Thanksgiving plans? rambling...

[pamcook]

Most of us probably don't have the "usual" Thanksgiving plans this year. I thought maybe we could share some suggestions for helping to make this year's holiday less sad.

Joel and I usually celebrate the day alone. This year, we hope Chris & family will still be here with us. If they move before the holiday, it could send me right over the edge! Our current plans are to have Chris fire up the grill for steaks for the men in our household. Mandee and I are still narrowing down the sides. After an early meal, we'll all go out to rake leaves into piles and get some photos while we dismantle those piles of leaves. Weather permitting, of course. I'm considering a ban on video games. We'll probably put up the Christmas tree that evening. Mandee has asked to decorate for Christmas since 11/1 so I know she'll be all in for that plan.

If it's just the two of us, we'll still deal with the leaves -and then I hope to do some scrapbooking. Scrapbooking is still my therapy.

Or - either way, maybe we can go for a long walk down at the lake?

What are you all planning?

[BekiWard@msn.com]

Your day sounds heavenly! I'm holding the faith that they will still be there at least through Thanksgiving.

As for us...things are still up in the air, so who knows. I'll be cooking something no matter what happens. One son's 35 year old brother-in-law had a stroke, so there's that exposure; the other son's father-in-law just had a heart attack, so there's that. We did toy with the idea of something outside, weather permitting; I really like that idea for some reason...we can have a fire in the pit, rake leaves & play in them, maybe a round or two of croquet and/or corn hole, eat stuff, and I'm thinking of an evening "P.O.O.P." party that I read about... "P.O.O.P." = Pig Out On Pie

We usually end up getting together with the kids on another day than Thursday since there are other families/schedules to consider. I'm always grateful for whatever time we have together.

[pugmom]

Pam, where will Chris and family be moving to? Or is that still up in the air also?

We decided months ago that neither of our boys would be coming out here for the holidays so we will video chat with them.
As of right now, we are having one guest -- our neighbor that comes here for brunch every Sunday and that I walk with daily. (She's in our bubble). We have invited two other neighbors, but I don't think they will be coming. The wife fell about 4 weeks ago and badly injured her left knee and right arm, so she's not very mobile right now. If they don't come, we will take dinner to them.
After dinner we may go for a walk (weather permitting) or play board games or cards. It will just be a play it by ear kind of day.

I haven't even decided if I'm going to put up any Christmas decorations this year.

[pbp908]

I expect that we'll still have our traditional Thanksgiving - George cooks ribs, we have potato salad, roasted corn and some sort of desert. The boys prefer that over turkey and all that goes with it. The problem is finding a desert that everyone likes.

The day after we generally go to the storage building and bring the Christmas decorations to the house. I spend the day cleaning, moving furniture around, packing the "normal" detritus up to make room for the decorations and then the guys argue about how the tree gets assembled.

So no changes here. I guess it's actually a blessing that I'm basically a hermit since retiring.

[Debbie AZ]

Going to my daughter's in Glendale, AZ. Will just be a small group and we plan on playing games after. I have the jumbo Sequence game and Light, Center, Right so that will be fun. I'm taking a ham and I've been delegated to make stuffing and gravy. I swear I failed as a parent, neither of my girls can make gravy if their life depended on it! Funny!

[paddlegal]

This will definitely be a very different Thanksgiving for me and Charley in so many ways. It looks like I will be joining the Culls for that day. Charley and Leigh Ann have been together for a year and a half already and though there isn’t a proposal in the very near future they’ve made it quite plain that at some point once he passes the Bar (results in January) and she has her teaching credential (possibly by December) they’ll move in together and beyond. And I’m very happy for this. Leigh Ann is here a few days each week and Charley stays at her parents’ home sometimes too. So I’m feeling ok with this bubble. I have met both parents, Patty and Allen briefly, so we aren’t total strangers. They live about 35 minutes from us.

Now to figure out food. I’m sure Patty Cull is worrying about how to feed me and Charley for this occasion, LOL. I plan on making a few staple Thanksgiving favorites to share. Lentil loaf with BBQ sauce and cranberry stuffed acorn squash at the top of my list.

Navigating the upcoming holidays for the first time without Bob is going to suck but I can do it. I have three appointments set up in December with my grief therapist to get me through this. Hurry 2021.

[kacarr61]

We have decided not to do a family get together which is usually at my house. So I am feeling pretty sad about it but we still plan to cook a traditional thanksgiving for the 2 of us.

[Debbie AZ]

I feel your pain Farley!! Love you!

[Monica]

We're doing the same as usual... going to SIL's in Walla Walla. With Dave's dad passing away this year we are doing family things together like normal to hopefully help ease some of the loss. We won't overnight, but will be there all day. Of course, that all depends on whether our governor decides to shut down the entire damn state early next week.

What's really frustrating is I haven't seen my mom since May 2018, and it looks like maybe I can next year... maybe.

[pamcook]

Chris is being interviewed for jobs in MO, PA, and NC. So, we have no idea where they’ll end up. So many factors for them to consider.

Sounds like we’re all doing our best to make it a good holiday in spite of everything. Most of it is all temporary - except when it’s not.

My Solo Stove just arrived. Maybe our desserts will be S’mores!

[jmp1022]

Well we start out the Monday before Thanksgiving to go to my son's in Wake Forest NC we will probably arrive there Tuesday afternoon.
We'll have Thanksgiving with them then leave Friday morning for Jacksonville FL. Stay there till Sunday afternoon and head out for Palm City FL. Tuesday morning we will leave for our 4 month winter house in North Port FL on west side.

We visit all the kids on the way so in case something happens we can't get together over Christmas and New Years.

My bottom will be glad the travel is over.

[mpizzazz]

No Thanksgiving plans here at all! We have joked in the last year that we would be serving roast Pelican if we want a big bird or roast Ibis if we want a smaller bird. Both are readily available right outside our door. The supermarkets sell frozen turkeys but I swore last Thanksgiving, I would never roast another turkey. I'm sticking to that!

I also see we can buy frozen whole cranberries here, now that I might get excited about!

[nchoney]

Mike and I will do Thanksgiving at home... his mom & relatives have always gathered at a cousin's house...we did that a couple times and then we wound up hosting a big dinner for all our friends who didn't have family local... they've all since moved, etc... so for the past at least 5 years, we've just had Thanksgiving for the two of us & Chevie. It's been the holiday we didn't have to travel for... and we get all the leftovers.. LOL

Farley... I feel what you're going through... I lost my mom just after Christmas back in '95 and there are times when it's different... and sad... and then there are all the good memories, too. I focus on those... and on making new memories. Big hugs!!!