Our Jamaican friend has come to visit us for Thanksgiving. He flew into St. Louis via Baltimore/Washington. After delays leaving MoBay and delays in Baltimore, we finally got to pick Paul up at the airport at 2:40 am the weekend before Thanksgiving. No problem man! Just another 2 hour drive home after that, just in time to get to bed at 5 am.
After a quick sleep, we got back on the road to head to the Lake of the Ozarks to show Paul that part of our state. It was actually a pretty mild weekend for November, so we were able to spend time outdoors on the deck. We also took Paul to his first of many visits to Menards (a chain store of home improvement products) and bought new flooring for the condo. 
After finishing a little bit of work, our friends Francis and Marissa came to visit for a bit and have some wine. We chatted, sipped, and had fun hearing about their new boat they would have down at the lake this summer. When they hit the road to head back home, we went into town and had a tasty dinner at Tucker’s Shuckers. If you’re ever in the historic Bagnell Dam area, check them out. They have all kinds of food, but are known for their incredible oysters.
We returned to Columbia, put in a few days at work, and prepped for Thanksgiving dinner. For those who know me, this is one my favorite holidays of the year and I LOVE turkey dinner. We were having Francis, Marissa, and another friend Marsha over for dinner. We started prepping the menu for traditional roast turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, salad, rolls, cranberry sauce and pies (pumpkin and chocolate) for six. 
Paul was so generous to make Jamaican Rice and Peas to add a Jamaican spin to our dinner. It was so delish, and dinner wasn’t complete until Paul shared the recipe. (He also left us some extra coconut milk powder, so I can make it myself later.) And if Marissa reads this and let’s me know she did, I’ll even share the powder with her!
Shortly after dinner, it was time for some Black Friday shopping with Paul. I’ll have to post later about that as Paul’s still here and in the event any of his friends or family back home that he bought for are reading this, I don’t want to spoil any surprises. This was a Thanksgiving to be grateful for good friends who are like family.