Thanksgiving Eve

Thanksgiving Eve. Megan is cooking up a storm today. Joe and I will be enjoying our first Thanksgiving in Minnesota. Our first traditional Thanksgiving in thirty years! Last night Joe came home from working his first full 12-hour shift and prepared a cheesecake for tomorrow’s festivities.

He said once he climbed into bed, he was asleep in 30 seconds. I stayed with the baking cheesecake. Diner tomorrow is turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberries, and loads of other sides. In addition to the cheesecake, Joe and I are providing a Caesar salad. I told Megan I would probably take two bites of everything and be full. The guest list consists of six adults and Caleb and Charlotte. Jeremy, Megan, Joe, and me will be joined by Jeremy’s stepmom and her husband. I am looking forward to meeting his stepmom.

Since Joe and I began celebrating Thanksgiving together in 1993 we have had Thanksgiving away from home only once when we went to Bend, Oregon and celebrated with Joe’s brothers and their families. We usually hosted family and friends over the years, and I don’t think we ever served a traditional feast. We opted for other fares, often ethnic, and would invite an eclectic group of people. Multiple years we had at least one Christian, one Muslim, and a Wiccan to cover all religious bases. Not that this was the reason they were invited! We just happen to have a diverse group of friends.

A few of our earliest Thanksgivings were made up of Joe’s family. With a blended family like ours, holiday scheduling can get a little complicated. We always had our kids for Thanksgiving though we worked with the other parents by changing our Thanksgiving dinner to Friday on occasion. Whichever day we celebrated; Thanksgiving was our favorite holiday of the year.

Gathering friends and family together is important to Joe and me. We enjoy the dynamic of young and old together. On several occasions we have had the older guests (seventy plus years old) tell us how much they enjoyed the younger guests (twenties and thirties). Even the most cantankerous guests would leave Thanksgiving dinner with a smile on their face.

This year will be different. And that’s all good, too. Time to make new traditions. Our first Thanksgiving with our grandkids is something to be excited about!

Today I am grateful that Joe and I are in good health.

What are you grateful for today?