It was a short but sweet visit back home to Northern Virginia this past week. I flew back on Tuesday. All five of my sons converged from jobs/school from all over the country for the visit. Eldest, Lawrence (26) came up from Miami, where he works as a Hibachi chef. Second son, Bob (24) came over from Ohio, where he works for Honda at the testing and safety facility in Marysville. Third son Paul (22) works for a roofing contractor in the DC area. Number 4 son, Alex (21) is studying Sociology at Central Michigan Univ near Saginaw. Albert just turned twenty on Nov 19th. He's studying at NOVA Comm. College and is thinking that he will become an engineer also. My wife Lois is pursuing a business degree from George Mason and has a year or so to go on that. The highpoint of the first evening together (besides just seeing and being with all) was the korean meal the chef Lawrence prepared for us all at home. Bulgogi, Chap chae, gokdoki (crunchy radish kimchee), rice and kim (seaweed paper for wrapping stuff up in).  
   On Thanksgiving day, we all gathered at my youngest sister Mary's home in Burtonsville, Maryland . There we met my eldest sister Anne, down from Boston, where she works at the Berklee school of music. Also, middle sister Jean who is a chemist and PhD and works for FDA. Younger brother, John, who works for Ryder truck rental, was there too with his new 7 month old long grey beard. Mary's three kids were there too- Elizabeth, Will and Allison, whose 20th birthday also fell on Thanksgiving day this year. My sisters did all of the cooking of our family's traditional recipes for the day.  
   This Thansgiving season I feel truly blessed that all of my sons have made it sucessfully through their teenage years and are on their way to bright futures. Still betting amoung themselves who will be the first to turn Mom and Dad into Grandma and Paw Paw.
   I wish God's blessing to all reading this. Love to all, Peter