Life: It Goes On - November 21

Happy Sunday! I got my Covid booster late yesterday so I am really dragging as today rolls on. This is not the time of year to spend five hours on the sofa but it's worth it to keep myself safe, especially as the Covid numbers around here are spiking again. At least I was productive yesterday and got my parents' house decorated for Thanksgiving today. 

Last Week I: 

 Listened To: I started Richard Powers' Bewilderment when it suddenly became available weeks before I was expecting to be able to listen to it. 

Watched: The Big Guy and I joined friends in going to see Kenneth Branagh's Belfast last night and think we would all highly recommend it. It's the story of Branagh's life just before his family moved from Belfast to England. It is funny, and tense, and warm and the acting is so good. 

Read: I've been bouncing around between books this week, trying to finish things that will be coming due at the library. I'm racing to finish Piranesi but I think I'm going to end up having to check that out again. I'm also reading Anderson Cooper's Vanderbilt. 

Made: Lots of fried apples this week, lamb chops, baked chicken, tacos. This week will be a busy week of prepping for Thanksgiving so we may be eating take out for the first part of the week. 

Enjoyed: There were only three of us at book club last week. It made it hard to discuss the book but left us lots of time to catch up with each other. 

This Week I’m:  

Planning: My mom has insisted, all the years of my adult life, that she had more time to cook ahead for holidays (and I think she loved doing it) so I've never done all that much to prepare for the big family get together. This year, though, we've split it up between my sister-in-law, myself, and my dad. So I'm taking a first stab at ham and beans the way my great-grandma made them, making sweet potatoes, pies, and a special family dessert. I'm confident in my ability to make all of it but those beans have been a part of family meals for decades and I'm so afraid I'll do them wrong! 

Thinking About: My mom loved Christmas and giving people gifts but she loved Thanksgiving even more. I've talked to you before about all of the things my parents have done over the years to make the day special. It will be hard this year to not have her directing traffic (the day of she did turn over all of the cooking to my sister, sister-in-law and me), watching with delight as the grandchildren try to solve some puzzle she and my dad have created to make them earn a treasure, and sit in her spot soaking in time with her family. 

Feeling: See first paragraph. The good news is that I'm confident that I'll be feeling much better tomorrow. 

Looking forward to: Being with my family, although we'll miss having my sister and her family with us. She is getting to spend Thanksgiving with her two-week-old grandson! 

Question of the week: What dishes does your family have at Thanksgiving that are tradition for your family but maybe not the traditional dishes the rest of us enjoy? And do you experiment with new versions of the traditional things or do you always adhere to the way you've always done things?