For us Thanksgiving began on the 19th of November when the Mayflower Society met for a potluck on Compact Day at Anne’s house. That evening Michael arrived by train with his parents. Next day he took them to Disneyland but left us behind. They stayed with our nephew Leo in nearby Moraga and rejoined us on Monday.

Meanwhile, while they were in Disneyland, the rest of us went to hear Jim Curry sing John Denver at the Community Concert. He really looked and sounded the part.

John arrived by train on Wednesday the 23rd and we went out to eat at the Elephant Bar. On Thanksgiving proper we went to niece Tina’s house in EB. In addition to the usual gorging, Michael put together a gingerbread house (with a little help).

Next day we went up to Fresno and had another Thanksgiving feast with Polly’s sisters Martha and Nancy. We returned to Bakersfield and saw all the trainers off on Sunday morning. Then we went to World Market for free Snowy models and tickets to the new Tin Tin movie.

On the 1st of December we returned to Fresno for the FCSS Potluck. As usual, they underbid their silent auction and I got a beautiful Eulophia petersii, the most succulent of orchids.

On the 3rd Polly & I went out to CALM to help label and reorganize the cactus garden. We were surprised to meet Marijo Koerting Harvey who had been in the old Kern Cactus Club in the 60s. She had been working with Navajo in Arizona while we were off in Africa!

On the 4th there was another Community Concert, this time featuring Men in Blaque. This fantastic choral group is led by Joe Huszti who was our choir director up at BC in the 60s. They featured a composition by Jim Dunaway who had been in our choir then. (Unfortunately he was not there.)

On the 10th we went to a pizza dinner at Parkside Church in EB and were entertained by a Christmas Dinner Theater. What all those cowboys (and girls) as well as dancing cactuses (er cacti) had to do with Christmas I’ll never know, but it was fun. Our niece Angela was an Indian Princess named She Who etc. etc. etc.

On the 13th we were at the BCSS potluck and found those same cactuses (er cacti). Coincidence? I think not. Anne and Polly are to be congratulated on the decorations. The silent auction went for higher prices than in Fresno and the calendars are, once again, a beautiful job. I think we have ended the year well.