Tina: Okay, so sometime this week, let’s work on the menu for Thanksgiving and for Christmas. If there are things, we can start to put in the pantry to start preparing, we need to do that. You know things like pecans, flour, sugar, baking soda, pie fillings, and whatever. I’m going to want to start my baking at least a week in advance of each holiday.

Bette: Yes, and then there is Christmas shopping. We have a much bigger list than we did in prior years.

Tina:  I thought we were going to give most everyone winter clothes for the Scotland trip?

Bette:  Oh, yeah. That’s right. Well, we will want to give Angie, Daniel, Mary, Margaret, Paris, Jeanette, Kit and Sonny a little something more personal than clothes that they may only wear for one occasion.

Tina: Yeah, you’re right.  But I think that most of us are going to use those clothes more than once. I know Angie will.

Bette: I hope so. But it looks to me like we are going to have a lot to do to get ready for our first holidays in our new home.

Tina:  Let’s get this finished up and set the table. Let’s eat in the breakfast room. Let’s put a table cloth on the table and some candles. Oh, what about dessert?

Bette:  We have a gallon of orange sherbet. How does that sound?

Tina:  Actually, I think that is perfect.

Margaret had arrived home a couple of hours ago and had been in her room enjoying a football game.  She did not realize that Bette and Tina were home. When she came out, Bette and Tina greeted her with a hug. She and Tina started to chat about the happenings of their respective weekends while Bette went to the laundry room and started washing their clothes from their trip. After getting both washers started, she came back out and asked if she could get anyone anything to drink.

Margaret:  Do we have some Pellegrino or Perrier? I’m thirsty but I would like something more than water.

Tina:  I’d like one of those also.

Just as Bette was handing the sparkling water out, Daniel came in the back door followed by Kit and Sonny. Daniel ran to Bette and gave her a big hug and then to Tina and hugged her too. He then asked Margaret if he could hug her as well. She nodded her consent.