Oh, Pam, you never fail to make me smile, laugh and snort.

Your description of the disaster dinner was beautiful.

Thanksgiving was never a big celebration for me or any of my extended families.

I was brought up in Portugal. Lack of food on the table NEVER happened at any meal of any type while I was there.

When I left home and went to live in England, food on the whole was lacklustre and my big happy meals were when somebody invited me to their home and thier Mom would cook "A good English Sunday dinner.". The biggy celebration meal was usually Christmas, and again, food never seemed to be lacking.

When I left England and came to settle in Canada, food was pretty normal for a long time. Once in a while I would get invited to somebodys' house for Christmas, and even more infrequently for Thanksgiving. Great breaks from peanut butter sandwiches.

Eventually after many misses, I settled on a suitable partner, and with him, came his family. Nice people, but not maybe quite ready for my wild character.

Lack of food was never the issue, but lack of joviality was often missing. Conversations were stilted and awkward, dominated by his Father.

So I would have to say that I spent many visits with the inlaws wishing i was elsewhere, but never pining for lack of good food.