The 850 Mile Thanksgiving

We found ourselves road tripping for the holiday, to a quintessential, casserole-filled, Midwestern Thanksgiving weekend. The juxtaposition of the city traffic we left behind and the open, flatlands we headed towards are well illustrated by my passenger seat pics. Round trip, we clocked 850 miles, but that's ok because gas is so lovely and cheap in the middle of Indiana.
There was fast food: I greatly appreciated Arbys' sense of humor with Horsey Sauce and Jason enjoyed his first Culver's butter burger. The omnipresent iPhone did not distract Jason entirely from his frozen custard. (I could write a blog about the iPhone's adventures alone.)Since we both worked on Wednesday, we had a later departure from Chicago and an overnight stop in Indiana. Our hotel was next to an old roller skating rink, and I liked the sign. Even a non-English speaker lost in Indiana could find the roller skating. In the morning we visited the free breakfast buffet (one of the reasons I am a fan of the Hampton Inn) and then crossed the border into Ohio. We chuckled at the string of No Parking signs along the route, as though this was prime parking. Jason's aunt and uncle welcomed us into their home for Thanksgiving dinner. One of the traditions I enjoy the most is Jason's Aunt Becky's idea of passing around two baskets filled with Christmas decorations after dessert. She shops for these decorations year-round and invites each guest to pick their favorite(s) to take home. It's a charming ritual that signals moving from Thanksgiving into the Christmas season. (And who doesn't like to leave a party with a little favor of their choosing?)I like watching each family member pick their ornament, reflecting their tastes and favorite holiday themes. You can see the blue and silver snowflake Jason let me pick for him, and the red shiny purse ornament I picked for myself. When I expressed regrets about leaving the snowman on the right behind, Becky said to take him too. Bonus!
We tried to make the rounds, seeing grandparents and friends. Enjoying a yummy home-cooked Indian meal with friends on Friday night (a nice counterpoint to the traditional American meal the night before) and checking out Jason's brother's new home. I pestered Jason's mother to download the photos from our wedding reception off of her camera; only to discover the photo I'd seen framed at Jason's grandparents house (and was stalking) came from his aunt in North Carolina. Rats!

According to the universal rule of grandmothers I left Ohio with a new winter coat. Jason's grandmother grabbed it on sale at Penney's and insisted I try it on. I always check these grammy finds out, because you never know when my or his grandmother may have plucked a really stylish piece. (Maybe vintage Burberry??) Unfortunately this one was lilac with a big furry collar and a very boxy, old lady cut. After a back-and-forth of "Oh, it's very nice, but I'm not sure I need a coat," versus, "It fits you. Take it. It's cold in Chicago," I gave up and politely accepted the gift. My next assignment will be finding the nearest holiday coat drive. I'm certain the coat will make someone thankfully warm and happy this year. Just not me.