2021 Thanksgiving

My niece Amy invited us to her home, butI was determined to cook the meal myself for our last Thanksgiving in this house...

But cooking a turkey is a lot like taking a ride in a dog sled -- I just don't do it often enough to be confident.  So,for insurance, i also purchased a turkey breast.

I got out the very large aluminum roaster my mother-in-law gave me for a wedding shower -- over 50 years ago...

I split the turkey breast, and it was finished in an hour. BINGO! Now, I have my back-up turkey meat, just in case the big bird doesn't get done in time.

I set the table with Aunt Rozella's silver

I worked all morning, in my favorite Mary Mulari apron

And I LOVE LOVE, LOVE setting the table with my good dishes.

Holy Cow! We really did a number on that turkey!!  Although we didn't cut up the extra breast for our dinner, I was glad I also cooked it -- because, without that, there would have been NO LEFTOVERS...

I was acutely aware that this was our last Thanksgiving in this house. And maybe that's the gift of old age. When I was younger, I never understood those "last" moments...so they mostly flew by, without me even knowing I just missed something important. 

Like -- when was the last time I read a story to my boys when I put them to bed, or the last time I saw Elliott pitch a Little League baseball game...or the last time my Mom and Dad would eat a meal at my house?

Oh, yeah...life moves pretty fast.  And Thanksgiving is a good time to push the pause button and take stock of where you've been, and where you're going.  

And I am grateful.