Last Day of Hanging Out
November 30, 2025
I know… just a few more Thanksgiving week pics. These are on the last day of hanging out and kind of define the week. It was incredibly cold, grey and gloomy, buried as we were under tule fog for 7-8 straight days. We spent a LOT of time in the living room with the fire going.
We ate out more than I thought we needed to (having a huge supply of leftovers), but I was content not to pull dinners together and clean up afterward! Tonight, Sunday, we ate at Janet’s.. that was a nice change of venue. (We also ate at Burma twice, Mikuni’s, Burgers and Brew, and Bernardo.. hit all the Davis haunts over the course of a week).
We set up a Chihuly jigsaw puzzle.. which proved to be tedious and difficult.. not sure I’ll finish it, but here’s Betsy’s and my start on the thing:
Gin
November 29, 2025
Matt treated us to some gin cocktail concoctions throughout the week (I opted for vodka), but this gin is about the cards. Which we played a lot of.
Nothing says downtime like gin rummy.
Requisite Day After Shots
November 28, 2025
Breakfast of champions….
Lunch of champions…
And, our first departure. Chris and Pam were last to arrive (Wed) and first to leave (Fri). Here’s a nice just-about-to-part shot of Chris…
I will say this about Chris: Since mom started going downhill .. (heart surgery in 2009 and then 8 more years of pretty challenging health), Chris has been on the scene. He’s always been on the scene (if unconventionally and on his own terms), but he really stepped up and became ever present in those years. The importance of family really clicked in for him and we noticed, and appreciated it. He has become somewhat of a family spark plug, a Jay whisperer, someone who seems not to hold grudges and floats among all the difficult family members without the complicated burdens some of us can’t seem to shed. After mom died in 2017, he remained family-committed, in fact his urgency to be a regular part of the clan increased. He has become sort of the spokesperson for tradition, and upholding our parents’ legacy (a term he uses a lot with loads of sentimentality) now that they are both gone. He had his own health scare in 2020 with a heart attack (while surfing, of all things), which intensified his need for connection. Pam’s coming on the scene (I want to say sometime around 2019?) has formalized his role in the family. She is the consummate in-law (though they aren’t officially married just yet), ensuring that not only do they show up, but they do it with a hot dish (or two), a bottle of wine, flowers… and then help clean up. She has introduced social protocols to his world and I think he actually likes it.
I’m just amazed and grateful they agree to come all the way up here every year for Thanksgiving. He thanks ME for being the one to make it all happen. His toasts about us kids needing to hang together because that’s what mom and dad would want are from the heart and emotionally delivered.
And that’s what Thanksgiving and family should be all about, ya?
One more.. this one with Pam (I wonder if I’ve mentioned that they have been engaged since last Christmas?):
The Perfect Combo
November 27, 2025
I was pleased about two things today (among dozens of things, actually): smooth logistics and warm vibes.
As a host person, the logistics are always on my mind. It is important to me that the day is well orchestrated: that our house is comfortable to be in and festive; that there is food when people are in a mood to eat, well spaced out throughout the day, but not too much; that the dinner is full of yummy dishes, all ready to serve at the same time, hot and beautiful. Those kinds of logistics..
Exhibit A
This was one of many lists that kept me on task from Monday to Monday of Thanksgiving week.
As fastidious as I am about all that, I have to remember that the reason for the season is the other part… the feels: good conversations, flowing gratitude, love, fun, laughing. I feel like we had a ton of that this year. And the table toasts were just the best.
Yay for all of that.
A few pics on the day:
Those are green beans I’m holding up.. and Matt’s mashing pototoes.
Annual photo just before eating.. (Janet took this one):
Serving it up…
P and J:
About to consume…isn’t this nice?
Chris and Pam..
Conversation with Michael who wasn’t here…
Chris and Peter have been playing chess together a long time…
And… dessert that few had room for, but scarfed down anyway..
Truly awesome.. the whole day.
Thanksgiving Visitors, Part One
November 26, 2025
The day before Thanksgiving… some starter photos..
Matt….
Betsy….
Chris…
Pam…
Tuesday is Birthday Cake Baking Day..
November 25, 2025
… and cranberry sauce and Harvard Beet making.
But, I have no picture of any of that, so I’ll share this one (taken on Wednesday by Betsy, thanks, Betsy!) of me baking a pecan pie. Forgive the time warp. And the weird smile.
It’s the Calm Before the Thanksgiving Storm
November 24, 2025
Matt’s coming, so’s Chris and Pam, also Betsy, Paul and Janet..and of course our wonderful Peter. We’ll have a week of guests, lots of meals and I hope some fun times together.
Matt’s already here… somewhere… maybe still on the last few miles of I-80, but on his way. We’re having dinner with him downtown somewhere. P and Boo arrive tomorrow. C&P on Wednesday and P&J on Thursday. I’m done with all the menu planning and shopping, the fridge has been cleaned out and a bunch of stuff’s been relocated to an ice chest. I’ve drafted a cooking and baking plan for the next three days and it seems totally manageable.
We’re doing something new and easy this year: In addition to the the usual Honeybaked ham that we get, I also ordered (and picked up today) a Honeybaked smoked turkey breast and plain roasted breast.. we’ll see how that turns out. What are we going to do with ourselves if we aren’t stressing about how to finally roast a tasty, moist turkey after decades of failures? What will we do without a huge, greasy, nasty carcass to deal with?!
Boy, am I excited about this!
And… Miguel and Mary worked their magic on the house and garden today.. and everything looks clean and spiffy.
Mary planted some welcome flowers…
I’m so looking forward to the week. And will be thrilled when Monday of next week rolls around. Bring it all on!
Now, That’s a Power Couple
November 23, 2025
This is our niece Maia and her life’s partner Tim. They own a Brazilian jujitsu studio near Washington, D.C. and not only do they teach and train others, they train together and both compete in international tournaments. This is a photo taken seconds after Maia won her final match to place first in a very big competition this past week (we understand that she is now ranked #13 in the world in her weight class). Tim is also Maia’s trainer.. both were extremely stoked.
When not jujitsu’ing, they are raising a darling daughter, Diana, who’s a very plucky pre-schooler.
Not sure who to credit for this photo. It was passed along to me by Maia’s mom, who’s a wee proud.
That Fall Sky
November 22, 2025
Another from the amazing light, late fall afternoon walk series:
Chris Turns 66
November 21, 2025
Happy birthday Duck*
(*) Duck was mom’s nickname for Chris a million years ago.
Life of Wry 