Two Thanksgivings

Yes, another year and another two Thanksgivings.  It actually works out well for us.  We’ve been going back to America in November, making a point to visit with as many family members and friends as possible.  We have one big meal with one side of the family, then a week or two later have another big meal with the other side of the family. 

The only difference in 2025 was that we didn’t have to travel as much: – Rome – Chicago – Buffalo – Chicago – Cincinnati – Chicago – Rome. Jump to photos by clicking HERE.

We flew direct from Rome to Chicago, rented a car, and drove to our friends Cecil and Valerie’s house in Evanston.  They have an apartment in Pescara, and travel back and forth between the two every three months.  We left our car in Pescara for them to use in exchange for them letting us use their house in Evanston.  It was convenient for us because their house is just a few blocks away from our daughter Caroline’s house. 

We were able to spend quality time with Caroline and our granddaughter Liz.  And we spent time with daughter Maureen and son-in-law Todd.  We did some shopping for things we can’t get in Italy, like a CostCo-sized bottle of Tylenol and LL Bean clothing.

Our good friends Joan, Mary, and Jim from Oak Park drove up to Evanston to have lunch with us one day.  We reminisced with Joan about our trip to Slovenia and Croatia, and we talked about future travel plans.

After five days of trolling around the Evanston area of Chicago, we boarded a plane for Buffalo, rented a car there and settled into our hotel in Battavia, anticipating our first Thanksgiving dinner.

My niece Anne (my sister Carol’s oldest daughter) lives in Batavia, which is about halfway between Buffalo and Rochester.  She and her husband Dave live on a 200-acre farm that’s been in Dave’s family for generations.  They have a big farmhouse and a huge kitchen, perfect for hosting big family gatherings.

On Thursday, I rode with Anne to the Rochester NY airport to pick up my sister Carol, who arrived from Raleigh, NC.  My other niece, the amazing entrepreneur, Sandra, arrived and the party came alive.  We car-pooled to a favorite restaurant in Attica, NY, to enjoy the restaurant’s famous fish fry.  Our daughter Kate, son-in-law Lane, and grandson Frank arrived at the restaurant, having driven from Connecticut.  What great fun we had that evening.

For our T-day dinner, I made two apple pies, but Mike was convinced by everyone that he was not obligated to make his delicious corn bread.  Anne had a huge turkey and a big turkey breast.  Everyone else brought something.  In addition to Anne and her hubbie Dave,  Arthur and Heather and their two sons, Calvin and Bea and the five kids, Kate and Lane and Frank, Sandra, Carol, and Mike and Me.  It was a day full of conversation, laughs, games, and food. All good.

I have to say that Anne is the ultimate Grandmother.  She really knows how to keep everyone – all ages, from 1 to 88 – occupied, fed, and entertained. When you look at the photo album you will see my sister with her great grandchildren.  It was quite a day!

Mike and I flew back to Chicago on Sunday, and stayed at Valerie and Cecil’s house for a couple of days.  Mike wasn’t feeling well, and a trip to Urgent Care revealed he had bronchitis.  I was okay, but I did have serious sinus issues that slowed me down a bit.

We were able to get laundry done and the house cleaned before leaving on Wednesday to drive to Cincinnati, where son Matthew and daughter-in-law Ashley and their two children, Connall and Isla, currently live.  Son Mike and daughter-in-law Lynn and their two children Nghi and Brandon flew in from Houston.  Maureen and Todd also drove from Chicago.  Mike and I had rented an air BNB that we shared with Maureen and Todd.

Here, we celebrated our second Thanksgiving.  Ashley’s parents, Mark and Mary Ann, were there, as were Ashley’s brother and his fiancé. Mark and Mary Ann took us to see the house that they are having built, about 20 minutes from Matt and Ashley’s.  It’s a beautiful, high-tech, multi-level with an elevator.  Very impressive.

Ashley likes to cook, and her Thanksgiving dinners are always top notch.  She did not disappoint anyone again this year.  The day was filled with good food, games, puzzles, movies, and laughter. 

Back in Chicago on Sunday, we ate dinner at Caroline’s house, where she served us her leftover Thanksgiving: duck with apricot sauce and mac and cheese. So maybe you can say we had three Thanksgivings…    Not bad…

See the photos HERE.

We returned on a non-stop flight from Chicago to Rome.  This was the second time that we flew United Airlines.  It will be a long time before we fly that airline again.  Seats were very uncomfortable, even in economy-plus, and the food was tasteless.

As usual, we were very happy to have been able to spend time with family and friends.  And we were also very happy to be home.  We love our Italian apartment and our new life here.  Soon, we will begin building out the upstairs into an apartment for guests.  We do have a guest room and two bathrooms in our apartment, but with having a separate apartment for guests we’re hoping to attract more people to come visit us.