Thanksgiving Dinner

The table took up the folks' living room. Mom decorated in in a style worthy of Her Marthaness. The food was superfantastic. We've learned through the iterations of the years that when it comes to Thanksgiving, everyone wants it to taste like it always tasted. This is not the time for variations on the stuffing or some high church recipe for yams. Roasted turkey, bread stuffing (and dressing and PLEASE let's not have another debate about THAT). Giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, Julia's pickled beets, my bean casserole. Cranberry sauce from a can (although some cranberry relishes on the side are acceptable). Desserts can be various so long as there is pumpkin pie.

Even though our usual weekend-long romp was abbreviated because The Spouse has to work on Friday, we stuffed the requisite hilarity into the day. The goofy names, dancing with the neices (they were into "Thriller" this year...don't ask me why), playing Speed Scrabble and getting whooped by my baby sister (again! damn her eyes!) We laughed. We talked. We revelled in the plenty, sang the Doxology in 20 part harmony and were thankful.

But here's the thing: when you don't stay over on Thanksgiving you don't get turkey sandwiches and those ravenous beasts ate practically all the turkey as it was and so here I am, safe at home and feeling generally blessed and yet, oddly bereft. I have no turkey sandwich. Sigh.

Oooh, 2 hours of "The Apprentice"...