Thanksgiving at Home

Will and I stayed home for Thanksgiving this year. The only other time we haven't been traveling together for Thanksgiving was 2005, the year we were married. Since then we've been going to my Mom's in South Carolina. And last year we extended the trip and went to Charleston for a few days. I like getting over to the east coast and there will be future trips there along with diversions to N. Y., or Atlanta, or New Orleans. There's lots in the east, south and north, that I'd like to see.

Dinner this year was cooked by Casey and me. All of my recipes came from Sunset magazine: cranberry and meyer lemon relish, herb rolls, chard and sausage French bread stuffing, plus spicy pumpkin soup which is an old recipe from Oprah's magazine. The first time I made that soup, Will and I were still dating. Casey made the leg of lamb and roasted vegetables, sweet potatoes with caramel sauce, and berries creme brule for desert.

Casey's friend and neighbor, Nancy, came to dinner too and once the dogs, well Ranger, stopped acting like there was a demon inside her, the finishing touches were put on the dishes, wine bottles were uncorked and we all sat down at the table to eat. Casey is a really good cook, and she made enough to feed 12. My dishes all turned out really good too, and I only made enough to feed about 8.

I didn't take any photos after Casey and Nancy arrived and only snapped a few of the table, but the food not only tasted good it looked good too. We snipped fresh rosemary sprigs from the backyard shrub and the house smelled heavenly. The dogs calmed down and were laying at our feet under the table as we ate and drank wine and talked.

I'm so thankful for all I have and all I have accomplished. In a time when so many people are facing such difficult and uncertain times, I'm thankful for the love and stability I feel in my life and my home and my family.

While I cleared the dinner dishes, Casey sprinkled sugar on her creme brules and berries and put the torch to them. While they cooled in the fridge I put the coffee on. After coffee and desert we soon said goodnight to our guests and Will and I were left to collapse on the sofa. And before we went to bed Will had all the dishes done and everything was put away.