more "Happy Thanksgiving" - oops, almost forgot

Previous Thanksgiving post mentioned family in town.
This omitted extended family in town: bro-in-law's two brothers (his sister didn't make it up from Ruidoso this year), and his Mom. My son's college friends - now a happily married couple. We've known these "kids" since my son's freshman year at NMT... in 1993. I'm pretty sure they've spent every Thanksgiving with us since then! (He's an environmental engineer; she, a hydrologist.)
[note: they keep making noises about hosting Thanksgiving... but haven't yet! My advice this year: announce in mid-October!... (tho' I believe my wife's sister in fact enjoys hosting!)]

Once upon a time we were the regular hosts. One year my wife decided that everyone would sit at one contiguous table! - Between the extended family and the kids' friends, we had upwards of 30 people attending that year, but we managed to get 'em all seated at one very long 'table' - actually many, many tables strung end-to-end from dining room through living room. I've never let her live this down! (But it was sort of fun... in a masochistic way.)

Sigh. It's past now.

Till next year!

... one more thing: for many, many years I always managed to have a vegetarian Thanksgiving. This was not intentional - it's just that I kept filling my plate with the non-meat offerings and then found myself too full to enjoy turkey. Last year & this I've been wiser: starting with turkey, then ladling on the the non-meat offerings. Either way, I leave no way for dessert!

One of the things about a semi-potluck Thanksgiving: everyone brings enough to feed everyone. This results in a surfeit of food!
No - I don't feel guilty.