Thanksgiving 2020

[stillstANNding]

What are you doing for thanksgiving this strange year? What’s your menu? What are you thankful for?

We will have Peter’s mother over. Just the three of us. We’re have pan fried scrod in butter; baked squash, baked potato (her favorite), carrots and broccoli. There will be hot apple cider when she gets here to start, some cranberry-orange dressing on the table, hot rolls and butter. We’ll finish with pumpkin pie with whipped cream and coffee and tea. (No salad because she doesn’t like salad).

From Nextdoor I know that some of our neighbors are having Chinese takeout and others pizza.

I am thankful for both of our mothers, our collective health and a new president. I’m thankful we have a home and the means to have a special meal this difficult year.

ANN

[agate]

I'll be seeing my grandson, son and daughter-in-law using FaceTime in the morning. FaceTime is a great way to look in on them and see how they're doing.

I'll be enjoying the beautiful poinsettia my next-door neighbor just gave me. It was so thoughtful of her. She and I worked together on cleaning out the apartment of our neighbor/friend who died last summer and we've stayed friends. She was that woman's helper--and has been a helper/caregiver for people for over 20 years now. I feel very lucky that she's now a friend and even living next door to me and has offered to help if/when I need it.

[Lazarus]

Thanks for starting this thread....it is good to think of the good in our lives! John and I will be home in rainy and chilly New England. No special meal but I did make myself some stuffed portobellos yesterday and that will be a treat today. It will be a quiet day with no farm help coming to work so it will be very quiet here until next Monday.

I am so grateful to have hours today to listen to more of Obama’s new book. It is very long but so wonderful to listen to that it is a pleasure to have. I bought the printed form also and make notes on the audible version when there are specific parts I want to read. It is very enjoyable to have his voice again.

Happy Day everyone.

[agate]

I hope everyone is doing something special even if it isn't a traditional Thanksgiving for you.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

Happy Thanksgiving!

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

On this, my first Thanksgiving alone, I am remembering the many Thanksgivings I shared with my extended family, and in later years, with Michael, Jonathan, and Jim. I will follow our traditions of watching the Macy's parade and the National Dog Show.

For my feast, I will prepare a Field Roast small roast, surrounded with onions and celery, and basted with veggie broth, olive oil and savory herbs, mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, peas, and cauliflower risoto (frozen). I will have leftovers for a few days.

Strong winds are predicted for this afternoon through tomorrow, so I will stress and fret about our giant eucalyptus dropping large branches.

As I do everyday, I will count my blessings and give thanks for my Angels and my wonderful friends, including all of you. I will pray for everyone to have a safe and happy Thanksgiving. I also give thanks that we have a new president.

Thank you all for your friendship and support through the decades. Abundant blessings upon you today and everyday.

Love & Light,



Rose



*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!

[agate]

Rose, does your eucalyptus tree look like this?



I hope it hangs onto its branches and won't drop them.

For the last 40 years I've almost always been alone on Thanksgiving. I can recall the times when I wasn't, very clearly. They really stand out even though some of them were very minimal. There were 5 of them, and the last one was about 9 years ago, when my son and (first) DIL and I went to a restaurant.

It was a lovely place, and the food was good. But I couldn't read the menu, couldn't hear what was said a good bit of the time, and definitely couldn't have got to the restroom. It was far away (by my reckoning) and there were some steps involved. An intelligent person would have called the restaurant and asked about the situation beforehand but I wasn't that intelligent person.

I didn't quite make it home in time but at least the accident that happened took place after I was alone at home.

The whole experience made it crystal-clear to me that I don't do well at social gatherings.

I'm enjoying being asocial or antisocial or whatever the word is for people who have changed from being moderately gregarious to being a hermit. I like peace and quiet. I'm thankful for it, in fact.

[Howie]

Rose, I am alone, and have been most of my life. But it's the norm for me. I really enjoy it. I hope you can too. It takes some time. You hang in there.

My nephew just made his usual Thanksgiving food delivery. I'll wait until later to eat. Have a happy and reflective day. Thank you all for being here!

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

agate ~

Your photo is a silver dollar eucalyptus with a white bark. We have many of those in our neighborhood. I forget the name of our eucalyptus, but here are two photos of it from 2009 and 2014. It is much larger now, and roots are spreading into the yard.

Screen Shot 2020-11-26 at 10.37.24 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-11-26 at 10.39.20 AM.jpg

With Jonathan's and Jim's health issues, we weren't able to have it trimmed. It is on my extensive "To Do" list.

For about the last 20 years, our Thanksgivings and Christmases were just us. After Michael passed, it continued to be just the 3 of us. Because every year, this is flu season, and like COVID, we had to isolate to prevent exposure. John would have invited me to his home with his family, but he knows that I wouldn't go.

So, I'm not missing the large social gatherings at all. I miss my husband and my children, with whom I spent 24 hours everyday. They will always be my life and my everything.

I know that they are together in Bliss, and that they are very near me, which is where I find my comfort.

Howie ~

Thank you. I am doing my best to hang in there. It is a huge adjustment for me, and I know it will take a long time for me to accept it.

I'm so glad that your nephew brought you a Thanksgiving dinner. I hope the two of you had a nice visit. Is turkey on Sam's menu tonight?

I hope everyone is having a pleasant day ~

Love & Light,



Rose



*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!

[agate]

Wow, Rose--that is quite a magnificent tree! It is so convoluted and complex that I don't know how a person even figures out which branch is coming from which part. Hard to imagine that it's even bigger now!

You must enjoy the shade and just having it there.

Whenever I am looking at blocks of houses, and there are lots of them here, I notice how few of them have any trees. Maybe the concern was that the trees would need care and might fall or damage electrical wires or something. I've heard that it was easier for a developer just to clear an entire tract without leaving any trees, and so whatever trees were there originally got demolished---and never were replaced.

[Lazarus]

Glad to see that people are satisfied with their Thanksgiving day. I too remember so many years of feasts on Thanksgiving. We usually had between 10-15 friends for dinner. So much food. So much cooking and planning. I loved it. But, like many of you I like the solitude now. It is quiet. I have no responsibilities. It has been a pleasant day.

One fellow who works for us showed up with 2 huge trays full of traditional foods. What a surprise. Turkey for John with gravy and stuffing! Lots of veggies for me. Very sweet.

We almost. Never celebrate holidays anymore. Many seem so distorted with hectic activity and noise. I sound like an old lady now!

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

agate ~

Yes, that tree has a mind of its own. It was a scrawny sapling, when it was planted 38 years ago. Actually, three eucalyptus saplings were planted there, but the other two didn't survive. There wouldn't have been any room for them anyway!

Our neighborhood has a bounty of many varieties of trees, which were planted as the community developed. Our utilities are underground thankfully.

How was your FaceTime with your son, daughter-in-law, and grandson? I hope you had a wonderful visit.

Lazarus ~

I'm happy to hear that you and John had a quiet, pleasant day. How kind of your worker to bring food to you. What a delicious surprise!

My feast was very tasty, and I resisted second helpings. I have plenty of leftovers for the next couple of days at least.

Today, I have been thinking about Ralph, and the families of Peg, nuthatch, Vicky, Joy, and others, who we have lost, or who have lost a loved one, and of course, Jeanie. The holidays accentuate our loss, almost directing a spotlight on our loved one's absence. The holidays are inescapable, because media splashes them all over for us. It's incredible that corporations are bombarding us with ads/commercials to buy, buy, buy, buy during the pandemic.

I've also been thinking about all of our first line health care workers, who risk their lives, and the lives of their families, who they occasionally get to see, by caring for the massive influx of COVID patients. How many of them are working today trying to save lives or hold the hands of the dying?

And all of our Armed Forces families, who are separated during this and other holidays.

They are all heroes, who deserve our praise, prayers, and gratitude.

Howie, you mentioned this as a day of reflection. It has been that for me.

Blessings upon you all ~

Love & Light,



Rose



*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!

[agate]

Rose, I sent Ralph Thanksgiving wishes from the people here. I hope that he and all of the families of the people we've lost are doing all right: Vicky's husband, Sally's family, Peg's husband Farmer Joe and their family, Joy's family (she had a remarkable granddaughter, little Joy, who probably isn't so little by now), nuthatch's family too. I'm sure there are some I've forgotten.


I enjoyed seeing my son and grandson this morning. They were about to leave, doing a "social distancing/food exchange" with my DIL's family (parents, brother and his wife and their two kids). I believe that they didn't sit down to a meal together but each cooked something and brought it to the others' homes. I was sent some photos, and it looks as if everyone except my grandson was wearing a mask. I didn't know about this event until it was almost time for it to happen.

I was encouraging a mask for the grandson as well but so far I haven't sold them on the idea. Maybe seeing so many people in masks will cause him to want one too, and he can have quite a choice of designs.

[Sunshine 2]

Such good posts here. And, Rose, I hold you in my heart, Your losses are so devastating, and heartbreaking, that I can only think you have such love in your heart that lets you go on. While you will grieve your whole life, my friend said it took her two years to even be able to smile. I’m glad you are letting John look after you.

Thanksgiving here was quiet, we FaceTimed with our two adult children and did takeout for dinner as I just needed a couple of days off cooking (today is the second day), my body and mind are feeling defeated the past couple of days.

I am thankful for BT, though, as I imagine we all our.

[funnylegs4]

Happy Belated Thanksgiving to everyone at BT!

[stillstANNding]

Hi Funnylegs, how was your Thanksgiving?

ANN