How I Spent My Thanksgiving Weekend

As I said in my last post, I got my new car and took off to Augusta (a four hour drive) the next day to have Thanksgiving Dinner with my family at my cousin David's house. Clockwise around the table beginning top left: My dad (Robert), cousin Randall, David's next-door neighbor (I've forgotten his name), cousin David, cousin Perry. Randall, David, and Perry are brothers. Their dad, Ralph, was my dad's oldest brother. He died a few years ago. I went around the table so we could see a little better. Randall and David are joined by our cousin Steve. Steve's dad was the middle brother, James. He died a few months after Uncle Ralph. Steve has a sister, Rhonda (the oldest among us - I'm the baby), who is the only other cousin. She spent the holiday with her daughter and two grandchildren.
Clockwise from bottom left: Cathy (Perry's wife), Katie (David's younger daughter), Garrett (Perry's younger son), Vickie (Randall's wife), and Aunt Eunice (Perry, David, and Randall's mom).
As you can tell from the pictures, David and Shari have a beautiful home. Here is a picture from the back porch looking out towards the pond.

I walked down to the pond and took this picture looking back towards the house. Just beautiful.

We all ended up in the driveway. Here are all of Aunt Eunice's grandchildren: Lindsey (David's older daughter), Katie, Bradley (Perry's older son), and Garrett in the background.

Aunt Eunice tried on some cool Coach sunglasses Cathy had. David's wife Shari (who was in the kitchen cooking and cleaning while I took the other pictures - she's a great hostess) is standing behind her with Cathy.

Steve had driven Daddy the two hours from Anderson. After we ate, I drove Daddy home to Anderson in my new car. We followed Steve. Things Daddy said on the way home:

"I don't know why Steve is going so fast."

"Why's he going this way."

"It would have been quicker to go through Abbeville."

"Are you okay, Hon?"

"What town is this?"
"Can you see Steve up there?"
"Don't talk on that phone while you're driving."
"Are we in Calhoun Falls yet?"

"Are you okay, Hon?"

We made it safe and sound, despite his worries. We went out on Friday and went to the mall. Katie had reminded me about the big bonus sale they were having at Bath & Body Works. We went straight there when we got to the mall. Daddy was going to wait outside, but the lines were out to almost the front of the store, so I went and got him and made him stand in the line for me while I shopped. He was pretty close to the register when I finished and I went and handed him a coupon. "What's this?" "That's your coupon." "For what?" "For these," as I hand him two can of room fragrance. "I don't want these." "I do and I can only use one coupon. I'm using this one. I need you to use that one." "Oh, Hon." Anyway, I ended up with $196 worth of products for $65. Woo-Hoo!

On Saturday we watched my Clemson Tigers beat the Carolina Gamecocks! Go, Tigers!!

Eventually, I'd driven 378 miles and was down to a quarter of a tank - gotta love a Honda - and needed some gas. I realized this was my first fill-up in this car and documented the event:

That's Daddy in the car. Eat your heart out SUV drivers: (Remember, this is 378 miles worth of gas.)

The Sunday after Thanksgiving in Anderson always means the Toys for Tots Motorcycle Parade. One year Daddy and I happened upon it by accident. Now we make plans to be there every year. The weather this year was horrible. The crowd was down, but there were still die-hard bikers who made sure those kids will get presents. I did a video with my digital camera:

Anderson had some autumnal decorations lining the streets near city hall.

Daddy has two neighborhood cats he feeds when they come for a visit. They occasionally announce themselves by perching in the kitchen window. This one came by Monday morning while I was packing to leave.

I came back to more stress at work and a Christmas musical at church. I'll have to take some pictures to share at tomorrow's performance.