Decorate, Zoom, Decorate, Zoom, Eat a Little

Happy thanksgiving to all! We have had the most family filled Thanksgiving and it has just been Russ and I with trusty Shay by our sides all day.

We slept in just a little, read, Shay and I slept until eight. Russ of course was up early. We enjoyed some homemade gravlox for breakfast and then got to work bringing the rest of the Christmas decorations down from the attic. Why not decorate on Thanksgiving when we had no one to cook for?

Carter and I face timed some this morning to discuss her cooking and other items then I got to work decorating the house. It felt leisurely to decorate with the tree and the needlepoint already done. As I unpacked things I cleaned them and did some needed repairs on things that had gone unfixed for years. I listened to Alice’s Restaurant twice just because I could.

Around one-thirty I took a break to have our first thanksgiving Zoom which Carter had set up with the Carter side of the family. We had my sister Janet and her Partner Sophie, who is also celebrating her birthday today and by miracle both my parents making their first Zoom appearances. My sister Margaret was unable to join, but the rest of us had a marvelous time catching up. Unlike a normal Thanksgiving there was no fighting, no driving, no dishes. Practically perfect.

Then back to decorating. Around four-thirty I put our Turkey in the oven and joined the Lange family Zoom, which Carter had organized. All the Langes were there except our niece Bree who is an emergency room nurse who was working. It was my father-in-law, Marty’s first Zoom too so Carter was batting 1000 at getting all her grandparents on the 2020 communication program.

After that zoom it was back to decorating and then around six I took our Turkey out of the oven. Thanks to Amy at Sage and Swift we had more food than two people could possibly eat at four meals, despite us purchasing the dinner for two option. Russ and I made our plates and sat down at the dining room table at six-thirty and started our third Zoom with Carter with a blessing and then she showed us her plate of all her favorite thanksgiving foods she had made herself.

The three of us had Virtual Thanksgiving and stayed on the Zoom for an hour and half. Carter even got to witness Shay begging for Turkey. All this Zooming and introvert Carter was exhausted. Thanksgiving might have been “too peopley” as Russ and Carter like to say.

Russ did the dishes and put the food away and all in all it was a perfect thanksgiving. Even Shay is exhausted.

We hope that you all stayed safe and healthy this Thanksgiving and feel grateful that we are still here. It may have been a different Thanksgiving, but that is not bad.