Friday, November 28, 2014

Thanks.

Hope you are well? It's been a whole month since I blogged, heck. The blank page becomes so frightening, doesn't it? And then you start thinking: why would anyone want to read my nonsense...Thanks for writing in and getting me back into it. It's the day after Thanksgiving here, bright and shiny. We had a quiet-ish one, but a good one. My brother, Tony, and his family came over the bridge, he has four girls: Pietra, 23, Devan, 20, Mirabelle, 11 and Cecily, nine, so for once it was girls galore.

The whole fang dang family
The front garden knew visitors were coming - old show-offs

Can you believe our hibiscus are blooming, Oakland in November.

It had all the ingredients of a traditional Thanksgiving. The day opened bright and beautiful with requisite yelling at the kids dispensing of repeated instructions about scrubbing the outdoor chairs.

The mish mash of chairs, tablecloths and wobbly tables from the garage that makes up Thanksgiving.

A day like this would not be complete without Kevin and I having a marital about how to cook the bird. Last year Kevin opted for Tarquin, the Ashtanga practising eco-bird from Sonoma. It was a mite tough so (after a few reminders from moi) this year he purchased one that was pre-brined. Friends, it was perfect.

Tallulah and Kevin with his golden pre-brined bird

Like childbirth, by the time the guests arrived we'd forgotten the pain. What a great day. It was all there: the early tension and ranting, the competitive ping pong, the loosening of the belts, the talk of surgeries past, the differences of opinion over who was the hero of childhood reminiscences. And many good chortles.

I did the roasted potatoes (serrated and covered in flour - how do you do yours?) plus roast yam and butternut squash in lemon. We had kale salad (loads left over in case you're wondering)

Plates of food never photograph well do they? But it was yummy
Brother Tony made the speech, his wife Grace behind him (love her dress!)

Tony's younger girls made the pies under the tutelage of their babysitter (who is a pastry chef by training...this is the Bay Area after all)

It was so warm we ate the pie on the deck out front

Tony

Tallulah, Teddy and Cecy
Cy taught the girls to Ripstick
Tony, 54, had double hip replacement last month. But the old man still beat Harley, 17.


Corner shop flowers performed well

Groundhog Day on the outfit, same as last year, Alice and Olivia trou
I know you to come to this blog for bunion-kind outfits but these are one aberration...the old YSLs are the most comfy (all relative) high sandals you'll find in the land
That old holiday staple, the clink of young children taking bottles to the recycling bin, was missing this year - Kevin and I have been on a two-month no-drinking binge (is that a thing?). We've got two weeks left.


And the line-up that makes it all worthwhile...

Cousins; Mirabelle, 11, Harley, 17, Cecily, nine, Cy, 10,  Jackson, 15, Devan, 20, Tallulah, 13, and Li'l Pietra, 23.


Family.




52 comments:

  1. Welcome back Jody are you were missed! Great pics all around but I do have a fav...absolutely love the one of Talluleh (becoming a great beauty before our very eyes!), Teddy, and crowd fav Cecy !!!

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  2. We're out here in Walnut Creek visiting my husband's family for Thanksgiving. My sister-in-law cooked a feast. Tonight it's out to Ramon
    for dinner with more family.
    Glad to see you posting again, I was afraid that your walk had finally caught up with you.

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    1. Oh so close! and yet - at this time of year - probably loads of traffic away. Sounds like a nice day...you would have had even better weather than us out there in Walnut Creek

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    2. PS loving your blog post today, about giving thanks for all the days, not just the sunshiney well ones

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  3. Oh so glad you're back! I've been thinking about you and wondering how you are.
    Your Thanksgiving looks amazing... I had a good snort at Tarquil the ashtanga bird.
    You look amazing - doing a no drinking thing obviously hasn't done too much harm! J and I instigated a 'no drinking Mon - Thurs' regime after my surgery and felt amazing, although it did mean we would binge more than usual on Friday night....
    Very glad you're back, and love your trousers!

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    1. Thanks Ruth, I'm heading over to yours to check out your outfit posts, bet its getting toasty there!

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  4. Hello gorgeous. You and the whole famn damily look great. Happy Thanksgiving!

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    1. Thanks for a good giggle on your blog today about the college students returning home. I'm looking forward to that next year!

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    2. So glad you decided to wade in again before I had to nag the shit out of you. Missed you.

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  5. Glad you had such a jolly time. The food looks yummy, and the family delightful.

    Never heard of pre-brined turkey. The wonders of America. :)

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    1. I'll say, if you've thought of something, someone else will save you the time for some cash

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  6. I've been wondering what you've been up to, lovely to see your post, what a bunch of kids, so many! You are looking amazing, those trousers are just the thing. Two months straight no drinking, not even on the holiday, that's good willpower. My MIL often used to say that she gave up drinking for lent, but still drank wine, it doesn't count as drinking, hehe.

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    1. Would have to agree with the Lent rules, wine practically holy

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  7. Welcome back to blogland! So glad to hear that your day was such a success. Your turkey lunch looks so tasty and how fortunate that the babysitter happened to be a pastry chef! Love those shoes - a bonus that they are comfy too!.

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  8. Welcome back to blogland, looks like your thanksgiving was grand,. That is a ton of food too.

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    1. Bizarrely, almost all eaten, only few leftovers today.
      Pie gone last night (as did all the ice-cream)

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  9. Love this! At one point this week I was heading to buy a pool table for no reason. November madness! Glad you are back, miss kiwi!

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    1. Haha! My kids love pool, buy one and drop it here.
      Blink, blink...kiwi walks into the darkness

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    2. And congratulations on the contract signed with a literary agent, Wendy - could not have happened to a nicer person

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  10. I wonder what had happened to YOU!LOvely to see YOU back in ACTION NOT missing a beat!Thanks for the visit..........loved your comments!I still want to get together and share the EXPERIENCE of the WALK!You GAME??

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  11. Jody, Lovely Thanksgiving! You make it look so California and pretty! Wow that a lot of good looking kids. Don't you love it when all the cousins get together? We had a pack too. The girls did a great job on those pies too. I absolutely love the chic pants and YSL sandals. My dear you look thin and gorgeous as usual!! Tres chic. Glad you are back to writing. I missed my updates about all the exciting things going on up there! I'm thankful to have gotten to know you this year and hope we do more in 2015! x Kim

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    1. Hi Kim, yes I dug up an old photo of Li'l Pete and Harley as a baby and it seems like yesterday

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  12. Happy thanksgiving, you look divine xxx

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  13. Happy Thanksgiving, Jody! Your meal looked delicious and seems like everyone had a great time!

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    1. Hi Rose, yes we got through all of it, except for two lunch time plate fulls of leftovers for me and Kevin

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  14. Not really having any business here, I'm sure to be lost in the CROWD, and since I haven't joined you in your "abstemiousness", I'm wondering why I'm even viewing your renewed blogging effort; alas the beauty of the pies, shoes, flowers, and family life was indeed worth my time. Be blessed!

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    1. Hi Dennis, no one is ever lost in the crowd here, thanks for popping by. Cheers!

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  15. yay! you are back -was thinking of you and glad you had a great thanksgiving and you looked elegant as per usual doing it too. Hope you are well and the writing is going well xx

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    1. Hi Naomi,
      Yes have actually been writing for hours a day, lot of words, though not sure any of them are the right ones!

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  16. Looks like you had an amazing day and the food looks divine. Fabulous outfit too x

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  17. I was thankful that the weather was so gorgeous, giving what was happening in the east.
    I did purple spuds roasted with parsnips, non-traditional...not surprising since I'm not an American!

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    1. How funny - we are really into purple spuds and parsnips these days too!

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  18. The Dang family are pretty good-looking folks. And their food! Makes me want to crawl through the computer screen to get some of it. And so finely dressed! (The people, not the food; except, perhaps the Turkey!)

    Happy Thanksgiving, belatedly. We celebrated in early October, but that's just a Canadian thing, eh? Perhaps just strange behaviour at the other end of the Commonwealth.

    Blessings and Bear hugs, Jody!

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  19. Welcome back and aren't you looking fabulous! Glad turkey day was a success. I missed your hilariousness so no more hiatuses (hiatii?) please!

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  20. Oh this is just lovely. I gave had two weeks off blogging too (had to move my elderly aunt from her house to a retirement home near me. Dougie and I exhausted and it's still not finished as have her old home to sort now). Anyway, whilst feeling proper knackered, great to sit and read about your family thanksgiving fun. Welcome back my friend x

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  21. WOW, you look stunning. How wonderful to spend time with friends and family IN THE SUNSHINE! I am so jealous (from a cold and wet Britain)!
    Fiona

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  22. welcome back Jody....Family is all really isn't it? great pics and as I was in Seattle at thanksgiving I thought of you being so close....and yes I know that Seattle isn't really close but I was on the same side of the pond!xxxx

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  23. You look absolutely smashing in that outfit Jody! This looks like such a fun family gathering. It's amazing how much taller your kids have gotten since I've followed your blog. YOU...have only gotten younger. Cool, right? I'll be in SF the week between Christmas and New Years. Would love to meet up for a drink...or tea...if you are around.
    Cheers! xx, Heather

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  24. You're back!!! I've missed you!! I'm glad that you had a good Thanksgiving :)

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  25. Glad to see that you had a lovely Thanksgiving. Tallulah must've loved having all those girls around for a change! Love the outfit and the shoes!!!! so nice to find some glam shoes that are comfortable! xxx

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  26. Now that's what I'm talking about.
    A perfect Thanksgiving. Kudos:)

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  27. Welcome back-so nice to read you again! Im so happy for you- writing away on your great work,so I don't mind the absence.
    Beautiful family and beautiful Thanksgiving. We didnt have Thanksgiving and I didn't even miss it. Until I saw that delicious plate of food and the long table all set for dinner.

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  28. I have lost my blogging mojo also. Looks like a fun thanksgiving and loved your outfit. We have the same rows here every Christmas part of the fun but by the time dinner arrives all is forgiven.

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  29. God, how I envy you for living somewhere warm. I don't think I'd blog at all. I'd be sitting outside tanning my pins all day long ;-)
    Hope you're OK. Dxx

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  30. I want to read it! Looks like a lovely day. What a great house, I'm going to have to come visit you one of these days!
    Glad to see our friend Cecily again. What a lovely family, Jody!

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