DEBORAH CROMBIE: This Thanksgiving is certainly not like any I've ever experienced. When I was growing up, my mother and grandmother hosted Thanksgiving dinner for all my mom's side of the family, and usually an aunt and uncle from my dad's family as well. (Don't you wonder how these traditions get started? Knowing my mom's bossiness, I suspect she just insisted and everyone else fell into line.) Eventually, my Finnish aunt (she married my mom's youngest brother) took over, and she still cooks Thanksgiving dinner for the extended family, although she's well into her eighties now.
But not this year. Rick and I will be on our own for the first Thanksgiving in our marriage. My daughter and her family have taken their camper to their deer lease--you can't get more socially isolated than that!
At first I thought I'd cook the whole shebang, just for the two us. Plenty of turkey leftovers! But there were no small turkeys, and our local La Madeleine (French bistro) was offering a whole traditional Thanksgiving dinner to heat at home. I caved and ordered it, and I have to say I'm pretty excited about not having to do anything but put things in the oven and serve plates. I did make my famous cranberry relish on Tuesday night, dividing it in half so that the kids could take some in the camper.
So we'll have good food, and the gorgeous roses I picked up at Trader Joe's look very appropriately celebratory. I have the Thanksgiving card Wren drew for me--
And her pumpkins--
And I'm enjoying the fact that our garden still looks like this near the end of November--
And I'm looking forward to some fabulous French desserts this afternoon.
Check in, everyone, and tell us how you are, and how you're spending your day.
All of us here at Jungle Red wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving, even if it will be different. We are grateful for many things, but high up on the list is the support and community we share with all of our wonderful readers every single day. We love you all!
PS: Be sure to come back tomorrow for suggestions for all that leftover turkey!
