I'm enjoying the intricate planning and preparation that accompanies hosting the Thanksgiving feast. I love working on projects of all kinds, the more labor intensive, the better. Thanksgiving is all about adundance, about too much of everything; in other words, the mother of all labor intensive feast days.
I'm going with the flow, making too many lists. Very fun.
My plan is strategic. For instance, I'm buying the groceries in stages. A "perfect" Thanksgiving involves lots of leftovers - there are whole categories of menus on the Food Network app devoted to leftovers which are, in a certain way, as important as the feast itself. To feed a tableful of hungry people AND have many leftovers means there are going to be a lot of groceries! My fridge will be overflowing, a chilly, white cornocopia of sorts. Hence, two big trips to Whole Foods.
For a perfectly overabundant T-day feast, there should be one or two too many guests jammed into the available space, the kids' table in another room. Here at the chateau the table will be full but not overflowing, a quorum if not critical mass. Though I'm going to take Wednesday off from work so I have two days to cook the feast, there's no doubt the kitchen here at the chateau will be utter chaos before the meal is done and ready to be served.
It dawned on me yesterday that Thanksgiving is a prosperity ritual. For the first time ever I am fully participating, enjoying every minute, feeling a whole lot of gratitude, too. It's about time! Oh yeah!
6 comments:
Wonderful!
It has been a few years since we have had our own Thanksgiving, and although it is great to be one of those many happy guests, I always miss the bustle beforehand, the fragrant house during the cooking of the meal, and oh those leftovers.
I'll be there in spirit - one more to cram into the space (but I won't take up much room). Have a blessed day!
Mary Ellen you are welcome!
Reya it sounds great, but can you answer me this. I have always been curious as to the closeness to Christmas of this celebration in your country, again with the roast turkey and friends and relatives squeezed in at Christmas.
Do rellies say "I won't see you at Thanksgiving but will at Christmas?" It must make for expensive travel arrangements to do both.
It sounds wonderful, but a month apart, same foods, same crowds? - Christmas is definitely the big deal here - don't know how I'd manage with the double-whammy but you all seem to revel in it!
I love reading your blog because you are so much nicer than I am. We are going to my in-laws' for Thanksgiving, mainly to avoid spending Christmas with them (they live 12 hours away and would never dream of traveling for the holidays, so it is up to us to deal with traveling with kids, pets and all for the season). I know, I know, a terrible thing to say.
Following that a terrible preamble: Your post is the first thing that has made me actually look forward to the holidays. Thank you.
Dibs, I have friends who, once they had their second child, announced to their family that they were going to stay put at the holidays and would happily host the rest of the family if the family were prepared to travel. Sounds very reasonable to me.
Pam no most folks get together with family either at T-day or X-mas, not both, or they go to one side of the fam at T-day, the other half at X-mas.
As for going all out and overdoing everything - well, that's part of the American lifestyle, hey? Oh yeah.
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