Chapter 19: Thanksgiving on Bangalore

Sally

Yes we celebrated Thanksgiving. I organized the farm staff we had a community Thanksgiving meal. All of the farm staff turned to and fixed up the small barn as a community hall. Jessica Moro and Mat Borrego arranged a potluck dinner. Anu had sent turkeys from Earth for the main course. Neil Manfred put together a dance band. We had a barn dance. The party went on until 0200. Waush Shaua danced four dances with me.

"This was a great idea." Waush Shaua said, "We should do this every year. Tomorrow let's get together with Jessica, Mat and Neil. We can plan next year's party."

"We won't be here next year." I said, "We will be at UC Davis."

"I know. We need to make sure that the farm keeps good activities. This is one I would like to see continued." Waush Shaua said.

He was right. I gave him a lick on the ear. We went inside and to bed.

The next day we met with Jessica, Mat and Neil. "I want to plan an event for next year. Waush Shaua's and my problem is that we will be on Earth at UC Davis. We hoped you would continue to have Thanksgiving dinners while we are away."

Jessica, Mat and Neil said they would do the parties.

We then got to the plan of the farm village. We needed fifteen new homes for the grain mill workers. We would also have a five home increase in the farm staff. Mark Clemens sat in and approved the plans. We were growing. We added a meeting hall and store in the plans. We had Mark plan on extending the light rail line to the new lumber mill. Mark suggested we have a small yard at the lumber mill. We all approved the plan.

"The farm village needs a name." I said.

The group suggested that we have a farm meeting to name the village.

I scheduled the meeting for the next week. We all were to announce the meeting and its purpose.

Our little community was growing.

I opened the meeting. "We are meeting to select a name for our village. The floor is open to propose names."

We discussed various names and their merit. After one hour we came to consensus on Malik Mills. We had a name for our community.

"I will lead a group to build the Malik Mills Community Center." Waush Shaua volunteered. " I would like Neil and Mat to help."

The community voted to have Waush Shaua's proposal implemented.

Waush Shaua spent the next three weeks with his committee designing a community hall. They made it so it could become part of a future school. They took the finished plans to Silas Bender. He gave them a time estimate to build the center. If we did the site prep he would have the buildings placed by Christmas. Like the other buildings on Bangalore it would be prefabricated at the lumber mill then transported to our site. He suggested that we add two buildings for a town school and one for an administrative center. All buildings would be centaur compliant.