Undaunted

The long weekend stretched out before me only five days ago and now in a blink it’s almost over. We ate the turkey and the pumpkin pie. We shopped online. We watched basketball. We put up the Christmas tree. And, Monday will be here all too soon.

Heading into the Thanksgiving holiday, I admit I was a bit sad. This was the first Thanksgiving in my 50 years on this earth that I wouldn’t be spending the day with my parents and extended family. However, while this Thanksgiving wasn’t the huge family gathering of years past, it was definitely memorable.

Making the Thanksgiving feast is a lot of work! A shout out to my mom, who made many turkeys and meals of thanksgiving past. I now truly appreciate all the hard work and planning went into putting the holiday meal on the table. My boyfriend, Jamey, and I made a valiant effort to make Thanksgiving for the girls (and have enough to share with his parents and mine). We got up early, prepared the turkey (after watching and rewatching a YouTube video that makes everything look easy), and got the bird into the oven by 8:00 AM. Four hours later after finally figuring out how to read the thermometer (who would have thought that would be so hard!), Jamey carved our perfectly roasted turkey. The girls peeled and whipped the mashed potatoes, Jamey made his dad’s famous stuffing, I prepared the green bean casserole and Jamey’s mom dropped off her amazing brisket. We were not lacking in food. I am thankful.

A beautiful sunny day outside, the four of us took our dog for a walk around the neighborhood. While we may not have walked fast enough or far enough to burn off those calories, we still indulged in a mound of whipped topping on a piece of pumpkin pie that my youngest made the day before (I don’t need your help mom! I can do it myself!). Indeed, she did. The pie melted in my mouth. Taking a break from eating, we connected with family and friends via multiple Zoom calls. We may have been short on hugs, but we made up for it with laughter and stories…catching up on what was going on in our loved ones lives. COVID may have taken away our traditional get togethers, but it didn’t take away the strength and love of family. I am grateful.

Food, Friendship and Family.

It was a perfect Thanksgiving.

How was your Thanksgiving? Did you start any new traditions?