DALLAS and MESQUITE, Texas, November 24, 2005 — There is much to be thankful for. A lot of people have had a rough year. Most any year that's true but tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, famine, war and all those things seem especially destructive lately. Me, I've been lucky. And everyone stayed upright and healthy today. The kids got home from college. The Houston relatives arrived safely. We all survived over-eating.

I didn't sleep well last night. I just couldn't get to sleep. I fooled around on my computer. I read. (One book I picked up at the last minute to bring along was a novel I'd actually already read. I started it again and then realized this. But the other book, a collection of stories, some newspapers, and the TV kept me entertained.

And awake. Until late when I started sleeping hard and then didn't want to get up. But I jumped up at 7 something because I knew my dad would be up and ready. I got dressed, had coffee and we called a friend of his to see if we could come by and see her new house. She doesn't live far away, just out in Sunnyvale where there used to be nothing but farmer's fields. You go passed the old feed store (where they have some goats and llamas) and turn into this big edition. Many of the houses were over-grand but his friend's was moderate with a large kitchen and breakfast room, a study, a nice master and two small bedrooms. We talked, we toured the house, we looked at stuff she'd bought from all over the world.

Then we headed for my aunt's apartment where I had a V8. We loaded up around noon and went to my cousin's place. All guests had arrived and turkey carving had commenced. I went from pretty darn hungry to full after taking a plate with a little bit of turkey, gravy, mashers, sweet potatoes, creamed spinach, cranberry salad, dressing, green beans, corn. I drank a little Pinot Noir. Everyone else moved on to pie but I didn't get my piece of cherry pie until much later. Right before the delictious turkey fajitas my cousin whipped up.

Some napped. Some chatted. Some watched the cowboys. One of my cousins got out his laptop and sent off something for work. The kids surfed, chatted to friends on cells, played the piano, sang and, at one point disappeared to the movies with forty bucks I gave them to see the Johnny Cash biopic. We started a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle of a picture of colored paper clips jumbled together. It made going home to a sparse Fairfield Inn seem like a blessing.

Ann & E.C.

I watched TV, messed with my computer. I slept, but not well.