What was I Thinking? Twenty for Thanksgiving!

Feels like I have just finished a cruise! We are just putting away the last of the laundry and six dishwasher loads of stuff from this feast.

On the day, we began by amassing all the stuff- the turkey, the salmon, all the vegetables from the garden,the cranberries, the potatoes, the ingredients for the gluten free, the vegetarians,and all the rest. We have our plan of attack affixed to the fridge. Our daughter has set up the tables for twenty in the hall, corralled enough chairs, made the table look beautiful and bountiful, set up the table for the wonderful hors d'oeuvres my sister will bring. Grandson Quincy is on board to light the many candles (and he looks splendid in fresh clothes and very large black shoes!) As sou chef I spend the morning washing and chopping vegetables, cleaning as we go, and the chef works on preparing the stuffing, marinating the turkey, knowing all. At some point it seems that everything is ready to go. Broccoli, beans and collards are washed, chopped, ready in their steamers. Potatoes are peeled and ready to be mashed and the butter and garlic is at the ready. The stuffing is in the oven with the turkey. An amazing green and red salad from the garden is washed and spun and ready to be dressed. My sister comes and lays out her appetizers on the porch table (and immediately we all dig in! She makes an incredible spinach pesto loaf, olives, tapenade..) Now folks are arriving, the table is set, drinks are set out. We have been on our feet since dawn (and we are not Martha Stewart!). The best part of the day is when people begin to gather - friends and family we have not seen in a long time, and others we have not yet met. There are hugs and inquiries, people bringing pies and orchids and bottles of wine. In this last part of a Florida afternoon the light is lovely and warm so our guests wander about and enjoy the place. Of course, there is always way too much food! We toast our happiness and good fortune, and dig in to the bounty of food. After the pies and the coffee we repair to the fireplace room (and several of us take turns loading the dishwasher over and over!) No one here turns on the T.V. to watch football. What we did was to do some stargazing with the help of my brother-in-law's i-pad. And, of course, there was the usual clot of folks who talked politics. So, it was a wonderful traditional American Thanksgiving. We gave thanks for the outcome of the election, for not having any Hurricanes here,for our health and happiness, for friends and family, for frogs. Lots of folks spent the night so there were the arrangements of sheets, blankets, where to brush your teeth, do they have enough covers, etc. Brother-in-law Jay prepared breakfast the next morning for everyone: local eggs, bagels, lox, tomatoes and the works. Grandma Molly was k.p. and laundry queen, then captain of the walk through the fields and woods - and then, after all guests left, one could see her lying on the floor of her studio, maybe meditating, maybe thinking that... I love doing this! It does take a toll on us, but it's worth it! We are eternally thankful for all our blessings, our friends and family, our energy to be helpful in our community.