Goodness and Gracious

The one thing traditional about our Thanksgivings is that they are very nontraditional. Every year brings its own interpretation of the state of the year, nay day.  Flexible has been our guide word since a fourth child enter our world.  It's like the opening of gift each year; just what will our
Thanksgiving look like?  We've had Thanksgivings full tilt formal, we've had it delivered by friends when a family illness overwhelmed us.  We've had it in church basements with lonely college students,we've gone to an Italian menu, we've celebrated it with a video camera in Kindred Spirits brand new kitchen,we've gone bowling, we've had it while we packed up my mom for an ER visit.  With a multitude of amigos and single o; you name it; we've done it.

 However, I think we went over the top this year.

Baby Girl decided to grace this memorable Thanksgiving with her latest daughter, Delightful Della, in tow, born November 13th.  We had been on board to serve as mama's helper once she came home from the hospital.  We knew with a due date like November 20, that Thanksgiving was going to be another spontaneous creation.  And with nearly 40 years of planning Thanksgivings that way, I was up for it.

On this visit, we found out that we could rent one of the married student housing apartments for a minimum fee. Since Baby Girl, Illustrious Son In Law, Lil' Lady and Delightful Della were taking up pretty much all of their 500 square foot living arrangement, we opted to spread out a bit and rented the apartment for five days.

Crazy for a woman that never graced a college campus, to haul her stuff into the international world of a top ten university married student housing arrangement.  The smells of foreign cooking permeates all the common areas and you project yourself into the wider mindset available in a large metropolitan advantage.  The burkas, the diminutive,disciplined Asian population, the business as usual from the world not affected by our Thanksgiving, lent this Thanksgiving as Highly Unusual.  But Fabulous.

As you have guessed by now, a Thanksgiving celebration with the presence of a Nine Day Old infant certainly puts the most amazing, wonderful, exuberant, grateful, fabulous slant on what could become a dry, boring Feast Day.

While the little apartment was cozy and well equipped for a rental, I am used to every convenience, cookware/utensil/serving dish/dishware/etc etc that is known to common man.  Forty years of hospitality has outfitted my little kitchen with most of the needed gourmet tools for a successful dinner.  This year, I had three pans, two towels, assorted plastic cooking tools and a few semi good knives.

I love me a good food challenge.

Hubby and I set off for the local market and used all our creative devices to create a tasty, healthy and somewhat disposable Holiday Feast,  When we came upon the paper aisle, I announced with arms held open wide, Hubbiness, you are about to witness a rarity!  I am about to buy everything disposable for THANKSGIVING!  This from a woman who never buys paper plates, who has paper cups just because someone left them at my home, who looks askew at those that would wash disposable silverware, yes, this was HUGE!  In awe, Hubby watched as I selected paper plates, napkins, cups AND silverware.My therapist for my compulsive/obsessive disorder from years past would have lifted his glass in my victorious honor.

And I loved it.

It symbolized freedom from my years of slavery to the way things 'should ' be to the freedom of the need of the moment.

I had arrived.

One indulgence that I insisted on, was a proper pie.  Researching recipes, I found a dandy maple syrup pear pie, that really sounded amazing.  Seven dollars worth of Bartlett pears were selected carefully and placed gingerly amongst the cushion of paper goods in our cart.

Once 'home', both Hubby and I could not remember seeing the pears once we got in the car.  Remember, we did have the lovely distraction of our little two year old companion with us at the store, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, with a fairly new cashier at our check out.  The parking lot was packed to the very limit and the aisles filled with the absolute limit of customers.  Were we going back to fetch those pears? 

 Uh, no.

I had brought along three apples, borrowed a lemon from BG and her cinnamon, used our raw sugar and threw in some blackberries and of course, butter and the final product was considered by Illustrious SIL, that it was close to the best apple pie he had ever eaten.  Score.

 While the post dinner naps commenced, this Mimi 'cleaned' up by disposing of it all but little bowls full of squash and mashed potatoes and a modicum of turkey and 
proclaimed the Mini Meal a raging success!While the little family scooted back to their own little home, Mimi and Papa ventured outside and parked ourselves under a shelter to take some time to reflect on our blessings and drink in His Word in light of a most thankful year.

 Earlier in the week, we had the precious privilege of keeping Lil Lady occupied while her mama healed and rested from the phenomenal event of producing an 8 pound 3 ounce baby totally unmedicated or with any intervention of any kind.  Pure and natural, just like she prayed for.  Amen.
And spending time with Lil Lady?
Oh. My.
Imagination Station, Chick fil A, leaf shuffling, playground playing, play dough creating, hide and seeking, book reading, snuggling, blues clues watching.....Oh the delight of a precious, precocious two year old....!!!!

We departed the next day to leave the next shift of helpers to ooh and ahh over our new little addition to our family and be as blessed as we were.

Not too long after our arrival home, another Little Blessing appeared at our home...Sweet Adeline and her helpful beading ways...

What are we thankful for this most unusual of our forty years together? Just five things:

Vivien, Lailyn, Adeline, Hazel and Della.

Thank you LORD!!