Thanksgiving 2010

Welcome to Thanksgiving 2010!   

I just put the ham in the oven and I’m trying to take a few moments to myself before the hubbub that is Thanksgiving begins.  Later, I will cook the cheese-broccoli casserole and I’m doing a green recipe this year.  (Lemon zest and almonds!)  I did the cranberry sauce yesterday.  My mom did the pies yesterday and today she’ll do the turkey, dressing, hashbrown casserole (YUM!), rolls, deviled eggs, and I know there’s more but I’m still on cup of coffee number one.  Karen is bringing a dessert. 

   

If there’s one thing I LOVE LOVE LOVE about Thanksgiving, it’s the leftovers!  My mouth is already watering, not just at the prospect of lunch, but for dinner.  I’ll be home, alone.  And I will pull down a paper plate, load it up with hashbrown and cheese-broccoli casserole, (I may or may not eat any meat,) zap it, toss an egg or two on the side, pour a glass of wine, and ahhhhh………

My good friend Carol is forging into her first venture of preparing the Thanksgiving meal for her extended family.  Wow!  I cannot wait to hear about her success.  She’s very creative and I’m positive she will insert the proper amount of southern charm (and dishes) into her meal up north.  She’s going to this not only with in-laws as testers, but with 3 boys in the house as well.  Bless your heart Carol.  UPDATE:  Word on the street is Carol has Michael Buble crooning in her ear while the boys dance to the Spongebob soundtrack.  

I often think it’s funny that I’m 42 and I’ve never hosted a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.  Sure, I’m all over side dishes, but from top to bottom, start to finish, I’m out.  But it’s not for lack of want, mostly it’s lack of room and funds.  Only once have ever hosted Easter dinner.  It was for 4 adults and two children.  I made a ham, hashbrown casserole, green beans and I don’t know what else.  It was time consuming.  I thought it was a good ‘starter’ holiday meal and it was a success.

The older I get, the more Thanksgiving becomes my favorite holiday.  There’s no present buying (though I do love a good shopping trip), no stress of getting my hands on the latest must-have gadget so it can end up in the corner of a little someone’s bedroom in two days, and there’s no being good required.  But what there is, oh, what there is, there’s great food, there is wine, and there is football.  Oh, and family.  My family is there too.

This year, my favorite part of Thanksgiving 2010 has already happened.  Zachary texted me and said he was coming home for the night!  He lives in Conway, so it’s his normal routine to just drive home the day of the event.  To have him and his dog, Dooie, home…I just do not have words.  It was fantastic.  Even when he left at 10:30 to go meet up with friends, it was fantastic.  

What am I thankful for?  Am I supposed to say ‘my health’?  I don’t think so.  Not THIS year.  My Family?  That’s a given.  I’m thankful for so very many things.  (I am actually thankful for my health.)  I’m thankful I wasn’t born in Dufar, Ethiopia, China or anywhere that’s not the USA.  I’m thankful I have access to medical care (I won’t hop on my soap box, I’ll just say thank goodness for the single payer system.)  I’m thankful I have a nice car that doesn’t cause me problems at the most inopportune times.  I’m thankful my children are healthy.  I’m thankful I don’t go hungry.  I’m thankful I have heat and water and lights and I’m thankful that I don’t have to worry whether or not I’ll have them next month.  I’m thankful we have a Constitution though I do wish we’d use it more often.

I could go on and on, but you get my point.  What are YOU thankful for?