So, what are you all gonna do Thanksgiving day? Pop, Hubs and I are getting together with Pop's family as usual - luckily, I have the two days prior off, so I won't be rushed with my cooking! I'll be taking my Mama's honey rolls, chocolate pie, banana/coconut pie, broccoli salad, bite size deviled eggs (banty eggs - we'll see if Uncle Ivan calls me a cannibal again!), layered taco dip and chips, and maybe some strawberry cream puffs as well.

Poor Jessie is working Thanksgiving day; so Hubs and I will carry her a plate over to the hospital after dinner sometime; then stop by MIL's for a while before I have to go in to work on the night shift.

I am so looking forward to getting together with family - gotta catch up on how Brandon's doing in the Air Force, how Jule's likes her new house, how Uncle Rog is getting along now since Aunt 'Retta's been gone now for nearly 5 months, see how far Aunt Ann has progressed since the stroke that affected her ability to read, write and remember, and how far Uncle Ralphie's Alzheimer's has progressed - yeah, happy things and sad things; but that's all a part of life, and something to be treasured too.

-- Anonymous, November 19, 2003

Answers

Sleeping all day.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2003

Hi Polly,

We're having Thanksgiving here. Mom is having Christmas dinner, and my sister-in-law is having Christmas Eve dinner...we divvy up the "major holiday meals" I guess. We'll have my mom, bro, sis-in- law, nephew, Mr. S and myself here for Thanksgiving.

Last year Mr. S. did a fabulous job preparing Thanksgiving dinner by himself. I enjoyed his hard work! However, this year I wanna do it mostly by *myself* (why I miss this slavery for a 1/2-hour meal is beyond me!). But anyway, I've been drawing up menus and dreaming of stuff I might not get around to doing, but generally getting into the holiday spirit.

Since my kitchen is pretty small, my biggest obstacle has been the organization part (particularly that last minute rush and mess to do gravy, rolls, get the stuffing out, sweet potatoes, etc). I recently read about a woman who prepares TWO small turkeys on T-day (one cooked early, which gets carved and held warm until served at dinner) and the 2nd, which is presented at table, a la Normal Rockwell (!)and made into left-overs postprandial. Not a bad idea. Plus, she suggested ways to prepare several of the side dishes a day or so ahead of time and then re-heated....keeps the kitchen insanity a little more in control. If I had a kitchen and a separate dining area, I probably wouldn't care that much about the mess (so what if piles of dishes are out there?!), but sitting within 6 feet of a huge mess isn't particularly relaxing on a day of giving thanks!

Any of you folks have traditions about certain after-dinner (or before-) activities? Like board games? Touch football outside? Brandy and cigars in the drawing room after? Just curious...

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2003

Going by the in-laws. I really love those people. They finally stopped making the pasta before the turkey (I think that was because of me) I asked mom-in-law if she wanted me to make something this year. She said we'll see but I'll have to push her.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2003

Going to my sister's, probably go down and pick up our folks first. (my dad gets to take off his brace in two weeks and has been back walking around the Mall Of America three times for a week or so). I was told to bring cranberries and sweet pototoes........boring things to make, but whatever. ;) I'm doing christmas; bren's mom will be here from canada.

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2003

Well this year we have 2 thanksgiving dinners. The main one is in May when my daughter comes out for her week family vacation. Big fun!!

The 27th one we will have friends from Berkeley here. We plan on just going out somewhere then walking around the town during Cornish Christmas. (Local town fesival that the town has every friday nite till Xmas.)

I have been thinking about starting some kind of tradition? Maybe Kirk's annual archery contest after the turkey sort of thing? Or something?....

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2003

After three years of taking my MIL out to dinner for Thanksgiving, I've decided to get back into the routine of cooking again! I've kinda missed it. Harry and I have been a little apprehensive about continuing with the "normal" routine of dinner at our house since his father's death in 2000, but we feel that now it should be okay and hopefully it wont be too upsetting for his mom. Guess we'll find out! Since we can't have our son and his family over, we've decided to invite a couple who live down the road to join us. They're new to the area and are just barely getting by. He's a fantastic carpenter who has done work for us and she's an herb specialist who's has helped me alot over the past couple of months!! But...I will definitely be making mucho extra food just in case our son and granddaughter can stop over for a visit :-)!!

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2003

Umm, nothing, I guess. I eat turkey frequently, so I don't even think I'll bother with fixing traditional dinner. I probably will end up eating turkey, though! :-)

Play on the computer, clean something, stuff like that. Not too different from other days. ;-)

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2003

We're going over to Keith's sister's house. His mom is coming down from Michigan and she said that she is cooking everything and no one else has to bring anything. I think I'm going to bring a dessert anyway because it would just seem to strange to show up without something. Besides, I have to show her that I can take good care of her boy. :) We'll also get to meet his other sister's latest boyfriend (husband?) She's gone through so many both Keith and I have lost track. :)

-- Anonymous, November 24, 2003

Here's a link with a bunch of Thanksgiving stuff:

http://dmoz.org/Society/Holidays/Thanksgiving/

-- Anonymous, November 24, 2003

Oh, we'll just do the usual stuff - cuddle the babies, spoil the toddlers, embarrass the teen-agers, argue football and racing with the old fellows...

We do play death threat Uno and Bump; also occasionally Dominoes or any other board games. The place where we are gathering this year has a pool table, so I'm sure that will be in use - it also has a swimming pool (outdoors) that I'm sure WON'T be in use!

Mostly, we'll talk. And talk, and talk and talk! For folks who see each other at the drop of a hat, we sure find a lot to talk about!

-- Anonymous, November 25, 2003

Sure sounds like fun, Polly!! Can Harry and I come :-)??

BTW...speaking of games, anyone ever play "Mille Borne"?

-- Anonymous, November 25, 2003

Or play "Spoons" (the card game, not *cocaine*....!). We've quite literally knocked the dining table over while playing this game!

I've heard of Mille Bornes (sp). How do you play?

I love word (weird?) games. Fictionary, Scrabble, even Hangman! I don't do so well at cards, though. (Which side of the brain functions best for me? I forget if it's left or right!).

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2003

Sure - everyone's welcome! Better come to my house first tho, to make sure you get to the right place. Did I ever tell y'all about the couple who THOUGHT they were at the Church sponsored Thanksgiving dinner, which just happened to be two blocks down the street from our family dinner, which is where they actually were? Bet they wondered what kind of church us bunch of heathens came from!!

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2003