Thanks and Survival

Ah the fun. We – my housemate and I – decided that to thank all those classmates of hers who were so present in her life during her recent health challenges we would throw a Thanksgiving party.

I, of course thought that I should add a few of my close friends as well as my older son and his girlfriend. By the time we were through we had a list of 20+, one non-turkey eater and a couple of vegetarians.

I – for reasons only known to my innermost psyche – had to have a proper sit-down Thanksgiving meal.

I also chose to be smart and ordered my turkeys – with stuffing – from the butcher where I have gotten them before. I mean setting up with only the two of us and making some of the food leaves no time for the continual basting and checking, never mind actually trying to get one in the oven then the second.

So we made pies (pumpkin, apple and pecan), cranberry sauce, Brussels sprouts, cookies, mac and cheese, gravy, and delegated other dishes to the guests. One of my guests very smartly also requested serving dishes thus eliminating part of the “receive, re-heat and plate” problems.

In the end three couldn’t come, but what a fine time the rest of us had! I did managed to create not only tables for sitting down, but also a table for snacks with cocktails and desserts at the end, but another table for the buffet set-up.

Relaxed, lots of laughter in spite of some of my wines being too old (one way to sort out a wine cellar). We only spent the whole day setting up. After the last guests we also got all the perishables into the refrigerator and I sent the two girls up to bed at half past midnight as they had a work-study all day the next day. I lasted a half-hour longer then toddled off myself. The next day whilst they were out I had the whole time to myself to leisurely finish off the wash up, the clean up, the break down of tables, the washing of table clothes and getting things back into their spots.

The house has never been so clean and orderly – always the plus of throwing a party.

Thanks: for all the support N received in the past three months; for the blessing of having friends and family celebrate the day together; for the privilege of having family and friends; for the pleasure of giving a party and I could go on and on and on.

Survived: enough said.