A Thanksgiving Holiday Gathering Up Near Tahoe

We spent Thanksgiving of 2021 with family. The house was filled with the warm tones of wood paneling, and the dining table was set long before dinner with a white tablecloth, colorful glassware, and a pumpkin tureen as the centerpiece.

The cooking was a multi-stage process. I remember a savory breakfast casserole, golden brown and topped with bacon, fresh from the oven. For the main event, a whole chicken turned slowly on the outdoor grill's rotisserie, getting perfectly crisp in the cool air.

As evening arrived, everyone gathered in the kitchen. The turkey, now carved, sat on a large white platter next to a huge bowl of mashed potatoes and other sides. We all made our way through the line, filling our plates before finding a seat at the long, candlelit table.

After the meal wound down, things got comfortable. The holiday ended for us the way it often does: with football on the television, relaxing after a full day of cooking and eating together.