It has been 19 years since my family last reunited for Thanksgiving in Minnesota where my brother Mark and his family reside. We missed my sister Mayela and her husband Stephen who were not able to make the trip from North Carolina. Joining us for the gathering was Jeff, Rory’s tennis coach, who would have otherwise celebrated the holiday alone. To know my brother is to understand that the Thanksgiving meal would be something to remember for years to come. The feast lived up to our highest expectations and then some. Most enjoyable for me was watching the 9 cousins interacting. The boys all look like men now and the girls are all going to break hearts. Here are a few portraits of the young beauties.

Dinner was preceded by an assortment of cheese, sopressata, home made pate and pesto, with freshly baked bread. The 22 pound turkey just barely fit in the oven with wings just touching the sides. Mark insisted it rest for 40 minutes before serving. While this no doubt produced a more succulent result, it caused near mutiny in the kitchen as the aroma tortured us with the promise of what was to come.