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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thanksgivings Past

This Thanksgiving will be different than others we've had in the last seventeen years. We usually spend Thanksgiving with Jeff's family but this year his Mother will be coming to spend it with my family, and I'm looking forward to that. :)

With this change, it brought to mind a year some time ago when Jeff and I were alone in Washington, DC on Thanksgiving. We weren't going home that year because in Ministry you can't always get every holiday since you're spending it with your church family. Usually what happens is you take Christmas instead of Thanksgiving, which was what we did that year. So we were alone on this family-centered holiday. We didn't have kids. Just the two of us.

I wasn't cooking a turkey (I still, to this day, have never cooked a turkey... what about a chicken? does that count?) and Jeff hadn't realized his masterful skills in the kitchen so he wasn't cooking one either. That left one thing.

Chinese take-out.

You know, like on the movie, A Christmas Story where they all (after ruining their Christmas dinner) end up going to a Chinese restaurant for their big meal?

We decided to do something similar (only not)... there was a movie out that we wanted to see, not sure what, I have no idea (must not have been too great, huh?). We set off for the Chinese place, put in our order "to go" and I smuggled it into my big movie-purse-bag and headed for the theater. :) We got through "security" with no problems and patiently waited for the lights to dim before opening our square cardboard boxes with their wire-hinged lids so we could eat without incident. I brought forks and spoons from home. (smart huh!?) And napkins. We bought drinks from the concession stand at the theater so we weren't complete cheaters. ::wink wink::

I can't remember what we ate (lo mien, fried rice, stuff like that) but I do remember someone behind me whispering to their companion, "Do you smell Chinese food? I smell Chinese food!" Which made me giggle and want to turn around to offer them a bite, but I didn't.

It's one of the best memories I have of Thanksgiving with Jeff. I think because we had no worries of being anywhere on time, we just did our own thing. No kids. We were fancy and free (well, maybe not so fancy).

I can't say that I would like to do that every year, once was enough. I would rather enjoy sitting amongst my family members talking constantly about who-knows-what and eating good food. My brother, hubby and nephews all watching the game. The girls sitting at the dining room table having coffee. Stuff like that. This year we're making cookies (Lord help me. I am NOT a good baker. Wish me luck!) I'm looking forward to our day together. Whether you're enjoying food with family or alone having Chinese food, I hope you find joy in it.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

just so you know we saw Everyone Says I Love You, my first and only woody allen movie. this one had julia roberts and she looked good, but the movie totally sucked. for dinner i had the combo fried rice and i believe lg had the lo mein(never liked those greasy noodles) and we shared crab rangoon. I might say that I so cherish every detail of the time I spend with my beloved, that or ive got this crazy memory that wont let me forget anything that is not important