Thanksgiving 2011

I used to have it all together.

Well, that may be an exaggeration.  Let's just say that I used to think that I had it all together; I never really did.

I'm a maker of lists and a jotter of notes, only more often than not, I lose those scraps of paper.  I've tried notebooks of various sizes, but they get buried in the daily accumulation of stuff (the school papers, the LEGO creations, mail and confiscated toys).

So when my mom called last Tuesday to ask about the Thanksgiving menu, I froze.  Panic set in.

I knew Thanksgiving was coming (who could forget their parents visit, especially when it involved taking three of the kids and 90% of the noise back to their house for a few days?). But, I also knew we had an out-of-town trip the weekend before and I needed to make plans for that (i.e., collecting sewing projects to work on while riding shotgun); it became the sole-project-on-the-brain - no spare cells for menu planning.

"I'll think about Thanksgiving when we return."

Only we didn't come home until dinner time on Monday.  It was raining on Tuesday and there was no way I was going to drag five kids through storms to fill our larder; instead I unpacked and cleaned (and they alternately helped and watched a new LEGO video - shameless advertising that bought me a few minutes of peace!).  Thankfully, our family's menu changes very little, and once it was tattooed on my arm all on paper and stuck to the fridge, I was good to go.

On Wednesday I woke up a determined woman.  Some may say it was insanity (and I happen to agree), but I took my crew to the grocery store on the day before Thanksgiving.  And it wasn't just a handful of items that were needed - I'm talking a total restocking, a taking-advantage-of-the-sales trip, mountains of food.

We were plugging right along until my blood sugar plummeted (oatmeal will do that to you).  Suddenly I got hot, the store seemed extra crowded and I needed to eat.

I grabbed a box of buy-one-get-one-free crackers, and we all dug in.  A curious employee asked me why I was stuffing my face if I needed any help (I love Publix!); I politely declined and explained that I needed a little sustenance so I didn't pass out in the floor leaving the manager to deal with my kids.  His sense of relief was palpable.

Once I felt normal again, we plowed ahead, which is a very accurate description since I was driving one of those massive carts loaded with an assortment of whole and non-so-whole foods to last us the rest of the holiday season.  Spray whipped cream anyone?

Then I remembered the turkey.

A quick whip of the cart and I stood looking at dead birds.  There was no way to fit one, much less two, on our overflowing cart.

Plan B was to dump the kids at the register with the cart and beg for mercy.  The cashier was gracious.  So with Josie strapped to my chest, I grabbed the first two birds I could find and hauled their 26 lb. frozen bulks to the front.  Meanwhile another clerk both amused my kids and unloaded my goods, taking great care not to break eggs or squish bread (did I say I love Publix?).

I left with two carts, full of food and kiddos (and, if there weren't enough reasons already, a kind gentleman took it all out to my van - reason enough to go to Publix!).

And the rest of the day went smoothly.  Doug watched the youngun's and I make pie crust and baked apple pie; I steamed sweet potatoes and assembled sweet potato fluff; I prepared a requisite jello salad and cleared the kitchen counters.  My parents arrived with a pumpkin pie and cornbread dressing.  Ahhh!

And then Thanksgiving Day arrived. We threw the turkey in the oven.  We chatted.

We started a pot of green beans.  We talked.  Stephen and Matthew assisted with stuffed celery.

We used the fancy plates and all the crystal and cut glass that's been gathering dust, but it was relaxed.

No fancy flower arrangements, just nature at its finest.  Several weeks ago we waxed gingko leaves and wrote out things for which we were thankful.  As my dad watched the preparations he asked, "Does this say what I think it does?  An external hard drive?"  Yes, sir; we are thankful for that.

And of course there were pickles, and they tasted so much better out of my grandmother's beautiful cut glass dish.  Numerous Mosolgo grandchildren have cut their teeth on pickles from this dish. 

It was the most perfect day I could have wished for.  No running hither and yon.  No frantic food preparation or culinary crises.  Just a pleasant day spent with people we love.

Something for which we are truly thankful.