<p>I am thankful that I am not hosting either Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve this year…the first time in over 20 years that I am getting a break. My kids feel a little bad that I am not hosting but I really don’t care. How do you spell relief?</p>
<p>I’m dreading Thanksgiving because I won’t have my son with me for the first time in his life. It isn’t as if I don’t enjoy the company of the other relatives I’ll be seeing, in my uncle’s and aunt’s house on Long Island where I’ve been going for Thanksgiving my whole life (there’s a photo of me sitting there on Thanksgiving in 1956, when I was a year and a half old), but I’ll miss his presence very much. And with him not there, it’s going to be even harder for me to take some of the passive-aggressively “mistaken” references to me that one particular relative always repeatedly makes in front of everybody, without fail.</p>
<p>Wow. I’m feeling really fortunate. Not only do we all live in town so that we can divide up all of the cooking, but I have a really great family that I really enjoy being around.</p>
<p>Last thanksgiving I barely remember- my oldest came up which was great- but I had to tell my mom that she wasn’t going to come up Christmas.
( my mom died a few weeks before Christmas)
Since I had been running back & forth to the hospital, I think I had just bought some food from the grocery that was partially made.
( We don’t have a full size fridge anyway)</p>
<p>This year- we may be going to my inlaws- which I am dreading-
they are awful cooks- but they absolutely do not let me bring anything and imply they would be worried about food poisoning. ( because I do not cook my food beyond the point of recognition)
I have nothing in common with the women in H’s family.
For them Black Friday is better than christmas while I celebrate buy nothing day.</p>
<p>I’m having dinner in a restaurant with close friend, her MO, and a few others. Sigh of relief.</p>
<p>For 17 years, another close friend would have an organized pot luck dinner at her house, then at the park. My son was surrounded by his best friends, everyone could dress casual, paper plates, ecstasy. She’s visiting her son in army this year, or I’d be with her again.</p>
<p>worst ever? Shopped and cooked for former fiance and his kids, my DS. Began at 6 am. while making sweet potato casserole, his Q: “Why? We don’t eat that.” He wanted what he wanted, barking directions while he watched TV. I bring my S over from college; his kids decide to go to their mother’s house. So, just the 3 of us. He lashes out at my DS, that he could never make it in his chosen profession. Then the ex- says he has a headache and disappears. I drive DS back to college, and saw my DS as upset as ever. Home at 10 pm, clean up, and then have to leave for work 7 am and also work Saturday</p>
<p>Did I mention that the oven broke? I had to cook the turkey on top of stove.</p>
<p>After that day, nothing could get worse.</p>
<p>We are doing thanksgiving wednesday because the ice rink my daughter works at between now and early january called yesterday and asked her to work thursday at double time. Momentary panic yesterday when she called to ask if that was ok, as I had not done a lick of shopping yet!! But husband and I went shopping today after I got out of class, am planning to bake 2 pies tonight. Tomorrow afternoon make the cranberry sauce (trying an interesting new recipe using framboise beer) and do some other prep. I guess the good thing about doing it wednesday is, if I have forgotten anything, the stores will be open. It is just 5 of us (me, husband, 2 kids, 1 fiancee) so not too stressful. </p>
<p>Now Christmas I am dreading - my son is leaving next week for his new job 1400 miles away so we may not see him for Christmas :(. Thrilled about the job of course, but this first Christmas in 25 years without him will be sad - much tougher for me than thanksgiving as I am not originally from the US so thanksgiving is less meaningful to me than Christmas.</p>
<p>laketime, sounds like an I love lucy episode!!</p>
<p>
Ok, I totally did a double take when I read this. :D</p>
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<p>bookworm - HA! I am convinced you must spend major holidays with someone before you commit long term - holidays can bring out the worst in people and you need to know what you are getting into. I’m hoping it didn’t go past the fiance status??..</p>
<p>nope–i didn’t., rom828. T-day was a defining moment. My favorite holiday made awful. </p>
<p>When I said “nothing could get worse”, I was only referring to preparing for this holiday. I miss having my son home, and miss my parents and other loved ones who were always a part of any special day.</p>
<p>Please–let me beg pardon and say “happiness” (in place of the E word). In the park setting, no alcohol etc allowed.</p>
<p>
OMG, I did that once - fortunately just 1 dishwasher and it wasn’t a major holiday. I realized I had put the wrong stuff in as soon as I did it, but left it in as I had no idea what would happen. What a mess.</p>
<p>I’m loving it this year because we’re not traveling and we have no high-maintenance family nearby. Whew!</p>
<p>The teens each make one of their favorite dishes - which is easy because I don’t like these dished so, hey, I might do them wrong if left to myself. The youngest gets to roll out crescent rolls. H cooks the turkey. Outside in our ceramic smoker. Apple wood this year? Pecan? Good old hickory? Let him ponder.</p>
<p>I work more the day before on pies and stuffing. TG with no family, and a couple of kids’ friends is quite fun. We adults drink champagne, and this year I have homemade cranberry liqueur to spike it with. I’ll call it a “naughty pilgrim”.</p>
<p>Ah, it’s Christmas I’ll be dreading. Looooooong car trip, extended family, too much stuff. Let’s hope it doesn’t turn into the dysfunctional family feud!</p>
<p>^^swimcatsmom, cranberry sauce made with raspberry lambic? Is that the framboise you mean? Sounds really yummy! Let me know how it turns out.</p>
<p>The first year we were married we went to my in-laws for Thanksgiving. H is the youngest of six and all of his siblings had been married for a number of years. Before dinner all the women were in the kitchen, cooking, etc. The men all sat in the living room. After dinner the women all got and went to work in the kitchen, the men all headed for the kitchen. I walked to the living room door and said, “H, your mother needs your help in the kitchen” He got up and started to work. Pretty soon my oldest sister-law walked to the door and said to her husband “She could use your help too.” Within in five minutes all the men were in the kitchen and the women were in the living room. It’s been that way ever since.</p>
<p>Looking forward to it. Both kids home, grandmas here- intimate dinner for six. I keep it fairly simple for dinner and make as much ahead on Wednesday as possible, and Dd will be here to help this year. It will be a treat for me, actually.</p>
<p>lololu, love it!!</p>
<p>Last year we invited a girl from my D’s senior class,her mom who was going to JAIL the following weekend and a grandma with dementia. I was sure it would be awful, but my kids were so nice and especially polite with our guests, it really turned out nice.Sometimes an “outsider” can minimize alot of unwanted conversation! The mom was going to jail for too many DUIs.</p>
<p>
Yes, it is. It’s a cooking light recipe. I’m also making a cooking light pecan pie and a cooking light pumpkin pie this year. I will let you know how they turn out. Oh, and a cooking light stuffing. I know I’ll eat too many calories but at least I am saving a few and cooking light recipes usually turn out quite well.</p>
<p>My hubby is a bit leary of having a different pecan pie to the one he has had for the last 68 years :eek:. And he’s not supposed to have cranberries because of his medication, but he is intrigued by the idea of cranberry sauce made with beer.</p>
<p>
that sounds yummy - how do you make it?</p>
<p>I love cranberries.</p>
<p>Put me in the dread camp. Just four of us but a lot of work for me and DS is struggling as a recent college grad with no decent work prospects…blah. No black Friday shopping here either. Money is tight and I have to work that day.</p>