10 years ago - 1994
I had just met rootbeer1, but he was in Stamford CT and I was in Albany still. I went to my mother's nursing home to have dinner with her, then up to my father's house to do the family thing, as I had every single Thanksgiving in my life, except in 1976, when I was working in a group home and had to do dinner there. Brought a pecan pie and a tourtiere, the French-Canadian pork pie that my father loved so much.

9 years ago - 1995
Traveled to CT to be with Steve. Had dinner at his friend Meloney's house with a group of his other friends. Our first Thxgvg together.

8 years ago - 1996
Stopped to see Mom, then up to the family homestead. All 5 of us kids were there. My father had just come home from the hospital after being diagnosed with lung cancer on top of his emphysema, and was under home hospice care. He couldn't get out of bed, but we took turns going into his room and bringing him things to eat. The last thing I said to him before we left was "Try to eat something." He replied "All right." It was our last conversation--he passed away the next day. We were all thankful we had that last meal with him, all of us together. Thanksgiving will ever after have a somber tone for me.

7 years ago - 1997
Our first Thxgvg in San Francisco. We went over to our friends Vic and Dave and Paul and Paul's house for dinner. All the guys we knew from our bear club back East who had moved to SF were there. It was fabulous. The Pauls are both French-Canadian too, so they appreciated the tourtiere.

6 years ago - 1998
Dinner with the boys again. Our new friend Robert had no place to go, so we asked if we could bring him along. We were told no, the number at the table is fixed. Robert (and we) were disappointed. The dinner was fabulouser that last year, and there was so much food left over we could have served 20 more. Robert had to eat alone.

5 years ago - 1999
The boys had family visiting, so we were politely uninvited to dinner. We cooked in our Castro apartment--the first time Steve and I make the whole dinner together. ricksf was living across the courtyard, so he came to dinner with his partner at the time, and another couple who have since broken up.

4 years ago - 2000
Dinner up at our friend Joe's house in Fairfax, where we get to see autumn colors and lounge by the fire. fuzzygruf was there too with his Barbie-collecting leather daddy boyfriend at the time. Don't remember much else.

3 years ago - 2001
The Pauls have moved out of the house they shared with Vic and Dave. We have dinner with V&D and Victor and Mel. Chopping parsley for the tourtiere, I slice the end off my left thumb, having had one too many margaritas. Luckily we have two nurses and a doctor in the house. "This happens at work all the time--the prisoners are always slicing up their hands trying to make weapons," nurse Victor (who was working at a jail) tells me as he bandages my booboo. I have a 1/4 inch scar to always remind me of the day.

2 years ago - 2002
Vic and Dave decide to host a Bear Thanksgiving at their vacation house in Palm Springs. Victor, Mel, Homer and Alan from Burbank, ricksf, our friends Tony and Bill in PS, and Mike were there. Victor and Mel brought along their new toy Chihuahua puppy, who literally fit in a teacup. We named her Chicklet.

1 year ago - 2003
We hosted dinner at our new house for the first time. Our friend Gregg and his boyfriend Steve (since broken up), Steve's brother David and his wife Andrea (still together), barak and iberianbear are present. A wonderful time. Read about it here.

This year - 2004
We're a-going up the herrdreamersf's house to dine with him, lb925, and a few other friends. We're bringing the tourtiere and some roasted Brussels sprouts.


I'm thankful for family, friends, Live Journal and rootbeer1.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!!