Thanksgiving came and went without my over-indulging in food or drink, major accomplishment there, due mostly to Adderall. I spent the entire day in the kitchen, something I haven't done in many moons, and that always helps to dull my appetite, plus the fact that nothing I cooked measured up to my expectations except the corn casserole and the congealed salad. My sister brought a Black Walnut Caramel cake for my birthday, which is not until Sunday, and even though it's my favorite dessert since childhood, I only had one piece. It was delicious, Betsy. Thanks.
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Black walnuts aren't nearly as plentiful as they once were in the South, and I read somewhere that a blight took most of the trees out. I was surprised she was able to find any, but the small locally owned grocery store in her neighborhood had them.

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Another delightful flash from the past occurred yesterday when Skip's ex-wife Courtney phoned to tell me she has the Oyster Dressing recipe I wanted and will email it. It was too late to do for Thanksgiving, but I will get around to doing it eventually. It was always my favorite dish of the many Thanksgiving meals we enjoyed in New Orleans when Skip's family lived on Webster Street, a couple of blocks from St. Charles Avenue and Audobon Park. Uncle Bings, his dad, always fixed that and I remember it longingly around this time every year. I realized after talking to her how much I would really like to get to know her better. She and her second husband live on a farm in Pennsylvania. She has a successful jewelry business, and makes frequent trips to arts and crafts fairs all around the country. The picture is from 1964 with their first baby Greg? Am I right about that? Or was it made later with another baby?

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Update from Skip: Courtney and me around 1971 or 1972, and the child I am holding is Jonathan. We are living in Abita Springs and standing in front of our vegetable garden. So idealistic and caught up in the Civil Rights movement, protesting Vietnam War and not too far away from dropping out and moving ‘back to the land” in the Ozarks.

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The picture below was made at Uncle Bings and Aunt Margaret's house during one of our Thanksgiving get-togethers, probably around 1958, when I was 12 and Skip was 18. Gosh! Was that really 50 years ago?!?

Also pictured from the left are my brother Paul with our cousin Becky, then Betsy with Skip's brother Bill standing behind her, then me and Skip.