Visiting the Allisons: The season is upon us.

After the past year's surprise health issues, I've learned to treat every gathering as tho' it could be the last. It brings such a degree of joy to all the events. We had a wonderful week of chaos and laughter in the house. Bob and I treated ourselves to an early Christmas gift - a video game: Wii. What fun we've been missing! Our grands brought their remotes to go with ours, and there were rousing games of tennis, golf, bowling, and so forth. It's no wonder the manufacturer insists you STRAP the remote to your wrist - it's such a temptation to let go when you release the bowling ball! Don't know what our retired, sedate neighbors thought of all the "goings on" on our porch night and day. People were sleeping everywhere. Our feast table was full of ages 11 to 95 years of age. The dishwasher ran constantly. Someone was always hungry and looking for food (What teenagers aren't?). We missed Steve & Jen, but Jen was "on call" and had to stay home. Her parents joined them, so they weren't alone. Still...... Everyone had a great time. Bob went back to work at the country club Fri. morning, and instead of joining the mobs on Black Friday, we rode the length of Jupiter Island scoping out Tiger Woods' digs as well as Alan Jackson's renovated house and going to the beach at the National Seashore on the north end of the island. Everyone was gone by 4 p.m. Fri.; Bob played a lone game of tennis last night. I'm still washing dishes, putting things away, and "finding" stuff helpful hands put away in the wrong place. With the exception of some cranberry sauce and a few slices of turkey for one more sandwich, there were only enough leftovers for last night's dinner for two.

Our daughter and I used to go to the mall on Black Friday, leaving Grampa to babysit the wee ones and entertain them with Charlie Brown videos and bribe them with juice and cookies. That was when leaving the house at 7 a.m. was EARLY and we got a good parking space outside of Macy's. We'd leave the mall around noon, and we could have sold our parking space for $50! Now 7 a.m. is late, but we don't do that anymore.

Thanksgiving of years gone by when Robbie and I participated in Black Friday. They started out sleeping in separate places and ended up together. Ian, Ashley, Justin

You know Snoopy's doghouse at Christmas? Well, wait til you see what Bob does. He has such fun. Reminds me of Home Improvement when Tim decorated. Enjoy the hunt for the perfect gifts. I'll be baking cookies - eat a dozen and store a dozen! And those parties are cramming the calendar. Life is good.

Posting a blog is like reverse painting! Must learn how to get message and pix in the order I want them with a minimum of frustration and cussing. TURKEY DAY BEGINS.

The turkey is roasting, the table is set for a Florida Thanksgiving. We eat on the porch so we can all sit together. Our ceramic pilgrims and turkey were made years ago by Bob's mother and grace the table here, or wherever our family gathers.