The table is set. The food is warm. The prayers are said. Today, the Albert Lea Tribune gives thanks for a good year by offering a hearty Thanksgiving meal.

 

A slice of turkey …

… to Kiwanian Iris Tarvestad … to Susan Drayer of M&S Outdoors … to Kari Brick and BG Loft … to Grizzlies football player Matt Mirowski … to the crafty Heidi Blankenship … to Leon Bure and David Anderson of the Albert Lea Aktion Club … to Mandy Brooks at Lembke Construction … for Claire and Ruth Vermedahl … to footloose and fancy-free young actor Tyler Vandenhuevel …

 

Mashed potatoes with gravy …

… to the staff at Freeborn County Head Start … to Barb Hove at Country Care Boarding Kennel … to our dear friend Brenda Herr … to Lake Mills High School volleyball coach Jim Boehner … to Dawn Kaasa of the Minnesota Special Olympics … to Craig Kryson of Kibble Equipment … to good neighbors Gail and Doug Hanson … to Jeff Quam …

 

Green bean casserole …

… to friends Judy Jaquette and Carol Twedt … to the staff at Bonnerup Funeral Service … to Danielle Halvorsen, the manager of Cinema 7 … to United South Central High School football coach Brad Huse … to Paul and Camilla Sparks … to the never-bridled Ann Herman of The Unbridled Boutique … Barry Back of Back Acres Construction … to Nicole Swanson of the Kiester Courier-Sentinel … to concrete guru Art Schorn … to Wade Quam …

 

A glass of apple cider …

… to good neighbors Graham and Gracie Goskeson … to spelling wizard Avery Moore … to Ann Austin of the United Way of Freeborn County … to Lori Austin of the Albert Lea Family Y … to Dave Van Fossen, stat keeper for the Albert Lea High School girls’ swimming team … to Steve Ball of Paintball … to flower power wower Joyce Nixon … to Steve Kavach, principal at Southwest Middle School … to Albert Lea’s own Marion Ross …

 

A side of stuffing …

… to motivator Erin Murtaugh … to the Tuesday night Bible study guys at Perkins … to marathon runner Dennis Dieser of the Albert Lea Family Y … to Albert Lea High School girls’ soccer coach Rick Barnhill … to Peggy Manges at Trades & Labor Credit Union … to friend Megan Thompson … to Lakeview Elementary School teachers Nichole Brownlee and Michelle Kluender …

 

Some cranberry sauce …

… to Karen Anderson at Thorne Crest Retirement Community … to little Willow Johnson … to the owner of Nancy’s Cafe — what’s the name, something Newman — oh yeah, Nancy … to Tom Sorenson at Americana Insurance (sorry about placing a cold can of pop on your neck) … to Jenny Edwin, education coordinator at First Lutheran Church … to Lance Skov … to Kristie Jordahl …

 

Homemade pumpkin pie …

… to Lon Nelson, the cross country coach for Albert Lea High School … to Facebook fans of Bragen Rights Photography … to disc golfer Matt Friedman … to 4 Seasons Travel owner David Nelson … to Judy Jensen … to Deb Kenison of Farmers State Bank … to aspiring photographer Preston Smith … to Judy Verdooooorn (is that how you spell it?) for just about everything she does …

 

Leftovers …

… to Patch, an American cattle dog without cattle at his home near the north entrance of Edgewater Park … to Sydney, a furry, fuzzy golden doodle on Lloyd Place … to Alta, a Lab mix on Fountain Street who is so happy she wags her entire back end … to Molly, Glenville’s favorite cockapoo … to Lindsey, the goldenest retriever in all of Freeborn County … to Clarks Grove’s Shark Bait, whatever that is … to Murphy, the goldenest retriever in all of Faribault County … to Maggie, a German shorthair on Ninth Street … to Mason, the best gray domestic shorthair with white paws on Second Avenue.