Thanksgiving in Opp

When Joe and Judy found out that we would not be in Atlanta with Amy and her family for Thanksgiving, they graciously invited us to join their family for the holiday.  We had made reservations to camp already but were happy to cancel them for the opportunity to spend time with family.

We arrived at our favorite campground, Frank Jackson State Park, on Monday afternoon.  This park has everything for "roughing it" in a proper manner -- sewer connection, cable tv, and internet at every site. In addition, most of the sites are located on the lake so there is always a good view.

Judy and I made a couple of trips to the nearby WalMart in Andalusia and I found a few bargains in downtown Opp.  A lot of my time was spent watching Judy cook for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.  She had already done a lot of cooking each day before we even arrived at their house.  On Tuesday night, they allowed Bubba to fry mullet for them and I fixed a couple of easy side dishes to go with it.

Joe had been under the weather lately so Bubba helped him with a few of his farm chores -- including taking a horse to the vet.  There was also a lot of time spent talking.  The good thing about talking to someone your own age is that they may have heard the story before, but they don't remember it.

"He ain't heavy, he's my brother."

Thursday was a sumptuous meal with their family -- son Jody, grandson John and daughter-in-law Melissa, and Melissa's parents who are visiting with them from Canada during the cold months.  They are such nice people and we have enjoyed eating with them several times in the past few years.  I always say that it is not about the food, but I would be remiss if I do not include the menu for the day.

• Turkey & Ham
• Dressing with Gravy & Cranberry Sauce
• Chicken and Dumplings
• Creamed Corn
• Baby Lima Beans
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Homemade Yeast Rolls
• Dessert (Coconut Cake, Butternut Cake, German Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Cake, Pecan Pie & Ambrosia)

Everything looked so pretty.

This is just some of our Thanksgiving feast.

Needless to say, we enjoyed some fine leftovers that night and the next day.  Judy is an excellent cook and does it with love.  The food was great but the company was even better.

It was great to see John again.  I was sorry Amelia was not with us.  He made me a beautiful birthday card when he learned my birthday was on the first.

Friday evening was spent playing Monopoly at John's request.  Does that game ever come to an end?  We played until it was past our bedtime and we reluctantly said good night and good bye since we would be heading home the next morning.

It was a good holiday and we appreciate Joe and Judy for including us in their plans.