Well hello, December! As we enter the final stretch of 2023 and gear up for Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations, I wanted to do a quick rewind and talk about the most magical Thanksgiving weekend ever. I’m still floating on a fluffy, tinsel-covered cloud with how sweet, thoughtful and festive it was!
Thanksgiving and the Friday after Thanksgiving were spent between my family and with Troy’s family. After watching the chaotic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from the comfort of my couch on Thursday morning, Troy and I made our way to my mom’s house in Central Massachusetts for dinner with my brother and Aunt. It was a significantly scaled down event compared to years’ prior- specifically because a lot of my family were either sick or working- but it didn’t stop my mom from making enough food to feed an army (and then some!) We stayed late, telling Troy stories about my grandparents and my parents when they were younger- and it didn’t seem to scare him away- which is always a good sign.
On Friday, we headed out to the Berkshires to have dinner with Troy’s family, some of whom I was meeting for the first time and others I was seeing for the first time since the Summer. There was no shortage of great food and a lot of fun there, too- with charcuterie, a gigantic turkey and plenty of desserts and drinks. I had an absolute blast- and took so many photos that I can’t wait to put together for him.
On Saturday, it was back to the Berkshires- only this time we were there to catch the “Tinseliner”, a scenic Christmas train ride courtesy of the Berkshire Scenic Railway that Troy had booked us tickets for. The ride, about 90 minutes long, is super kid/family-friendly (Santa and Mrs. Clause board at one point and collect letters from the children riding along!) but it was the way the vintage liners were decorated to the nines that really charmed me. It was beautiful!
We went through Adams and North Adams while the sun set and Christmas music was softly playing throughout the carts- and it was absolutely perfect.
And when we got back to Adams and hopped back out onto the platform, it was time to grab dinner, get in the car and begin a very long drive to Malvern, Pennsylvania to check into our hotel and get ready for our Sunday afternoon plans!
Not wanting my holiday spirit to wane for even a moment, Troy also got us tickets to see a musical rendition of ‘A Christmas Carol’ from People’s Light Theatre Company. With performances scheduled from now through December 31st, it was absolutely worth the late night drive across state lines. It was superb- moving everyone to tears with the music and visuals- and I still have some of the songs stuck in my head. The cast and crew received a well-deserved standing ovation- and I cannot recommend seeing it if you’re in or around the area enough! You’ll love it.
With work looming ahead on Monday morning, Troy and I began the equally long drive home on Sunday night, hitting post-holiday traffic more than once until we got back to my apartment and immediately passed out. But what an incredible weekend!
Troy flew back to California on Tuesday morning, so Monday night was spent helping him pack, grabbing pizza, and going for a little drive through Deerfield to look at some of the decorations in their historic district and inside their inn/restaurant.
And with another weekend ahead, I’m excited to be heading to New York for a day of Christmas cheer and some holiday shopping- as well as preparing to share some of my more festive wear in a post I’m setting up for next week!
See you all soon!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 