When I was a child, I used to wish that when I went to sleep on Christmas night I would awake to find that Christmas was all a dream and that this morning was the real Christmas morning; I never wanted the day to end. Specifically, I wanted to sustain that magical moment of seeing my presents under the tree for the first time. I am beginning to have that wish for Thanksgiving–I want the entire day to last at least 48 hours.
Unlike the heavily decorated and festive tables that I see gracing the pages of magazines, the Thanksgiving that I have planned lacks pumpkin candle holders and pear shaped napkin rings. The day that I have planned will be filled with as much leisure as I can manage. Though I do all of the cooking, even it takes place in leisure. I usually begin cooking at about 8, which is a little after I normally rise. I will prepare my turkey breasts for the oven and then I will start my greens. While my greens are cooking I will boil the sweet potatoes until they’re soft enough to slip out of their jackets. I will slice and coat them with butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and nutmeg. When my turkey comes out of the oven, my sweet potatoes will go into the oven. As they are cooking, I will ready the macaroni and cheese–though this will go into the oven last. So as the pasta boils, I will crumble the cornbread before pouring the sauteed onions, green peppers, and celery into the bowl. The dressing will go into the oven when the sweet potatoes make their exit. I suspect that we’ll be ready to eat, the first time, around 3.
I enjoy the work that my mind does while I’m cooking. I’m looking forward to seeing what this Thanksgiving has in store for my mind.
We’re practically in our pajamas when we eat dinner. We don’t dress-up for it but we are gracious and grateful before the feast. We like not having to be fussy. We like having plenty of food if anyone drops by…and this year, we like that we have THREE GOOD NFL GAMES ON.
In Reverie Blog 