Thanksgiving 2008

Just going through my semi (quarterly?) blog rut over here and thought I'd post some pictures in an attempt to get the juices flowin'.

We had Thanksgiving dinner at our home this year and I actually enjoyed being the hostess. It was A LOT of work. The shopping, the food preparation, getting the house clean and keeping it clean for company, cooking, cleaning up the mess afterward even though I could have sworn I did hundreds of dishes along the way as a preventative measure.

If I had my way, thanksgiving dinner would be a formal affair. Not prom dress-formal, but nice clothes, nice dishes, nice music....nice. Not to be high-flutin' or showy but just to set the day apart that much more (because having a casserole dish full of candied yams already sets it apart quite a bit).

Unfortunately, I have five plates. Five. Which meant I either had to go buy more plates (and my plan is to just wait this Pfaltzgraff Heritage series out. Stoneware, tile and boys whose job it is to set the table should make that happen sooner rather than later) or simply swallow my pride and go with disposable plates. Swallow I did, although I did upgrade to poorly named Chinet (not even close!) and upgraded even further to the banquet platter size (which didn't turn out to be a foolhardy decision. We needed the room.). No one complained and when clean up time came around, I was glad that the dishes needing to be cleaned were limited to serving dishes.

Now for the pictures:

The grown-up table. Jay's brother, Vaughn, and his wife, Patty, his parents and the two of us made up our party of six. Their two children, Derek and Delanie, along with our three boys sat at the other table.

I think we need to call super Nanny. Henry's latest joy is to run laps around the table during dinner.

Playing The Great Dalmuti after dinner.

Of course, we had football on too. Notice Patty sitting on Vaughn's leg. She's not being mean, she's helping him straighten it (he had surgery).

Patty brought Cherry pie, pumpkin pie without crust (Gluten-free) and a gluten-free raspberry cobbler.

Henry and his older cousin, Delanie.

You want to know what I noticed? Unless I long-arm-weird-neck-angle-it...it's like I'm not even there. Or anywhere. It's not like I love the camera, but sometimes, it's nice to have proof that you were part of the day too. And not a too-close, tilted-head shot either.

I WAS there. I wore a fantastic chocolate silk blouse (I'd say shirt but it really was more of a blouse) and some cute herringbone trousers (I'd say pants but they're so much more than that). I made a butternut bisque (I'd say soup but the recipe says "bisque") that was too-die-for (I thought so, anyways) and felt grateful for my sweet family, this bountiful land that I live in and the luxuries and everyday blessings (even the Chinet) that I'm sure I take much too much for granted. I do love Thanksgiving.