No-Feast Thanksgiving Day

Mary helps Dylan string Christmas lights around the living room.

November 26, 2015

As has happened every year since my children began working in retail, our Thanksgiving feast has been rescheduled. Last year we had to wait until Sunday, but this year we're only pushing it back one day. I'm the only person who's not working the whole weekend (one of the perks of being a teacher). At least two of the people in my family are working each of the next four days, and none of them on schedules that match up. Not even close.

Tomorrow, in fact, four of the six of us are working, all on different shifts. However, since everyone will be off at or before 6:00, we'll have our Thanksgiving dinner around 6:30 tomorrow (Friday) night. It just means I won't have much help with the cooking, but at least we'll have a few hours to be together. That's what counts most.

I was only using my middle finger because my other fingers were holding onto a tack!

So tonight it will be simple meatloaf and salad for dinner. Meanwhile, we spent a few hours doing pre-Christmas-tree preparation. Dylan put on some Christmas music for us, and then he cleaned his bedroom, Jake cleaned the front bathroom, I cleaned my bedroom, and Dylan hung Christmas tree lights around the living room. That's an old family tradition from when our kids were small and Mark would string musical lights around the room.

We no longer have those musical lights, but last year Dylan bought new lights and resurrected the old tradition he remembered with fondness. Now that his dad is back with us, he would have happily helped Dylan, but Mark was one who had to work all day today. (And then Dylan works 5:30 to midnight tonight for Black Friday. Even though it's still Thursday...)

Almost halfway done!

With the rest of the house tidied up, on Saturday I'll do a deep-clean of the living room and kitchen, after which I'll bring out the Christmas decorations. Then we'll be ready to go out in the forest on Sunday morning to find and cut this year's Christmas tree. Again, it was the only morning we could go because it was the only morning of the weekend Mark could get off. 

Jake took this shot while I was making breakfast. It's okay, I guess,

but it reminds me of the old Rod Stewart song, "Maggie May":

"The morning sun when it's on your face really shows your age..."

And so, after tomorrow's Thanksgiving feast, we officially enter the Christmas season. It sure did sneak up on us this year. But for today, we hope you're enjoying a Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, fun, and an attitude of gratitude. We are thankful for each of you! Happy holidays to everyone!