Happy Thanksgiving

I would like to wish all 14 of my loyal readers a Happy and Peaceful Thanksgiving. May you live in boring times once more one day! Ironically, today's Interesting Times make individual lives Boring Days, if you are one of the lucky ones. So, we are counting our blessings.

It used to be customary for us to have Thanksgiving with the Bs, but during this pandemic, DL and I are home alone. To be honest, it's kind of nice and peaceful. When I was growing up in my family of three, my mom sometimes lamented that we weren't like other Chinese families with aunties, uncles, grandparents, cousins, etc, etc squabbling around a giant house. But I never minded. I don't particularly care for either crowds or Noise. The only thing I feel sad about with our two-person Thanksgiving is that I wish I could invite over some single friends or other small families to feast together, but alas! I may have to start a new tradition, separate from the Bs, and do my own Thanksgivings from now on. We can still do Christmas together. I'll express how much I have appreciated their love, but that now that I'm a married adult I'm ready to strike out for Thanksgivings. *sad smile*

When I was growing up, my mom would always invite over a bunch of random people who had nowhere else to go. At the time, I didn't think it was anything special, but in retrospect, I really appreciate those memories, because even though we were poor, she knew enough that when we had a big-ass turkey and more than enough to eat, the only appropriate thing to do was to share it! And of course it's not just about the food. It's about not being alone on a traditional, family-centered holiday, and coming together with whomever you come together with! My mom was a new immigrant at the time, but she had that part down pat.

My sister apparently has not roasted a turkey in many years, but I hope she does one day, and invites over a bunch of random loners, so my niece will also get to experience that kind of Thanksgiving one day. (I know she reads this blog, so hint-hint!! :~D)

Well here are dog photos. Look! They match in chirality!

To the left, to the left!

To the right, to the right! (And trade places!)

Yesterday we got this warm fuzzy email from our IT department. I had never expected to get a warm fuzzy email from an IT department, but we live in strange times.

I, too, feel an above-normal level of concern for my students. I prepared two slides that I have added to lectures:

OK here are Thanksgiving photos. I made a pi pie:

And cranberry sauce from half of my hard-earned stash that I picked with numb fingers that day with M last fall:

I got the smallest turkey I could find at 12 lbs. I stuffed it with a classic sage-flavored stuffing:

The cranberry sauce thickened up nicely:

That classic green bean casserole:

I deglazed the pan and made gravy:

Because there are only two of us, I just ate a thigh and DL ate a drumstick and thigh. No cardboard white meat! I'm saving all of that for pot pie, tamales, and soup!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Long may you live in boring times!