Why would you test for several days before the family gathering? Why not just the day before or the day of?
I just saw that RI is limiting social gatherings to individual households only starting immediately. Governor admitted that she can’t police living rooms, but is still asking people to honor this, even if it means being alone on Thanksgiving. One very positive thing RI is doing, is they are having rapid tests available at TF Green airport this Sat, Sun & Mo. One very scary thing she said in today’s press conference is that hospitals are at 97 % of their Covid beds. Yikes. They have a plan to open up the Cranston field hospital.
We pulled the plug more than a week ago on going up to MA to have Thanksgiving with my daughter and her fiance, along with his parents and sister, in their tiny Cambridge apartment (we would have stayed in a hotel). Unfortunately his family had to cancel (coming from NH, and his mom is a nurse) and the two of them will have to eat a lot of turkey and pie (already ordered and paid for)!
My husband and I had planned to drive to Minnesota in late Dec. to see my 91-year-old father, whose continuing care facility will not allow anyone in. However, he can leave the building as long as he does not stay out overnight (at least for now). But today, I heard that MN is shutting down indoor dining etc. , so we have nowhere to take him. We ate outside in August but obviously that is not an option in MN in Dec/Jan! I have thought about getting a hotel suite with a kitchenette near where he lives and bringing him over there for meals with us. If we can get negative Covid tests before setting out for the drive (2 days), I may do this. But we can’t quarantine for a month (two weeks prior and two weeks after); it’s just not possible.
I am just afraid that I won’t be able to see him again while he’s still able to understand that we are there. He is also so, so unhappy right now.
So sorry, @NJSue. That’s a rough situation, I know. There are no good answers.
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I think very likely that half the country is laughing off that sort of preparation in any case.
Well, my ds has no choice but to continue traveling regardless of the CDC’s new guidelines. His furniture and most of his belonging are in storage in CA, and he’s been on a cross-country RV road trip for the last seven weeks making his way to us here in Florida.
When we saw the news about no traveling, dh said (jokingly), “Should we tell him not to come?” Lol. He’s homeless and has nowhere else to go. ??♀️
Other than stopping to see his grandmother along the way, he has not been around anyone other than people outside. And, I suppose occasionally to the grocery store. He took two tests before he saw his grandmother.
He’s had a great break from work and visited many National Parks. It’s been a wonderful experience for him. I do wonder if he will get “stuck” here after the holidays (he plans to stay through New Year’s), which wouldn’t bother me at all. He’ll be working from home from here. His work resumes the Monday after TG.
I totally sympathize with @NJSue because my 89 year old father in assisted living (who had Covid in the spring and recovered) tells me he feels like he is in jail, because of all the restrictions in his facility. He is pretty miserable and there is not much we can do. At least, I know he will be well fed that day and they will do things to make it feel like a holiday.
My daughter will be violating the travel restrictions and visiting me for Thanksgiving. She will be in a car and then in my house with just my husband and I. I feel perfectly comfortable with this arrangement. There was no way I would have her spending Thanksgiving in her small studio apartment all by herself.
The numbers are bad there, the numbers are bad here, we are all following the same rules and restrictions. I don’t see any difference with her following them home alone and miserable or following them happy in my house.
We just pulled the plug on Thanksgiving with the friends who are in our pod. We have had Thanksgiving with them since the kids were little. The weather forecast is iffy for outside and DD has had direct contact with a co-worker who tested positive. She tested negative but Thanksgiving is right at the outer limit of the 14 days. It’s just safer. One of the friends has immune issues. It’s not worth it.
I must be getting old - I can’t remember if I’ve posted here or not.
We are down to just my husband, son, his gf and me for Thanksgiving. My husband’s daughter wanted to come, but she’s from PA and he suggested she might not want to before the travel restriction, but now it’s definite she’s not coming. I am really sad we are not seeing extended family, but we are trying really hard to “do the right thing.”
We have also officially decided to cancel. Local pregnant DIL and I both admitted we have been super stressed about this decision. My 83 year old parents have also come around to idea that it is best for everyone to stay home. We will drop off some kind of treat for our GDs, and DIL and I will trade my stuffing and her pies. I will deliver dinner to my parents. Our youngest lives with us and will be here. Middle son, pregnant DIL2 and GD will be at their OOS home. We can FaceTime, Zoom, whatever. It will all be fine. I feel so relieved that we are all on the same page and doing our best to keep everyone healthy.
I wish all the cable stations would just run marathon happy Christmas movies (the real ones, not the hallmark ones) and we could watch them with friends or relatives and all oooh and aaah at the same time. I’m good for a few loops of Miracle on 24th Street or Judy Garland singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas in Meet me in St. Louis.
I know a lot of people are doing virtual Turkey Trots or Jingle Bell runs with people in other cities.
I gave in to the inevitable and bought a small turkey and cranberries. Closer to next Thursday, I’ll buy some sides.
Our plans have changed. D and SIL will not be coming home. Cases have risen so quickly in the last few weeks especially in the midwest (where they live). They are very careful, have very limited contact with others and have tested…but there is still a risk. H, S and I are sad, but we will make the best of it, as will D and SIL.
We still plan to cook a turkey and sides here (we will have LOTS of leftovers), and plan to zoom with D and SIL.
All things considered, we still have a lot to be thankful for.
S got back from his two week trip to DC on Sunday. Has been quarantining in his room/bathroom since then, with mom/dad providing him room service. He went for a test Wednesday (no wait at all!), got the results this morning. Even though I was on a call, he came in to give me a hug 
Original plan was to head out on Sunday to spend the week with D. But with cases rising everywhere and the no-travel guidance, we’ve decided to stay home. D will be alone - but hopefully ok. Might end up sending her some goodies. Very sad - I think this might be the first time we are all not together for thanksgiving. If the weather holds up, we might have a few friends over - sitting outside for an hour or two.
@NJSue I’m in MN and just wanted to tell you that the indoor dining shutdown is only for 4 weeks starting tomorrow, so restaurants will be open by Christmas, unless it is extended. However, even if they are open, getting take-out or delivery from a nice restaurant and eating in a hotel suite might be a safer option. Also, if you will be in the Twin Cities area, there is a drive-through light display at the Fairgrounds that looks impressive, so that might be a fun thing to do. It goes through Jan. 3 and you have to order tickets online for a specific date/time.
Indoor dining at restaurants is probably one of the higher risk common activities that one can do, since it involves sharing air with possibly contagious people for an extended period of time (and people eating cannot reduce their virus emissions with masks).
My D is coming home for the break. She will test the day before leaving and has been testing every week (voluntarily). She has to take a shuttle and the plane to get home. We have an elderly family member at home who will stay away from her until after another test a few days after arriving. Everyone had their own room and bathroom. So I guess we will have thanksgiving on the patio.
@FallGirl, our plans have changed as well. Last night, now that the CDC and the Governor have asked people not to travel for Thanksgiving, I said to ShawWife, "we should really think about whether we are doing the right thing by having the kids and SOs come for Thanksgiving when it will be cold and we would have to eat outside for a few days despite ShawD’s very thoughtful plan.
We are sad as are they but I think it is the right choice. I think I still have to pay for the Airbnb, but the plane flights can be cancelled without a penalty.
One of the kids thought that maybe we should both drive to the center of the country for a week over New Year’s. Seems like a pretty long drive to end up in Omaha – not that I have anything against Omaha but it is not Big Sur or Sausalito or even the town where we live.
Seems sensible. We are doing the same with our daughter. It will be us 3.
We never had any plans with family to change. Just the two of us at home with a combination take out/home cooked meal. Son will join us via video and get take out from his gourmet grocery. He always preferred fancy buffets to eating at home anyway, and that wouldn’t happen no matter where he is.
Luckily son just moved into a bigger, nicer apartment so will have much better ambiance. And I bought him the same kind of dumb tissue turkey deco that we’ve used for ages, so he can feel a bit more at home.
No parents left on either side, brother is having some follow up surgery the day before (1800 miles away anyway). Once we moved and my mother passed away five years ago, family reunions were highly unlikely under any circumstances.
But husband brought home a nice bottle of Riesling today as a gift from a friend, so the meal should go well.