Picture Time: THANKSGIVING!

Let me give you what I have come up with as an (almost) fool-proof equation for a successful, happy and memorable Thanksgiving away from family.

1 part SLEEP IN + 2 parts OLD FRIENDS + 8 parts DELICIOUS FOOD + 1 part BEAUTIFUL WEATHER - 11 parts CURRENT COWORKERS = HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ME!

For my turkey day this year, I was invited to have dinner with my old friends, Karen and Patrick McDonough, who live in Long Beach, California. I met Karen at Marietta Memorial Hospital in Marietta, Ohio when I was a Mormon missionary in 1994. Each week, as missionaries, we did 8-12 hours of community service at hospital, and through our time there, we all became friends with Karen and some of the other staff. Karen's husband, Patrick, was president of Marietta College at the time...and in 1995, they left Marietta for Long Beach - as Patrick was hired into the Cal State System...and they have been here ever since. Probably because of our love of theater and probably because of our appreciation for good humor, Karen and I have kept in touch loosely over the years. And when I found out WILLY WONKA was playing the Cerritos Performing Arts Center, about 12 miles from their home, I had to invite them to the show! And they, in turn, invited me to spend Thanksgiving with them! We were joined by their son, Jeffrey, who lives in Hollywood and writes scores for movie and TV (who I could've talked to all night about his work!) and his girlfriend, Madeleine who is an actress who lives in Burbank (and had great stories about some commercial shoots she has been on recently!)

It was a very low key affair...and it was SO nice to see them again and talk to them about life and the past 11 years or so! Dinner was DELICIOUS...the Broncos lost but it was worth it to watch it on their beautiful HD TV...and we got to watch a cool short film Jeffrey recently scored. And to top it all off, the next night, Karen and Patrick came to see Willy Wonka with a couple of their friends....and I'm PRETTY sure at one point, I heard Karen clapping along and singing the Oompa Loompa songs with us!

A HUGE thanks to the McDonough's for including me in your Thanksgiving...and for staying in touch all these years! Old friends have been SUCH a huge blessing on this leg of the tour for me...and my day with you all was a HIGHLIGHT of those visits!

CIAO!
G

I LOVE THIS PICTURE! This is Karen and I testing my camera and the mantel and making sure we could get the picture we wanted before we called the others in. We both look slightly shocked and curious about if it was working. And it was!

Here is the whole Turkey Crew! L-R: Jeffrey, Madeleine, ME, Patrick and Karen!