It’s the night before Thanksgiving … and all through the House, Not a spatula was stirring …
WHAT?
- NO taking the day before off work to clean, cook, prep and repeat?
- NO fridge stuffed with Cheese Balls, Salads, Cheesecake and Pie?
- NO 10,000+ steps inside the house?
- NO setting the alarm to shove the bird, ham and other delights into the oven?

2017 Thanksgiving eve’s Fridge – Cherry cheesecake, Mom’s Pineapple carrot salad, homemade cheese balls and more. an Emjayandthem(C) photo
Nope. Nada. None.
Today I went to the office, had time to stop for a coffee (gasp!) and worked a “normal” day.
- No cutting out early to set tables, stock up on booze, clean the garage, wash crystal or defrost something.
- Nope. Nada. None.
Why?
Oldest boy and his beautiful bride bought their first home earlier this year and, while walking through their gorgeous open concept kitchen/living room, I may have happily proclaimed, “WOW this is gonna be great for the Holidays!”
There might have been a skip in my step, not sure.
See, I’ve loved cooking and entertaining and fussing and decorating and providing for everyone all these years (32+ but who’s counting?) but do you know what I love even more?
- That my big strapping handsome son loves it, too.
- And so does his wife!
- I love that he has some semblance of understanding what’s he’s in for and that they want to host Thanksgiving this year.
- As the chief cook, cleaner and bottle washer, I couldn’t be PROUDER!
- And neither could these two, although they’d never believe it was a MAN was stepping in to cook!
- As the chief cook, cleaner and bottle washer, I couldn’t be PROUDER!
BREAKING NEWS: Are you sitting down?
This is the first family Holiday I haven’t hosted, cooked, cleaned for or done.
For at least 35 years.
Thirty. Five. Years.
Flash forward to tonight:
- Hubbs and I are to bring a couple of side dishes, show up, mingle and BE GUESTS!
- We may have done the dance of joy more than once tonight (he in his fuzzy pants and me in mine, prepping my 2 side dishes {done and in the fridge already!})
- Her parents, Grandparents and brother are coming, too.
- So is youngest boy and his fiance.
- Their dog will be in the mix, too, and he and I are likely to be shooed out of the kitchen.
- Can’t wait.
- We may have done the dance of joy more than once tonight (he in his fuzzy pants and me in mine, prepping my 2 side dishes {done and in the fridge already!})
- Hubbs and I toyed with the idea of (not really) being BAD guests, you know the ones .. they don’t bring what they said they would OR they show up late OR they bring other guests you don’t know OR all of the above!
- But we won’t do that.
- But we laughed hard at the thought of it.
- But we won’t do that.
“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” ~ Gail Sheehy
Your turn:
- What traditions have you changed up lately?
- What would you like to change-up?
- Happy Thanksgiving!
P.S.
- Made Hubbs some fudge just because.
- He very nicely offered that “some” could go with us tomorrow ~