Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving generated a great deal of anticipation for me and my family. My husband and I were hoping to have my mother-in-law, my bother-in-law and his wife over for the feast, but they couldn't make it. Instead, I invited over one of my Skokie Girls and her husband and two kids, and my hubby invited his whole law school section for turkey n' fixin's.

Thank goodness, only 10 accepted!

For a week I shopped, baked, and cooked like mad, and my children and husband tiptoed gingerly around me. Especially when I was wielding a big knife. I baked 10 pies over the course of two days. I made four sweet potato pies, two pumpkin pies, two cranberry and apple pies, and two chocolate pecan pies.

Pies aren't generally my thing. I am hopeless when it comes to making a good crust. This Thanksgiving did not prove to be the exception. I used the same recipe for each of my ten crusts, and they all came out differently! It's a mystery for the ages that I will surely ponder for many years to come. I also made roast, brussel sprouts and roasted potatoes, which were all under done; blanched green beans and pumpkin soup, which were over done; and turkey, which I got just right. My husband got stuck with the job of pulling out the extant feathers, and I dressed the bird keeping it simple, and praying.

Thanksgiving dinner was a lot of fun. While I finished up some last minute details, my children played with their friends, the baby walked around giving everybody "huggies" (not the diapers, but the embrace), and we all waited for the rest of the guests to arrive.

When you can't be with your family, being surrounded by good friends is the next best thing. And when your best friends are thousands of miles away, making new friends is almost as good. I enjoyed the opportunity to meet my husband's classmates and hear their tales from the trenches. My husband ended the evening thanking our guests for coming and sharing the evening with us. He wished them all success in their exams, and "fewer than six pages of comments on their next paper".

And what Thanksgiving dinner is complete without the after-dinner tryptophan-induced nap?

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My mother-in-law came in today. She missed the turkey day feast, but with the help of my husband's family here in Chicago, will help us polish off the leftovers. When asked at school what she was thankful for, my daughter said, "my cousins". She'll get the opportunity to meet a few more cousins tonight.

I'm thankful for my cousins, too, even if I do a lousy job of staying in touch. I'm thankful for my husband who works so hard, yet always tries to find the time to take care of us and show us so much love. I'm thankful for my children. They are bright, inquisitive, sweet, and kind and a continual source of blessings to me. I'm thankful for my friends, old and new, who lift me up and give me strength and inspiration. I'm thankful for my family who are always there for us, even from a thousand miles away.

Happy Thanksgiving!