For about a week, Mollie and I have been talking about whether we should head down to the Boston area to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. Last night, we had a breakthrough - Mollie said she wanted to go and I agreed that we's be really careful with COVID-19 rules. At her request, I woke Mollie up at 0915 and we packed for our trip. We got gas in Hanover, NH (1130) before leaving town and then got on the road (I-89), heading south. Near Concord, we took a short detour (to avoid the toll) on MA-3 to reach I-93. Along the way, we talked a lot about other Thanksgiving memories and decided we were very lucky to be able to spend this one with some family that lived nearby. Despite some rain, we made good time - I was surprised by the quick drive through Boston on I-93 and easy transition (through Quincy) onto MA-3. We did have some encounters with crazy drivers - wow, I don't miss seeing that on a daily basis! By 1400, we’d reached Katie’s house in Hanover, MA. Katie and John had just finished setting up for the afternoon meal (they'd hosted one in the morning too). Mollie had fun helping to prepare the side dishes and was proud to contribute a pumpkin pie (we brought the one she’d made a few days before). The other food Katie had cooked was amazing (as always) and everyone got stuffed during dinner. We followed social distancing and mask wearing guidance throughout our visit and had a great time talking and laughing. Afterwards, we rested and watched Thanksgiving Day parade, dog show and football on TV. Brenna called (FaceTime) and we passed the phone around so she could talk to the family and see the food/fun. In the evening, I took a walk with Katie and John while Mollie played “Among Us” with her cousins. Later, the whole family played a game called “Fibbage” on TV. We also watched Thanksgiving specials and comedy routines until it was time for me to go to bed (2200) - Mollie stayed up with her cousins until very late. Very glad we made the trip!
