Let the holidays begin.

We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday with my extended family. Here’s how we kicked off the holiday season:

I woke at my parents house at what I thought was 6 o’clock. It was actually only 5 o’clock – the clock in my room had not been changed for the daylight savings. Mom was already awake cleaning the house and soon took her mid-morning nap…or what she refers to as “restful prayer time,” though I doubt there are any prayers happening when she begins snoring. And so after coffee and breakfast and waking up truly, I began preparing the turkey.

After the turkey was in the oven, Mom and I were forced to work together. I’ve mentioned our tendency to frustrate one another – this is why I typically run the kitchen and she does the rest, but I was too prepared and had spare time. (She has difficulty focusing on the big picture. I’m too controlling. So the story goes . . .)

Finally it was time to check the turkey and put out the appetizers. I look for the meat thermometer. Mom says she thinks she packed it with my things when I moved out. Crap! In a panic, I grabbed my purse and darted to my car to buy a meat thermometer. It wasn’t until I was half way to the store that I realized I was wearing my bedroom slippers. (I’m just grateful I was wearing a bra!)

I made the mistake of getting a digital thermometer and may have freaked out while we struggled to get the battery in place. I was meant to check the turkey 20 minutes ago! But I soon found the turkey cooked to the right temperature and ready to rest. At this point, Dad and Rae are making fun of my tendency to talk to the bird and mumble under my breath. I was not, though it may be perceived differently, in a bad mood. I was simply focused on completing the task well.

The rest of the family arrived and the meal was perfect and everyone was happy.

Here’s how we finished the kick-off to the holiday season:

I opened the refrigerator door to take home some pumpkin pie. Both the pumpkin and pecan pies fell to their demise, along with my mother’s best pie plate. This is more devastating than you may realize. I love, love pumpkin pie.

Overall, the day was filled with good food, words uplifting and not-so-uplifting, laughter, adjustments, and love. By the end of it, we were all blissfully exhausted.

Let the holiday season begin. I can’t wait to cook my non-traditional Thanksgiving food on Thursday.