Keeping Thanksgiving Traditions

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and be thankful for blessings. It's also an anxious time for many women with so much to do in preparation for the big Thanksgiving feast. Will there be enough energy left for black Friday?

Early Christmas Shopping (ps...those are "A Peaceful Christmas" dishes
which I designed. You can purchase them online...amazon.com - A Peaceful Christmas by Nancy E. Mink

Speaking of energy, I finally cleaned out my fridge to make room for a 28 pound turkey. Did I mention that is just for my husband and I this year?

Thanksgiving is my husband's favorite holiday. He makes it his mission to find the biggest turkey at the grocer's. I don't mind; the only difference between cooking that or a small turkey is the time in the oven. I've learned to plan and cook as much ahead of time as possible. Almost all of the side dishes and pies are made the day before and then heated in the oven while the turkey rests. The only last minute cooking is the gravy and rolls. I almost always forget the rolls!

I even have freezer boxes and bags waiting to be filled with leftovers. I prepare frozen "TV dinners" from much of the leftover food which comes in handy during busy holiday days or when work deadlines are looming. Of course, enough leftovers are kept handy for those delicious Thanksgiving weekend sandwiches. I'm not sure, but I may like the leftovers more than the main meal!

I get to enjoy Thanksgiving morning; a leisurely coffee by the fire and then a dip in the hot tub. Then, the turkey gets a good rubdown with spices and placed into the oven before a walk in the countryside. 



A walk through our Christmas trees

Thanksgiving day starts our holiday Scrabble tournament, too. It is the world series...7 games from Thanksgiving through Christmas with winner takes all! I look forward to stormy evenings when we play Scrabble by the light of the Christmas tree with a cup of hot cider.

So, you see, Thanksgiving with just the two of us isn't lonely. We keep traditions alive...some old, some new. It has become a time to look forward to.

I hope that whether you have one or thirty people to be with at Thanksgiving, you will form your own traditions to make this a time to look forward to each year.