Thanksgiving

What is Thanksgiving?

According to Merriam Webster: a day appointed to give thanks for divine goodness.

According to our society: a much anticipated event filled with joyful chaos, travel, family, friends, insane amounts of yummy, and yes, thanks.

This Thanksgiving wasn't what I had hoped for.  We had plans to be with my family and friends today that were changed last weekend.  Honestly, I felt like boycotting Thanksgiving.  I planned on taking a brisket out of the freezer and whatever.  

Growing up, Thanksgiving usually sucked.  We never went anywhere, there were no festivities, just another day at home with a parade on tv.  My favorite Thanksgiving ever was in high school when I spent it at my friend Michelle's house.  There was a long table, all her sisters and their hubbys, her brother and his family, gorgeous dishes, roll passing, just...perfect.  It had a sense of celebration and wonderfulness.

I fully believe in creating what you want for your family, your own traditions and legacy.  That's easier said than done.  It's not that we don't have plenty to be thankful for.  We do.  

For the last three years, this being the forth, we've stayed home.  Joey has told me this countless times in the last week, and with extreme disappointment.  I expand the menu, we have desserts, etc.  Other than the fact that it's daylight out when we eat, really not any different then every.other.day.

I cook every day.  I'm one with my kitchen.  I made the entire meal and three desserts relying only on two recipes.  I also believe in using the "good plates" every day.  Why save them?  Might they get chipped? sure.  oh well.  

This morning was boring.  We haven't had tv since June, today was the first day it bugged me.  No parade. 

OK, so I put the turkey in the oven...George down for his nap...work on the roll dough I started yesterday and review the to do list.  It's pretty much done.  I bought into the media's pageantry of chaos and "so much to do" and made half of it yesterday in about three hours.  So what now?  Sweep the floor and watch the dough rise.  Thrilling.

I set the table and made a cheese/pepperoni and cracker tray...man I could do that in my sleep.  

Eventually George woke up from that nap, finally someone to talk to.  Someone excited about Thanksgiving...well, he was rather smiley.  

I was reading books with him when the boys got home a little after two.  He hung out with Daddy and I finished the mashed potatoes and baked the rolls, then moved it all to the table.  Of course George was starving immediately, so I fed him, then I ate as Wayne and Joey did.  Then George gave into the tryptophan, Wayne tried to use the laptop with a defunct trackpad (I found what he wanted on my phone than he typed in the address with a series of "tabs" and "shift-tabs"...it was great) and Joey cleaned up the food.

A little while later we had dessert....and barely put a dent in it.  

Wayne cuddled with the dog, I pulled up a new cell phone on verizon's website to show him.  Joey played with his legos.  Eventually they went back to the farm, I ordered our new phones, and boiled the remainder of the turkey and attacked the dishes.  

I wouldn't say it was a bad day...I'm glad to be surrounded by my boys, have a roof over their heads and the ability to feed them.  I certainly don't mind "all that cooking"...maybe I just need to feed more people.

Am I thankful?  Absolutely.  Did I have four bonus hours with Wayne, sure did.  

I wonder what next year will bring?  Certainly more thanks...maybe some celebration.