It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like …
It’s time to stock up on wine. : )
What, you were expecting something else?
I’m lucky. For the most part, holidays around here are drama-free. On Thursday, I can honestly say ‘Thanks” for all my family members, extended and otherwise. But even drama-free holidays can still be stressful. So over the years, Bill and I have come up with our own rituals. On Wednesday, after the kids are in bed, we’ll pull out “Home for the Holidays” and watch it. Imagining Robert Downey Jr. as your relative helps put everything in perspective.
Later, I’ll speed read through a few chapters of Amy Bloom’s A Blind Man Could See How Much I Love You. The beautiful, dysfunctional family celebrating Thanksgiving at the heart of this collection of short stories never ceases to enthrall me. (True story: Many years ago, I got to interview Ms. Bloom. I prepped for a week and she still managed to scare the bejesus out of me.)
What are your pre-holiday rituals?
I just bought a case of wine yesterday, along with the turkey and fixings. Even the grocery store cashier thought it a good idea. Our Wednesday night involves relaxed cooking, music, and laughter. My wife and I take every possible meal prep step we can the night before. It’s turned into a fun and relaxing way to get ready for the inevitable chaos (we traditionally have a dozen or more adult and children guests and four large dogs in our little cottage – yikes).
So cheers! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Liz!
Vaughn, with that kind of crowd, is a case enough? : ) Your cottage sounds so inviting … I hope you and your wife have a lovely holiday.
As our lives change so too have our Thanksgiving “traditions” Over the past few years my family and I take a trek up to Maine to relax and enjoy the company of my side of the family. Not all of them, but most. So pre-turkey day will be spent quietly with just the 4 of us, preparing goodies to share, lighting a fire and watching a movie. And as always, I will reflect upon the people in my life and feel a heartfelt blessing for all that I have and for all the people I am blessed to share my life’s journey with. 😉 Happy Thanksgiving!
Leslie, that sounds like a lovely way to spend the pre-holiday madness. Enjoy!
Normally I would be feverishly prepping for a trip to CT! But now that I’m here, we’ll have new traditions, including baking time with my niece. She loves the coffee cakes I make for Thanksgiving, and has asked me to help her make her own to take to her dad’s house that day. 🙂
Oooh, Karen, you need to bring one of those coffee cakes this way! Have a wonderful, relaxing day!
I am the pie girl– goo goo ga joob! So the night before Thanksgiving, I hand peelers and a pile of apples to hubby and daughter and make them, ahem, apealing! (Couldn’t resist that one). I will make the crust and assemble the pie and this year it will be special because I am going to use a cookie cutter to make dough leaves to lay on the top of the pie! Tomorrow we will bring pie to my parents’ house and drink all of THEIR wine.
Happy Thanksgiving!
The pie sounds beautiful — hope it (and the wine!) turned out well!
That Amy Bloom book sounds good. I’ll check it out.
All I had to do for Thanksgiving was make 2 pumpkin pies, and honestly they didn’t turn out that well. I don’t know what I did wrong! Oh, the humiliation.
Gah — pie humiliation. Hope you survived it. And let me know what you think of the book — it is one of my favorites. The characters are hard to get out of your mind.