After a camera mishap I finally recovered photos I took in North Carolina. It was a grand Thanksgiving-Laxmi-birthday-Clare-birthday extravaganza! (We did miss Pam who was in PA, but she & everyone else in far-flung places were much on the mind ...) I remember how Thanksgiving dinner seemingly materialized with no effort, there were so many cooks. Somehow space cleared for lounging in the sunshiney afternoon, with Clare & Dad playing the guitar and the rest of us dancing and singing. It was a quiet dinner, since the kids napped and then joined us for the second course. The birthday night in contrast was way more raucous, as you can probably see here! My abiding impressions were astonishment and admiration at the level of energy and creativity that parenting takes. Which Nicole and Don and so many of you do with aplomb. Hats off and HUGS to all parents!--newbies and also those well along, with growns and grands.--JEB