Silver Stars and Fleurs de Lis on Thanksgiving

As happy Thanksgivings go, 2010 rockets to the top of the rankings. The family enthusiastically indulged my lifelong desire to attend a Dallas Cowboys game on Thanksgiving Day. In keeping with the “thanks” theme, we are immensely grateful to a generous friend who invited us into a suite at Cowboys Stadium, where we enjoyed the game in high style.



The conversation was spirited, the food and drink were abundant, and the game itself was magnificent.
The Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints and the disappointing Dallas Cowboys kept the outcome in doubt until the final seconds. The Saints won by three points when a 59-yard potential game- tying Cowboys field goal attempt sailed just outside the left upright.



My daughter was fully engaged and seemed to be rooting equally for both teams.. She cheered when something good happened for either side, and I believe she was sincere. It’s nice to think she was happy in part because she knew I was happy.

My son, I think, surprised himself with how much fun he had. He was delighted to discover he had friends who were coincidentally at the game So, he walked around the stadium, took in the sights and talked with his friends.
He also identified his favorite Dallas player, running back Marion Barber. it's not barber's hard-nosed, straight ahead style of play he admires. It's his hair.
Moments after he returned from one of his stadium tours, a couple of noteworthy visitors showed up in the suite. How can a guy pass up that photo op?



This also presented an opportunity for brother and sister to spend an entire day together. They’re both out of the house now, so I can’t tell you the last time that happened. Just listening to them have adult conversation with one another was a joy in itself.



Everyone had a different highlight. My wife, dressed diplomatically in Saints gear, perked up when she realized that Keith Urban would be performing at halftime. We have seen him in concert and were impressed with his performance. So, she wrangled her way into a front row seat for the show. She was not disappointed.



Holiday memories are made, no doubt; but I suspect we’ve forgotten more Thanksgiving details than we can recall. There’s no chance we will forget this one. The drive was pleasant, the company was outstanding and the accommodations were world class. The bonus is that the game itself was great, too.



With the Cowboys out of playoff contention, it was relatively easy to see the bright side of a Saints’ victory. I have a warm spot for the saints and always have, but I was raised to be a Cowboys fan. Even though they’re having a terrible season, a real fan has to show support. This may mean surrendering your dignity at times.



It was so much fun. So, Thanks to everybody who was a part of it.

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Thanks For All the Confusion

The infant nephew brought his entourage to town and created a little confusion in the holiday home. We had a beautiful blended family Thanksgiving. My father came to my mother-in-law’s house for the festivities and left well-fed but a little befuddled.
The age spread around the table was impressive: The youngest was 11 months old and the oldest was 83 years. On top of that, the almost 17-year difference between my wife’s sister’s two children is a little unusual. When he walked in, my father spoke to my niece, thinking for a moment it was her mother (confusing, no?). How you mix up a 17-year-old girl with her 40-year-old mother is a mystery best left to octogenarian senses, so just roll with it.
When my sister-in-law walked into the room, he immediately realized his error and just kind of stood there for a moment trying to figure out who was who and what was what. Come to think of it, when he first met my wife’s sister, she was the same age her daughter is now. So, I guess that kind of explains something.
Thankfully, at that moment the nephew was asleep in the other room. Nonetheless, my father was still disoriented from navigating his daughter-in-law’s family tree as my kids arrived. Happily, he was able to concentrate on his own grandkids and things settled down for a moment. Then, the baby started crying.
If it slipped my father’s mind that my wife’s sister had a teenage daughter, you have to wonder what he was thinking when the baby boy got carried into the room. You know what? He didn’t even ask!
My daughter bonded well with her baby cousin, but my son just kind of admired him from across the room. Suddenly, someone plopped the baby into his arms. He gamely held on for about five minutes before handing the kid over.
Also in the shuffle: my son’s long-time love interest. She was a good sport about all the multi-generational comingling. She’s been around for so long, she’s simply part of the landscape and I’m pretty sure my dad had her in proper context. He certainly didn’t ask who she was and that counts for something.
When it came right down to it, everyone sat at the table and got along fabulously. The baby ate and never even whimpered. He entertained us well with two words, “hey!” and “uh-oh!” Interestingly, for a while there my father was limited to saying pretty much the same thing.
We got him to loosen up by calling for some of his classic go-to funny stories. So, the youngest and the oldest at the holiday table entertained us best, even though neither one had any idea who the other was. Happy Thanksgiving.(There they are: all the cousins in one spot.)

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