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Full... So full.. of TURKEY!!!

Random Thanksgiving Fact: Last year, Brandon was inordinately vexed by this commercial that came on that said that triptophan was the enzyme in turkey that made you sleepy. He freaked out every time that commercial came on and started ranting about how it is an amino acid, not an enzyme and that those commercial people should be shot for their stupidity.

Interestingly enough, the same commercial came on this year, but it has been corrected to say amino acid. Brandon was placated. His world returned to normal. Thank God.

Thanksgiving is not a holiday designed to be celebrated by two people. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to cook Thanksgiving dinner for only two people? I bought the smallest turkey breast I could find -- five pounds -- and I assure you, we will be eating turkey well into the New Year. The stuffing recipe I looked up serves twelve, a pumpkin pie serves eight generously, and according to the label, there are six servings of cranberry sauce in one can. Needless to say, we will be celebrating with leftovers for many moons to come.

But honestly, food issues and fraction fear aside, it is a little weird to me to celebrate a holiday with only two people. Holidays in my family normally mean LOTS of people. My family had dinner for ten today -- and that's WITHOUT me or Brandon. That's a lot of people. I feel somewhat at a loss with such a minimalist holiday.

I did all the requisite holiday things: I turned on the Macy's Parade when I started cooking so that I could vaguely listen to the show tunes and marching bands while I baked the pumpkin pie, but it wasn't really right because I kept looking around for Emily to walk into the kitchen with her flannel blanket wrapped around her like some sort of ancient pie goddess and yell at me for starting without her -- because the pumpkin pie is her job and has been practically since she was old enough to walk.

I cooked things in stages, all planned out, just like my Mom always does, but somehow it just seemed strange without at least two other people bustling around the kitchen with me, bumping into me, sharing the flour and the sugar and oh-my-god we didn't just put liquid smoke in the pie again, did we?

I mixed up the stuffing and put it in the fridge to sort of marinate, but it felt awfully strange not calling my dad in to taste it to make sure it had enough sage in it.

Finally, as Brandon and I were shaping the rolls, I realized that there should be at the very barest minimum two happy blonde children at my elbows making turtles and snails and pikachus out of bread dough and raisins and pecans. We had no pikachu rolls this year, and it just made my whole holiday feel askew.

So, when we set my table with out holiday bounty, everything was there: Granny's stuffing, Mom's rolls, Emily's pumpkin pie, Daddy's corn, Poppy's sweet potatoes. I even had a few new things, like my very first turkey made all by myself, and the wine Brandon picked out.

But still, it just wasn't quite the same.

I love you all with all my heart, and I'm so thankful for all the years that you made my Thanksgivings complete, and for all the years to come when they will be whole again.

Missing you in far-too-sunny-and-cheerful California,
~Lacy

P.S. Go Cowboys!!