, oranges, and yellows. We got up there just as the troops were about to dig in to yet another delicious meal. This time, I didn't hold back and devoured a plateful of turkey, ham, and all of the fixings. Thanks to Bubba's organization and everyone's contributions, all of the bases were covered, food-wise--and then some!

Even though we were dearly missing some key players (Jeanie & Uncle Phil, Andy & Julie, and The Stirling-O'Connell's), the Farm was as lively, warm, and booming as ever. Maybe that's because there were 7 children under the age of 7 present: Anna, Ella, Alex, Philip, Sophie, Lucy, and Sam kept everyone smiling all day long.