HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Two weeks ago, on a Saturday evening, I celebrated an early Thanksgiving dinner with my adult children and their families. It was the only way to accommodate everyone’s schedule, especially since my son had to fly in from out of state. 

It was a hectic day, even though steps were taken to minimize the organized chaos. But with so many hungry people all day we were constantly just eating and prepping. Who am I kidding? We were just eating. 

My son was charged with the turkey, I made the questionable sides (the cranberry sauce was good) my husband made his famous mashed potatoes and my daughter-in-law whipped up beautiful charcuterie trays, frankly, the highlight of the day. 

There we were, six adults, four kids and a baby. We decided to keep the adults and the baby in the dining room and the kids had a spacious round kitchen table to hang out and eat without the adults bugging them. 

Five-thirty finally arrived and the turkey and the fried potato dumplings my daughter made at the last minute were done. While the buffet was getting sorted out, my son-in-law asked the kids, already sitting around their table, to share their thoughts about what Thanksgiving meant to them. So, their food arrived warm and they were digging in before the adults and baby settled in. By the time we, the older crowd made the round robin of gratefulness, our dinner was no longer hot, but I don’t think anyone cared. 

We talked and laughed and the baby cooperated nicely as we ate ourselves into a frenzy, but not oblivion. That was yet to come. Some of the group went for a much-needed walk around the block, while my son-in-law powered through the cleanup and by the time the walkers returned, the only thing left to do was to gear up for the desserts; my daughter made, pumpkin pie and pineapple upside down cakes, which we served along side the homemade ice cream I made with my granddaughter the day before and the freshly whipped cream to plop on top, because why not? Wow. I think that finally quieted down the bunch of us for a few minutes!

The charcuterie tray leftovers were packed for a beach picnic the next day. My daughter lamented that she didn’t take home some of THAT CHEESE. Yeah…it was unbelievably good. 

I marveled how our home came to life with our kids and their kids who have not been together since Covid started. And we followed the rules; didn’t invite additional friends or extended family members, stayed outside the majority of the time and all adults were vaccinated, three of us with boosters. Hand washing was at an all-time high, but there was plenty of soap to go around.

This morning as I sorted through the fridge, I found a small sandwich bag of THAT CHEESE.  I thought it was gone. We all thought it was gone. So, I sit here with a small bowl of fruit and some slices of dairy perfection and the Thanksgiving spirit is again circling around my kitchen table with the memory of THAT THANKSGIVING, with my favorite people and THAT CHEESE. 

In a couple of days, I’ll have another go of it with our Covid pod – a small outside potluck gathering. It’ll be delightful and fun. I’ll still miss my family, but I know how precious these days are and I am truly lucky and grateful for another opportunity to share a Thanksgiving meal.