Thanksgiving in Portland

Traditions are important parts of the good life. For over thirty years, we have been getting together with friends from Seattle and San Francisco for a long weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving. Each year we would rotate to a different city—Seattle, then Portland, then SF, and back to Seattle. Once, in 1975, we broke bread in Walla Walla, WA. As we have moved around in the past 8 years, the location has changed again, with two years running in the Bay Area, Berkeley included in the mix. New people have joined the group, sometimes a large gathering of many friends who are local, sometimes two or three who come from farther away. Tom Bouye has become part of the family…Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without his warm smile and wry humor…not to mention his Scrabble acumen. This year we were fortunate to be welcomed by Dennis Mulvihill and Olivia Clark to their home in Portland. They live in a retro-early 60’s home with space and light that is perfect for a large gathering.




There is a life-cycle to the get-together, with people arriving (Malcolm picks up Philip, Liz, and Miles from the airport; Paul, Linda, and Nick unfold from the car and stretch after their 3 and a half hour drive from Seattle; Megan waits outside the Portland train station after her trip down from Seattle; Marv and Ardy take the MAX in from the airport and the bus down from Lloyd Center to the old Sellwood neighborhood; John and Leslie fly in from SF and settle in downtown); the day’s food preparation (Megan’s cranberry sauce and green beans, Paul’s kugel, Ardy and Malcolm’s pies, Leslie’s dolmas, Tom’s wine, Linda on the gravy and mashed potatoes, and Dennis and Olivia sorting it all out, coordinating work with full grace and hospitality). After dinner, the conversation continues over clean-up, board games, and computers, and computers, and computers.



Friday and Saturday are dedicated to hiking, walking, more games, more eating, more computers, reading and continued conversation. Maybe one or two football games find a place in there, too. People move from one conversation to another, stop to read, take time for a snack, there is lots of catching up to do. Sunday is the day people leave…carrying good wishes, excess calories, and promises to see each other soon—at the very latest, next Thanksgiving.