Richard and I hosted Thanksgiving for our family of 20+. After all, there is much in our lives for which we are thankful. Family. Friends. A beautiful life. A happy home. Grand opportunities to pursue the things we love. Most importantly, our Lord, Christ Jesus weaves throughout our life, and we have the ability to serve Him in mirad ways. And yet He has blessed us with so much more. “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required.” Luke 12:48
We tried something different this year: about half of the clan came for lunch, the other half for dinner, and a few folks for both. It was easier to deal with only 10-12 people at a time, but there’s lots of cleanup between groups. And since we had the same food for both lunch and dinner, we were cooking in huge batches. Nevertheless, it was great fun. Exausting, yes, but fun. I, of course, forgot to take any pictures, so these are borrowed from Pinterest.
We’ve never done a holiday like this–splitting up the kids, I mean–so we weren’t quite sure how it would work out. I must say, once they started coming, the doors just swung open and closed all day. Before the noon crew was gone, the afternoon crew started coming. So, there was some opportunity for everyone to cross paths. An advantage was that there was plenty of space for everyone to sit in one room. Our table can fit 12, but then it gets tight, so we generally add another table. Not this time.
Richard must have thought we were going to feed everyone twice because he fretted over having enough food. All. Day. It drove me crazy. There was enough. More than enough. For which I am thankful because I put quite a bit in the freezer for easy, quick meals when we don’t want to cook. I love to add ham to beans, which I cook often, and turkey can go into a gumbo. Just add sausage or tasso.
Our menu was very typical. I baked a turkey and Rich boiled a ham. The kids love his rice dressing, so that was also on his list, but I make a mean green bean casserole and sweet potato crunch that will have you thinking it’s pie. Speaking of pie: two pecan pies. Plus salad, rolls, Rory’s broccoli, deviled eggs courtesy of Adam’s free rangers out back, and Will’s cranberry sauce. Self-control was a bit of a problem for some of us.
Before I close, I want to remind you that if you haven’t signed up for the FREE Improv BoM that begins in January 2024, now is a great time to do so. A few people have asked me what to expect, and my answer is we’ll learn some of the basic structures of improv. I’ll teach you how to make “pieces” (as opposed to patterns or blocks) for your quilt. You’ll follow my lead, using your intuition and creativity to piece a block similar to mine. It’s how I teach improv in my three-four day classes. But with a month to sew each piece, it won’t be as intense as a workshop.
