I hosted Thanksgiving at my house this year for eleven people. It was a gorgeous, sunny day here in Colorado. It started for me around five-thirty AM, largely because I had decided that I NEEDED to repaint both my dining room and living room BEFORE Thanksgiving. I was still finishing up this project the morning before everyone came over…but I got it done with plenty of time to spare for cleaning up, cooking, and entertaining! I’m not sure if the difference shows up so well in these pictures, but the in-real-life difference is huge. It was so dark in these rooms before because they don’t get much natural light. Now they are bright and cheery for most of the day.
I made a twenty-two pound beast of a turkey, roasted brussel sprouts (I’ve had these several times at restaurants and now love them), mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and a homemade apple pie (I used the recipe in the Betty Crocker cookbook which is absolutely perfect). My brother-in-law (who is a smoker aficionado) made a smoked mac-and-cheese which was delicious.)
It was wonderful having both my kids here. Beth came home from college for the week and it’s been both lovely and strange to again have all her clothes, shoes, and cosmetics all over the place. One of my fellow empty nest friends advised that I would probably find this annoying, but honestly, it’s been comforting to have this messy evidence of her presence in my house again. I still miss her being around all the time. I can’t imagine how quiet my house will be when my youngest graduates from high school in the spring!
Today I’m going to work on getting the Christmas decorations hauled out of the basement and put up–pictures to come!
I hope your Thanksgiving was lovely and that you were able to spend it in a way that brings you joy.
