Nightmare before Thanksmas

This year we celebrated our annual family gathering, referred to as Thanksmas, in Lake Oswego (near Portland).  And since it was nearer to Halloween we called it “nightmare before Thanksmas”.  We were at Joe and Nat’s house where Molly, Neal, Atticus, Olallie, Jamie and Angela met up with us.  We arrived on a Friday and left on that following Sunday.  First day was about costumes and a feast set by Natasha.  Second day was the opening of the kids gifts, which was usually done closer to Thanksgiving/Xmas, going to two pumpkin patches to buy some of those round orange fruits, followed by the adults night out on the city in Portland.  We went to this great historic bar called Hubers, where they make these amazing Spanish Coffee drinks and put on a great fire show in the process.  Next we wandered the streets of Portland until we found an acceptable place to eat, then a nice bar for one last drink before going home.  Finding the car afterwards was a bit of a challenge but I showed great restraint in holding back my anxiety.  We all got home safely.   The last day was about getting ready to leave, nursing some slight hangovers, cutting up pumpkins and eating roasted pumpkin seeds.  The rainy Portland weather only happened now and then.  We were graced with some beautiful sunny days and that combined with the wonderful colored leaves made for some gorgeous scenery.  I was amazed at the wide variety of trees, just in Nat and Joe’s neighborhood alone.  What a great time we all had.  Here is a video which kind of summarizes the trip in 21 minutes.

The trip up to Portland on Alaska Air … Prop plane

Author: Geoff

Quick rundown: Grew up in Lombard, Illinois, went to Arizona State University, worked as a CPA with Arthur Andersen & Co, then Laventhal and Horwath, then Rolling Stones, then Heron International, then Goodby Berlin and Silverstein in San Francisco. Moved to the foothills in 1990 and traded futures and designed websites. Married to Kate Stewart, now living in Colfax, CA. We have six grandchildren. I enjoy camping in our RV, hiking, kayaking, fishing, droning and cross country skiing Also conga drumming, photography and dogs. View all posts by Geoff