Well, we’ve put Halloween to bed, and next Thanksgiving will be up and wanting our full attention. Oh boy. I am eating three turkey dinners the week of Thanksgiving. First, Richard and I are driving to the Bay Area to enjoy a “pre-Thanksgiving” feast with my son and his boisterous brood. Driving down the Sunday serves both to avoid the glut of traffic on the road typical over the holidays, and still allow me to get to work on Friday. Sometimes, I think I about quitting work. Whenever I get in that frame of mind, I remind myself I how much I enjoy having a little extra jing in my pocket every month, and that I love, love the residents in the retirement home where I work. I look forward to seeing the people I work with each week, and I like to believe they, in turn, also look forward to seeing me. When I first signed up for those two particular days it didn’t seem like it would a big deal. Now, it feels like everything I need or want to do falls on either Friday or Saturday. If this is the worst problem I have to deal with in my life, I have no need to complain, and yet here I am doing exactly that lol.
Our second feast of Thanksgiving week will be on the big day itself, and is to be hosted by Richard’s wife’s son and his wife. Do you need a game card? When you have a lot of living behind you, things get complicated. Richard’s wife passed away six years ago. He remains close to her family, which I think is lovely, so we are sharing their table with ten others this holiday season. They have welcomed me into the fold, as my clan has with Richard, which makes life move along just a little bit more smoothly. I am tasked with bringing the guacamole, and Richard will be throwing flour, butter, and eggs in a bowl and creating his amazing pie crust. The crusts will be used to produce three mouth watering pies, which will be his contribution. Having been brought up, like myself, by his mother and maternal grandparents, he was taught to cook as a child. Love it. I have spent a good deal of my life in the kitchen cooking, so am not in the least bit reluctant to hand over the wooden spoon to someone else once in a while and put my feet up and do a crossword puzzle. My grandmother used to make the most delicate, flaky, buttery, heaven sent pie crust. I did not inherit this gift. The first, and coincidentally the last, pie crust I ever made remains permanently glued to the bread board I tried to roll it out on buried in a landfill somewhere in Southern California. As much as I enjoy cooking, baking is most definitely not my forte. Once, I attempted yeast rolls. “Proof the yeast”, the recipe said. Isn’t there some sort of identification on the package? It’s yeast, for heavens sake, says so right on the label. When I figured out what proof meant, I added the warm water, at exactly the temperature called for, and waded through twelve packages of yeast to finally produce one “proofed” batch. Really? The recipe was supposed to produce two dozen light as air yeast rolls. Mine, produced twelve. Rick said, after tasting one, before I threw them out to make sure not to drop one on the floor because we’d just replaced the tile. Funny man, Rick. Fine. It’s a good thing I wasn’t born in the 1800’s. I can see myself trying to make bread in a cabin in the wilderness and it’s not a pretty picture. The sandwich would never have been invented had I been manning the stove.
Lastly, dinner is at Richard’s house the Sunday following turkey day for his son and his family. At that one, I will be cooking alongside Richard. Sounds like a busy week as well as a fat producing one. I’d better get on Amazon and order some pants with a stretchy waist. Oh boy. Cooking with Richard is no walk in the park. I thought myself to be an “A” personality, but Richard weighs in as a “AAA”. As with all budding relationships, you have to look at personality quirks you can live with, and those you cannot. In particular should cohabiting be something you’re considering in the future. I believe this is something I can manage as long as our A’s don’t collide.
My mother was an AAA personality as well. Although, where she was a slow but steady performer in the kitchen, wishing everything to be just so, Richard is like the Tasmanian Devil when preparing a meal. Don’t get in his way, or the ER might be in your headlights. If I am cooking with him, I will set, say a whisk, down on the counter while not using it. When I need it, it will magically have disappeared either already washed and put away, or to be found in the dishwasher. Zoom, zoom. I have said many times, it is best in the beginning of a relationship to say how you feel, otherwise the behavior continues unchecked and sometimes ends up with resentment building. Sooooo, I said patiently and quietly the last time he reached for a utensil I was using, “touch that and you are a dead man”. Hmmmm, that may not have been straight out of the Relationship 101 handbook, but I have to say it worked most effectively. You’re welcome.
COVID is still toying with me, like a cat with a lizard, but I am rising above the water line. I will get the new vaccination as soon as they give me the green light. Don’t want this bug again. I’ve done my part for the statistical data and want to move on. All I’m left with is this annoying little tickle in my throat. Annoying to me, and I’m sure anyone in earshot from me. I am popping lozenges like candy and hope this too, passes soon.
Happy Thursday!!! Stay healthy and enjoy the beautiful fall colors. Until next time.