I am going to give the politics a rest today, because it feels like there is a low-level rumbling going on that will inevitably erupt soon, but for now - it's just rumbling. Instead, I'm thinking about tomorrow being Thanksgiving, and looking back on my previous Thanksgivings.

It was always a big meal and a big deal. My mother was definitely a "turkey on Thanksgiving" person, so there was that, plus the usual veggies. We were white NYers all the way, so no sweet potatoes or collards or anything resembling soul or southern food. My brothers always fought over the first slice of cranberry "sauce" with the can markings (personally, I couldn't stand the stuff - still not a fan). We used the "special" stoneware (never fine china in our house) and actual silverware.

After we got older, my oldest brother became vegetarian and then vegan. No more turkey for him, nor anything cooked with any animal products. It was "Tofurkey" all the way...



It wasn't until we were all adults that the concept of going out for dinner was even considered. Due to a stroke and after-effects from radiation treatment for cancer, my mother became mostly incapacitated, and could no longer stand in front of the stove or heft a big bird. I stepped up a few times and made dinner, but there were definitely times when we needed to go out.

Once my mother passed in 2015, family Thanksgiving was done. My dad could barely cook, my oldest brother wouldn't cook a turkey, my older brother would just as soon buy it, and my sister was geographically inconvenient (although she did host dinner one year and we all had Turducken).

The last time we traveled for Thanksgiving was probably 10 years ago, and I swore I would never do it again. We've done a "Friendsgiving" which was fun, and we've done a "potluck" style with neighbors, and often made dinner at home. It ends up being a LOT of effort and food for just two people, though, so tomorrow we'll be letting a local restaurant do the cooking. We'll eat "dinner" at the normal lunch time (I've never understood eating Thanksgiving dinner at 4:00 PM - it seems to be a shock to the digestion to me).

Maybe I'll make a pie so we can have something akin to "leftovers". It's my favorite part of the meal anyway.