Thanksgiving Morning

My husband's flight from St. Thomas was delayed last night, so he didn't get into the airport here till 11:30. Regardless, we were awake and out of bed before 5:30 this morning, and my husband got started with his cooking. Right now, two kinds of stuffing are baking in the oven, and his mashed potatoes are all done. His mashed potatoes are legend here. He mashes them with an antique wooden masher that's been in his family for years. One year, he used the electric mixer... the potatoes just weren't the same. So now, every Thanksgiving and Christmas, I remind him not to touch the mixer.

He makes the best, best stuffing, honestly. One batch has oysters, mussels and almonds mixed in with the "regular" ingredients (onions, celery, garlic, bread cubes, seasonings, eggs, etc). The other batch has Greek gyro meat, feta cheese and pistachio nuts in the mixture. Both have distinctly different flavors, both totally delicious. As a rule, I don't eat meat. Ever. But every rule has an exception. And I do love his "Greek" stuffing recipe, even though the gyro meat is chopped up in there.

My sweet potatoes came out perfectly-- or at least they did right after we carefully picked off the burnt pecans from the tops and crushed up more pecans for the topping. Back into the oven they went and I watched them extra carefully this time. Those pecans go from toasty brown to burnt black in a heartbeat, I swear. I don't eat mashed potatoes, but I do love sweet potatoes. I don't eat turkey, so my own Thanksgiving plate holds just sweet potatoes, stuffing, my cranberry sauce, and whatever vegetables are on the table.

I'm still not over this head cold, but I feel better than yesterday. While my husband was cooking his stuffings and potatoes, he kept telling me and my germs to keep out of the kitchen and stay in the breakfast room. Which I did.... no sense in getting everyone sick later on today, and I sincerely hope no one catches this cold from me. I joked with my husband, saying that maybe A should spray me with Lysol when I walk in the door, and have my place setting at a separate table, away from every other healthy soul there.

Head cold or not, I'm still the same girl-y girl, as my neighbor V would say. I've changed outfits three times, changed shoes twice, and I've changed earrings twice and bracelets once. I am officially dressed for the day. My original outfit this morning would've been too hot to wear all day. It was cool this morning, but now that the sun has been out for a while, it's warming up. My house is warm from all the cooking, so I'm guessing A's house is warm as well. Besides that, when I changed, I put on the clothes that I want to wear to my husband's Christmas party where he works. I figured I'd see what my friends A and F think about this outfit first, before showing up at that Christmas party.

On the way back from the airport last night, I told my husband about the hawk that was in the backyard yesterday. The first thing he said was "Be careful with those cats." I told him that's exactly what I thought of first, even though our neighbor V laughs at me for being so over-protective.

Just as I had thought, AngelBoy wanted to go out into the backyard today right after he ate his breakfast. Being that we had gotten up so early, it was still dark outside. No way, said I... and I let him out into the screen-porch instead. He sat there looking at me. Then he whined and cried and meowed in that pitiful way he has when he's really disappointed. I didn't let him out into the yard till around 10:00 this morning, and I sat there by the windows watching the backyard and looking up at the trees. I don't know what I would've done had I seen the hawk. Are hawks afraid of brooms? Or maybe I could squirt the hawk with the garden hose?

Thankfully, no hawk out there this morning. And when I let AngelBoy out in the backyard, I made Rusty go out with him. Safety in numbers, is what I was thinking. Maybe two cats in the yard would seem like a threat to the hawk, rather than seeming like breakfast. Oh Lord, just the thought. I would just die if anything happened to AngelBoy out there. (Rusty would be safe--- he's too big and heavy for a hawk to pick up, unless the hawk was on steroids.)

Gorgeous day here today. Lots of sun, blue skies, temperatures warming up to the high 60s, which is cool and chilly in my book, but considering it dropped down to 48 last night, I won't complain about the 60 degrees.

Just about time to get everything heated up here and get it in the car for the three-street drive to A's house. My husband is taking a nap. After four hours of sleep, and then five hours of cooking, a nap was called for so he doesn't fall asleep during the meal. I told him if he falls asleep, I get "dibs" on the stuffing.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!