It's our first without Paul. Except for the past two Thanksgivings, Paul was always very helpful in the kitchen. He really enjoyed having people to our house. Never like to travel much on holidays.
I declined invitations, but my sis really wants us to come to her sons. It's an hour away, but my two teens will go with me. I hesitated because the forecast initially was bad, but all updates lately look good. I have to work early Friday. It's gonna be a rough Friday...just the nature of the business. I dread thinking of filling up on turkey and trimmings, then driving home and trying to psyche myself into preparing for work in the a.m.
My son and his wife and kids were down here two weekends in a row early this month, and they too have opted to hang around home and relax this Thanksgiving. So I'll miss not seeing them, but I know how they feel too.
Hope everyone has as wonderful a time as possible, surrounded by family and friends (unless you prefer it the other way around......then I wish you peace and solitude). HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!
This Thanksgiving weekend is our "last honeymoon" - it is just the two of us for the first time! I still can't believe it! We've always been to the family reunions, or had at least one child with us. I'm looking forward to it!
So I got a Honeysuckle Turkey tenderloin, Stove Top Stuffing Mix, Au Gratin Potatoes, Peas, Cranberry Sauce, and in the morning I'll bake a pumkin pie. I'm cheating, but my recipes feed the multitudes! And I don't want leftovers. And I can't afford to spend very much time in the kitchen because my toddler will get into mischief!
I'm hoping he will be happy to watch me decorate the Christmas tree in the afternoon (he's lost the ability to hand me the ornaments).
I'm going to try to make good memories for me to have and I want to try to bring him some pleasure. He seems to have lost that ability too.
Not looking forward to the holidays. I would be happy to jump from Sept 30 to January 2. Too many bad things have happened over my life in October and the holidays were always stressful dodging abusers who were all in one place for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Actually I escaped the triggers of October and maybe that is because we were away and on the road. But this week has hit hard. Didn't help that today Art and I got in it over the deck again - this time over how much distance will be between the steps. 12 inches if fine for his long legs, but not my short.
Tomorrow my sister is cooking the turkey, I will make stuffing, plus raw veggies and fruit salad. There will be my oldest sister, youngest brother, son, dil, grandson and granddaughter plus us. But, most of the day will probably be spent in our motorhome going over to mostly just eat, especially Art.
Charlotte I have been there before in widths and depths of stairs etc. Here is a good website that might be helpful. It tells the range for steps that pass codes and it looks like 12" is out of the code. Tell him it is against the law, whatever to influence him. If you have the space I highly recommend making the depth no shorter than 10" and actually I would prefer 12". The wider the tread is the less likely for tripping. You might be able to buy the side piece with the notches in it, at Lowe's or maybe they would cut it for you and that would be great. Mine have 10" depth and plenty room for large feet to step on. Good Luck. I know how hard it is to change their minds when they get it set on something.
Thanksgiving is not a holiday here in Holland, for most people it is just another working day, and for Siem it is just another day care day. Well, hardly "just another", right now the beginning of every day care day is traumatic. But just now he called me after arriving at the center, sounded quite normal, to tell me that I can't expect him home till four o'clock. (Well I knew that, but I told him I'd be here to welcome him home.)
But I am celebrating. We have an English speaking ladies coffee club here in town and one of my dear friends (who is the only other American gal that I know of here in town and has been here just as long as I have) is having her traditional Thanksgiving coffee morning. I am expecting pumpkin pie, which is what she usually has. I'm going over there in a few moments -- by car instead of bike because it has been raining cats and dogs ever since we got up this morning. And I have a pile of books to take along because we trade.
DIL from PA was telling me that there was a shortage of canned pumpkin this year.
Whole fam-damily coming, including our Ukrainian friends, who are bringing much of the food. I make the turkey, my DIL makes heavy veggie dishes, my younger son will bring good wine, and the Lermontovs will bring, I'm told, an assortment of appetizers plus a veggie lasagna and a whole Cheesecake Factory cheesecake (probably mixed kinds). I've been emptying out the freezer and fridge as much as possible to hold it all!
Just DH and me today. We were going to go out, but decided yesterday to cook. He loves to help me, so why not? I have a roaster chicken we will be getting ready soon for the oven; he will help with the stuffing and veggies and waldorf salad. Have a southern pecan pie for dessert (neither of us care for pumpkin). Of course, he probably won't eat the pie, he has to have his cherry cordial ice cream at every meal! LOL In-between will start decorating my trees for Christmas. I have them all set up. Hope to get the outside decorated sometime this weekend - if it warms up enough!
With all our cares and woes, we still can be thankful for what we do have. So many are suffering - right here in the USA. I'm thankful I have a lovely home; food on the table; good friends here in cyberspace; for my family and soooooo many more things.
I hope you all will have a good Thanksgiving with relative peace and calm. Love you all.
Vickie, I am like you just DH and me. We are going out to eat, I never was good at cooking for just 2 and I am not real fond of leftovers. I will cook for Christmas and New Year so it's not like I am getting off Scot free.LOL I wish everyone a happy and blessed Thanksgiving.
Good morning and happy Thanksgiving to everyone. This has always been my very favorite holiday. I can't remember a year when I haven't had a number of things to be thankful for. I've been invited to enjoy traditional turkey dinner with friends later today. For now I'm enjoying the company of my critters. It's a good day here. I hope it will be the same for each of you. Hugs all around.
We are going up to the corner restaurant where they have a very nice Thanksgiving buffet with our best friends. My aunt is feeding my kids and their families in Michigan. I am thankful for her. She is 75 and cooks a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
Checking in to wish all a Happy thanksgiving. We will be at my son's as we are each thanksgiving, with my DIL's parents also. Dd and family will arrive for dessert. they have dinner with sil's family. I bring the pies. apple and pumpkin. dd will bring a kid dessert, like Carvel turkey. I am grateful for my family, who are most supportive of me and DH. On Friday, we will have a mini thanksgiving at DD's home with my husbands son. and so it goes.
We are going to a friend's this year.There will be 14 of us. I never knew DIL's plans until the week before so this year I accepted another invitation. I'm taking a sweet potato souffle. I've never made it before so I hope it turns out o.k. I hope you all enjoy your day.
I do a sweet potato souffle each Thanksgiving, and Christmas too. Whether we are by ourselves, or with friends and family that is what they always ask...."are you bringing your sweet potato souffle?" I'm getting started on it soon here. Wish it wasn't so fattening though. Heavy cream, butter, pecan crunch on top. Oh, the leftover souffle is really yummy for breakfast. I tend to make too much, just for that reason. BREAKFAST!!!! Am I weird, or what?
Last year when we realized we couldn't do the annual visit to my daughter's house for the holiday, I found a very nice Thanksgiving Brunch at a local motel. This year that wouldn't have worked. He can't handle buffets any more. But it turned out that the diner that we eat at almost every day is going to be open for Thanksgiving, so that is where we are going.
He is in the living room watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade right now. I was in there too up until a little while ago. Basically I'm taking a day off. No phone calls, no housework, no laundry.
I am having a hysterical morning. My girls are up in my huge attic dragging out stuff that has been there for ages. Husband never threw anything out. Some stuff is junk, some nostalgia, some for Goodwill and some the girls actually want. We have collectively wet our pants laughing. Stuff that once meant something is now useless trash. You either move on or bury yourself in life's debris. I am thankful to have my girls. I am deeply saddened that my dear husband is so far gone into this monster of a disease that the day has no meaning for him. I read others here stating their spice are stage 7 and they can still walk and talk. Is there a stage for one who can only only breathe and occasionally open his eyes? In spite of all we will have a good day.
Just put an apple pie in the oven for dinner today with DD and SIL's whole family...they outnumber us, and have seemed to 'take over' TG and XMAS. Not like the old days when it was just us 4, 5 or 6, depending on the year. I pack up dinner in containers there and bring them home to eat and feed DW. Sad but stress-free. Enjoy your family and friends, those who have them.
Son Bill and I have been invited by Joyce (second best sweetheart) to join her son's (my Godson's) family for Thanksgiving. Makes me sort of teary thinking about this being our first holiday without Frances, but now, after almost three months, such sadness is showing up much less frequently. Christmas will probably be hard too -- although we really haven't had a GOOD Christmas in quite some years. Trying to put a happy face on the year in my annual Christmas letter may be too much of a challenge to attempt -- but don't you just hate to receive a Christmas letter that's full of bad news about health problems, etc!
Gotta make a run down to the grocery store and try to find a sweet potato pie to take with me -- that's what I grew up on!
We are having our daughter and her family here as per usual. Our son spends it with his wife and her two adult children. Having three young boys running around will be a nice change of pace. SIL is a wonderful help with everything, so it will be simple..I'm even using paper napkins ..a first for me! Sounds silly.
Well, Gourdchipper, I like them (Christmas letters) better than the ones who have just come back from 2 months in Tuscany, whose children are reaping all the honours and awards that have ever been invented and then some, and who are thinking of building a sauna onto their cabin at Whistler. Good for them, but it is such a contrast to my life that I end up feeling envious and then slightly down. We've had our Thanksgiving here in Canada, but I'll enjoy yours vicariously. May it be a happy one!
Yeah, mary75, kinda' makes you want to write one of those letters telling everyone how you got arrested for DWI, and your son is in drug rehab, your teenage unmarried daughter is pregnant, your wife is having an affair with your best friend, and you wrapped your Porche around a telephone pole, but that otherwise it was a pretty good year. Merry Christmas!
We'll be going to my parents for dinner. There will be 6 of us for dinner--my parents, grandmother (going strong at 96), my brother and us. I made the broccoli casserole for dinner. Pizzelles and chocolate covered strawberries are my contributions to dessert--don't like pumpkin pie. Plus, of course, the wine. LOL
Neither one of my kids will be there this year. My daughter is cooking for friends who couldn't afford to go home for Thanksgiving and my son is still in South Korea. My sister and her kids will come for dessert after dinner at her in-laws.
I'm thankful my husband will enjoy all the good food and sweets and that the rest of my family is in good health.
Everyone here, my friends, have a happy Thanksgiving!
LOL, Joe. We get several of those letters every Christmas!!!!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
This is our first Thanksgiving without Claude. Our daughter has to work until 5PM so we (son, daughter and myself) will eat our usual Thanksgiving dinner late.
I forgot that today was the Macy parade. I love watching it and haven't missed many over the years. Guess I'm still a kid at heart!!
Two years ago I did the last happy letter, with a photo from the December before on the card. My husband helped me stuff the envelopes. First time he ever did that, by the way, although almost all of the cards went to his business contacts.
Last year I just couldn't get a happy letter out of me and didn't do either the card nor the letter. He didn't notice. My daughter helped me give myself permission not to do the whole blasted thing.
This year there won't be any letter/card, but there also won't be any of the angst over not doing it. With any luck most of the people who didn't get anything won't send anything either this year.
On the other hand, I'm planning on figuring out how the CD player on the record player he had to have 3 years ago works because this year I'm planning on playing Christmas music.
mary75 and Texas Joe, So funny about those Christmas letters. I got a kick out of both your posts. Maybe I will write a tongue-in-cheek one this year and then say JUST KIDDING at the end. Might be good for a laugh (at least for me).
I had our traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all my children, grandchildren, my sisters and their families and my brother and his family. About 25 in all. But it was a much harder day than I thought it would be. The first real holiday since Charlie went into placement. I went through all the "firsts" when my first husband died, but it was different then. It was over and done. He had died and there was no where to go but forward. This year I live in limbo. He isn't gone and he isn't here and I tried my best , but my heart wasn't in it. As soon as dinner was over, I left and went to the nursing home. I have reached the place where I am more comfortable there than here at home with the rest of my family. I not sure that is a real healthy thing for me but I can't NOT go. I have tried to tell myself that it is ok not to go all the time but I have not been able to convince myself of that. Not looking forward to Christmas at all. That was Charlie's holiday. He loved it. I have thought about trying to bring him home but I know that he would not enjoy the noise and the confusion but I am also afraid that he will think that he has come home to stay and it would break my heart all over again to take him back.
I never cared to get the Christmas letters. Being military and moving around it was hard to keep up with families. Getting a bunch of information on children your barely knew and then grandchildren you didn't know at all was not my idea of a Christmas greeting. If the writer had wrote about themselves and spouse I would have preferred that. I know people are proud of what their children/grands have done but if you don't know them it's hard to read 4 pages!
It was a year ago that my son and I went to the Thanksgiving dinner presented by the VA home where my husband resided. On that night we noticed my husband had an infection in his mouth and was sick. After that night, he began his descent into the final stage of ALzheimers. We were from then on at the home nearly every day making decision after decision as his health steadily declined. At the end of January, his weight dropped drastically, and the medical staff was delicately trying to inform us that nothing more could be done for my sweetheart. He quit eating and refused food. We made him as comfortable as possible and he died on Feb. 17th. Today was a difficult day as memories of wonderful Thanksgiving occasions were fleetingly presented to my mind. The year has flown by but I now feel I will do much better during 2010'
Bittersweet day as I enjoy having DH here overnight, and my Mom home from the hospital. The thought that DH may not be here next year was tough to overlook. We had a wonderful day though. Tried not to think of DD. My son and his girlfriend were here and Sarah was a huge help. My brother and his lady friend were here and also chipped in. The boys sat at the table, but ate nothing ???? :o( Now the boys are asleep and we 3 adults are quietly watching tv. A good day given the week we just had.
((((Edis)))), can he go for car rides? Maybe one evening you can pick him up and go see Christmas lights or displays then maybe stop and get a special treat to eat before taking him.
I spent the morning in the hospital with my husband's aunt (she has been complaining about a lot of back and rib pain but xrays didn't show anything). I didn't get home until almost 1 pm but simplified Thanksgiving dinner a little and my 16 year old daughter helped and we sat down to a 12 lb turkey, sausage and parsnip dressing, homemade cranberry, sweet potato, green beans, and pumpkin pie around 6 pm. IActually one of the better turkeys I have ever cooked, perhaps because it was fresh, perhaps because I cooked it upside down for the first hour. t was just DH and I and our two kids, which reduced the stress. First Thanksgiving in our new home.
Thanksgiving was bitter sweet without my husband at home. My kids have gone home and my house is now empty again. I try not to dwell on what was and try to think of the future. It isn't easy.
Sometimes I think it is easier on holidays to go out of town (not that we did that). Perhaps with a change of scenery, we would be less apt to compare the day to what we did in the past? Our LO's arent' the only ones who need distraction.
We had a wonderful dinner at son and DIL's home. then DH fell asleep and didn't wake up, even for dessert. I woke him at 10 to go home, and he stayed awake til I gave him some dessert at home. then off to la la land again. my granddaughter came home with us, but I'll be bringing her back today, and we have a mini thanksgiving with Step son and DD at their home. we'll come back home on Sunday. At least I'll have some company over the weekend.
We had a wonderful dinner at my mom and dad's. My husband was good. He only roamed around the house a short time and did help put the food on the table. My dad knows how much my husband likes candy now and had put out a small bowl of chocolate for him and that made my husband quite happy. A relaxing holiday. :)
Tonight we are meeting some good friends for pizza (we haven't seen them in a year) and a wedding of the daughter of another one of my husband's best friends tomorrow.
In spite of everything, the dinner went well. The giant tablecloth from Target covered two tables, everyone had enough room, the 18-month-old baby was a sweetheart who never uttered a cross noise all evening. His dad JefftheChef brought a big white-asparagus and sundried tomato lasagna and it was really good, as well as two whole cakes from the Cheesecake factory: a pumpkin/pecan and a "30 aniversary" chocolate and cheesecake thing that was truly decadent. The turkey unfortunately undercooked slightly so it was tough; I'm now simmering stock and have pretty much dismembered it. It'll be good leftovers and frozen.
I was pretty much out of it and everyone pitched in to fix their own things and managed perfectly well so I didn't HAVE to do anything. I kept thinking, oh, not the gravy spoon... oh, not the iced tea spoons... I'm still on the verge of tears today. My husband doesn't know anything about it.
BUT: everyone got along well, there was good conversation, my sons played well together (!) and the DILs bonded over crafts-making. I do feel extremely fortunate that there were all there, and healthy, and not fighting or anything, and that my husband seemed to have a good time too. He's happily watching Wishbone now and I'm just thankful that he is as little trouble as he is. I'll survive.
Oh Briegull, I'm so sorry. I can only imagine that big rock in the pit of your stomach when you think about your silver. That's so so sad. I have lots of antique Sheffield, that I should sell. The children don't want it..and this year, with our Thanksgiving being just 3 days after my dear husband's Memorial Service, we did not want to make a fuss - Nevertheless, the boys did want a little turkey. (We bought the Turkey Deal at Cracker Barrel) Personally, I was barely able to a bite of food. That being said, the boys insisted we use the Chinet paper plates which would have been horrible in years past. This year, I didn't set up the formal dining room table with the silver, crystal and china...as I have done every year I can remember.. I have believed it is vital we do that in order to teach the small children the proprieties of formal dining. I have them help me set the table and explain the silver placement. They learn by placing the forks, spoons and knives themselves.
I DID go into the dining room and checked to see my silver was in the drawer. It was.
Most of you know that during the funeral visitations/deliveries, etc., someone removed my door keys from the dead bolt locks on two of my exterior doors. I keep the key in the inside key hole because I lock the door each tme I come in. I IMMEDIATELY called a locksmith and had all the exterior doors re-keyed when I realized what had happened! Can you imagine that??? We are positive they were taken, because we checked everywhere as the children were packing to leave..and everything is cleaned and back into place.
Nancy B* Sad to say, the keys being taken doen't surpirise me. When my Dad passed away, it was suggested to my Mom to have someone babysit the house during the visitation times and funeral. An elderly neighbor lady was so eager to help in some way, my Mom asked her to sit for the afternnon visitation timne and the day of the funeral, while everyone was gone. Another, younger, neighbor couple watched the house for the evening visitation. I thuink it was the Funeral Home people who suggested it because the Obituary tells everyone when there's not going to be anyone home.