Valerie & me at the lighting of the tree

mom & I at the lighting of the tree
Originally uploaded by Valerie Reneé

What fun I had Thanksgiving Day. I woke up ready to cook. I only had a few things to make this year. Sarah, one of my two daughters, was making the Macaroni and Cheese casserole, I was making potato salad and baking a carrot cake and bringing the green onions and scallops. We were car pooling to June's home in Lithonia, GA. June is my sister and I love her. She and her daughter Miranda were making the bulk of the dinner. Ken, Miranda's Dad, was bringing the Pumpkin Pie. Sarah arrived at 12 noon and off we went.
Everyone had a wonderful time at June's. We did what families across the country were doing, getting together to eat a dinner full of family favorites, swap stories about the old days, laugh, and give thanks. It was wonderful.
When it was time for Sarah and I to leave, Sarah fixed plates for those who had to work and couldn't be with us. She was dropping a plate off for Allen, my son (June had fixed him a care package that would easily feed a small family) and taking one to her husband Ryan.
I was taking a plate to my other daughter, Valerie. She works at the AMC at Phipp's and was getting off at 5pm. While Sarah was driving home, Miranda took me to the Marta station and showed me how to get my "Breeze" card (since the last time I went we used tokens) and gave me detailed instructions on riding the MARTA train to Lenox Square, which included a transfer at Five Points Station (which I had done before).
Now this may seem like a bit much to make sure my daughter had a Thanksgiving dinner, but the plan was to meet up at Lenox to watch "The Lighting of The Great Tree" at Macy's. This was Valerie's first year working at the Phipp's location of AMC and since she was getting off at 5pm and Lenox is just across the street from where she worked, it was a perfect opportunity to see "The Lighting of The Great Tree". Something we'd never done before except on TV. Riding the train was a way to beat the traffic since I could ride home with Valerie.
It was a short walk from the train to Macy's at Lenox. Unfortunately it was all up hill and I was very winded by the time I got there. Of course I was carrying my heavy winter coat, a plate full of food and my camera bag. But needless to say walking up that hill I had my usual talk with myself about how I just had to start excercising and get in shape because of how ridiculous it was that I couldn't walk up a hill without having to exert myself so. But I made it, found Valerie and we had a wonderful time.