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With things going on i knew that i was going to need some kind of break from family this holiday so that i could make it all the way through to New Year's and remain sane. So we chose to skip Thanksgiving this year and made reservations at our favorite place on the water .
When we told people what we were doing for the Thanksgiving I expected them to look at us like we were weird, but many people were envious.
We brought more wine than we need, more books than i can read, and more food than we can eat and the four days off from work will REALLY feel like four days for the first time.
And yesterday afternoon at 1:30 as we were getting ready to roast our 6 lb turkey breast with carrots and celery the power went off. And Brian and i looked at each other and went uh oh. Our punishment for blowing off family?
We actually didn't mind at all. We had lots of candles, a wood stove, and we weren't entertaining 12 family members like the poor woman two cabins down. So Brian fired up the BBQ and we cooked the turkey and potatoes and beans that way. I wasn't able to make everything i had planned, but that was okay. We had plenty. The worst thing about the power is we didn't have a way to listen to music. (Here are pictures from the day.)
Five hours later almost to the minute of finishing our dinner, the power came back on and we just laughed and were a little bit sorry too.We were fully prepared to go the whole weekend improvising.
We did call our families and wish them a Happy Thanksgiving and I am thankful for all of them and also for their understanding and love.
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Menu of the Day: (I decided to put it at the bottom instead.)
in my cup: really strong coffee
what's going on: Brian's cooking bacon
last book read: Newsweek reporter Wolffe's "Renegade" book about Obama's campaign. VERY good. (I read it in one day.)
next book: Another Louise Penny mystery. (this is my third one. I love these books. These are not cheesy mysteries, they actually have lots of wisdom and remarkable characters that you wish were your neighbors.
music: Sinatra's "Can't take that away from you"
last iTunes purchase: Jason Isbell (forget the title)
looking forward to: putting up our Christmas tree this week and listening to Christmas music.
what i'm not looking forward to: I have NO ideas, nor have i started on, Christmas shopping.
quote: "We don't always have a choice how we get to know one another. Sometimes, people fall into our lives cleanly - as if out of the sky, or as if there were a direct flight from Heaven to Earth - the same sudden way we lose people, who once seemed they would always be a part of our lives." --John Irving "Last Night in Twisted River"
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I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Come tell us about it.
14 comments:
Speaking of Louise Penny books and quotes: I wrote out this quote from Louise Penny's book called "Still Life". It is from a character named Myrna who once was a psychologist who lived in the city and moved to small village in Canada called Three Pines.
It describes well why i need to get out of union work and I think we all know people like this:
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"I lost sympathy with many of my patients. After twenty-five years of listening to their complaints i finally snapped.
I woke up one morning bent out of shape about this client who was forty-three, but acting sixteen. Every week he'd come with the same complaints, "someone hurt me"; "life is unfair"; "it's not my fault". For three years I had been making suggestions, and for three years he'd done nothing.
Then listening to him this one day, I suddenly understood. He wasn't changing because he didn't want to. he had no intention of changing. For the next twenty-five years we would go through the same charade. And i realised in the same instant that most of clients were exactly like him."
I like that quote. And your Thanksgiving sounds blissful. I'm glad you did that.
We spent the day at my sister in law's. Everything went smoothly.
Went Black Friday shopping with Mel and Grace today and enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
This afternoon we are driving to a restaurant in central Pennsylvania for dinner with my side of the family. We have a private room and a photographer is coming to take a family portrait as a 50th anniversary gift for my parents. Their anniversary is at the end of January, when they will be wintering in Florida.
On Saturday, I'll be making rack of lamb, Melanie's favorite, for dinner before she returns to college on Sunday.
Monday is Chris' birthday, we're all working and busy until around 7:30, so we won't be doing much. Maybe I'll make a cake on Sunday afternoon.
I decorated our mantle yesterday morning. I figure I'll do the holiday decorating in bits and pieces so it feels more manageable.
It's going to be a very weird holiday season. My goal is to get through it and make it as good as it can be for the girls.
Hugs to you eque. I know this will be a weird season for you and i hope you get through it intact and with lots of support.
Maybe this year, the end of a decade can be the beginning of YOUR year.
When you get your family picture for your parent's anniversary, i hope you are able to post it on our blog.
Family is so important in our life with out family we can become happy in our life.We can share our ideas,happy and bad days with members and gating solution and relief from that.
cartucho r4i
Great Thanksgiving for me.
Both kids here, happy to see us, delighted with each other.
Dinner with friends on Thursday,
Family over for casual eats and drinks on Friday. A good time was had by all.
Hope you’re sitting down Jo, the Christmas tree today.
Enough Christmas preparations taken care of to be able to enjoy December; it’s the first Sunday in advent tomorrow, so for me, the season officially begins.
I plan to have a great time al the way through new years
Sarah, you not only put up a Christmas tree but you did it early! You're right, i can't believe it. I like that all those little ornaments i have bought your kids over the years as they grew up are not going to waste.
It's very blustery on the island today. Yesterday was beautiful and we went on a run that involved this really long hill and i am paying for it today.
Yesterday Brian found the DVD here "The Notebook" and we watched that. I can't believe he was the one who wanted to watch it. That's a case where the movie was much better than the book. Only a few times does that ever happen. Can y'all think of any others?
We went into to town today but not to eat, only to buy some more coffee because we ran out. (Brian gets up so much earlier than i do so we always have to make two pots since we don't have thermos here.)
OH a Bruce Cockburn Christmas song just came on the iPod as i was typing. (One of my favorite Christmas cds is this Bruce Cockburn cd, that one and also Ottmar Liebert's Poets and Angels.
I start my Christmas-ing (another gerund) on first Advent Sunday as well. Although I looooove Christmas/Holiday music so very much that I allow that to commence the Friday after Thanksgiving...Making mine Red/White/Green as opposed to Black Friday. I like mine better.
Enjoyed (as always) our committment-free 4 days in Waiakaloa. Had Thanksgiving dinner at Roy's and it was as fabulous as always. Tactical error last year (and an expiring gift certificate if I remember correctly) took us to Ruth Chris last year, where those who had steak (the specialty there) were thrilled and the traditionalists (that would be ME) had a totally sucky dinner. Never order turkey at a steak house. And never have fish in a state without a coast line.
I love that you adapted your menu so well to your power outage (Black Thursday?). The turkey looked yummy! And I totally get your kind of wishing that the power had stayed off.
We were like that the Friday after Christmas last year when we had an island-wide outage. (I wrote about it on my FB notes page.) Just lit all the Advent wreath candles again, had wine and cheese for dinner and listened to all the crazies calling in to the emergency radio station.
As I mentioned over on pearlstuff, we've already done the heavy lifting for Christmas. Just have to wrap a few gifts and ship the lot off. The Scottish crowd has already received all of their stuff (HOORAH!!) Christmas letter (don't judge me!) galley proof is done and ready to print. Bud does the cards, so I'm good.
i've looked at this blog like 7 times now but i keep running out of time to actually read everyones comment or post, ever since i stopped working i've been a bad blogger (how backwards is that?!) but i wanted to say i love the photos!
i was actually studying and taking notes when you called me earlier lol
Hey strangers! Sorry Ive been so scarce. Things are just so hectic w/Ted's dad being so ill. I just dont know how much longer the old feller can go like this. We take turns staying w/him 24/7 so it's tiring.
As for our T-day - we ate out at a old timey cafe and the food was very good. Talk about getting odd looks for people when we said that!
I made 2 pies for later at mom's house.
Jo, add me to the envious list - your holiday sounded blissful!! And I love how yall handled the power outage.
I'll be back around when I can - yall dont forget me!
:)
p.s. that is an awesome quote!!!
i do like that quote! i feel like thats almost with any and every job. my career is going to be a client who is never satisified with my original design, constantly changing things and probably sometimes making irresponsible choices when it comes to sustainabilty which is growing passion of mine.
yours is certainly like that Jo, why do people ever call the union? to complain... haha almost always, right? especially when you guys are renogitating contracts and stuff, right?
Your Thanksgiving sounds marvelous, Jo. Loved the picture of the window seat overlooking the water. I would so be curled up there reading or maybe just sitting and looking at the water.
We had a very quiet, stress-free Thanksgiving. My husband and I took my MIL out to eat at a home-cooking restaurant (nothing like going out to eat home cooking, LOL). The food was delicious. We chose from among three entrees, and I broke with tradition and had ham. I’m pretty flexible when it comes to the Thanksgiving menu---pumpkin pie is my only requisite.
Afterward Steve watched football, I watched a dog show, and we both watched the rerun of The Office Wedding.
Today’s menu:
In my glass: Water
What I’m reading: Julie and Julia. I'm finding Julie somewhat annoying, but I’m loving the bits about Julia.
What I need to figure out again: How to put something in italics in these comments. The last time I tried, it didn't work.
What I’m listening to: The classical music station here, which is playing Christmas music
What I’m looking forward to: Making chicken chili tonight in honor of the slight (20%) chance of snow tomorrow. Snow is such a rarity in our neck of the woods that we tend to get pretty excited about it and think we need to lay in provisions, LOL.
Quote: I used to look forward to getting old. But it sucks.---Overheard from a 70-something woman waiting to see the doctor. I'd have hugged her, but I think she'd have whacked me with her oxygen tank.
Came back to add that I like the quote from John Irving---how very true and so poignant.
Also sending gentle hugs to Grits---what you all are going through is so hard. (((Grits and family)))
hey y'all! EoDE ...! so good to see you. do you have a good recipe for chicken chili? If so, you should post it!
Kylee i think the quote that most people like is the Irving quote and not the Louise Penny book quote. I like them both though.
Grits, i should have known where you have been. I will email you. I have a cd to send.
pearl. i always think i am a super organized person until i hear about how you tackle Christmas. LOL.
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