Well, of course, Thanksgiving went very, very well. It always does, despite whatever crazy shit goes on ahead of time. My sister was fine, very fine, and this was even with breaking her toe during the afternoon while setting the table. (And people wonder why I wear shoes in the house.) I talked to her this morning and even she said she has no idea why she went so batshit over Thanksgiving in the last week or two. All the food was very good, as always, and there seemed to be enough of everything. I should have brought more turkey home, since I prefer it cold to hot, but I can go to the Sibs' and get some, if I want it that bad. R slept over again last night and took her share of leftovers home with her this morning.
A couple of non-U.S. folk have wondered a bit about this holiday in their diaries. It is the first American holiday, originally celebrated in 1621 by English settlers in the northeastern colony of Massachusetts. According to the legend, they held a big meal of thanks to signify their survival through their first year here, and they invited members of local Indian tribes, who had helped them to survive, to thank them. So, it's a holiday about eating huge amounts of food and gathering together with friends and family. And being grateful for what you've got. To me, it's also always been a celebration of that essential American characteristic, the fact that we are all immigrants, or at least, descended from immigrants.
Why turkey? Because wild turkeys were incredibly plentiful in the forests primeval of North America. Benjamin Franklin seriously suggested that the United States adopt the turkey, rather than the bald eagle, as its national symbol. They were everywhere and they were hardy, much like the colonists themselves.
(Not everyone eats turkey, of course. One of the neat things is that there are all kinds of families serving their own traditional foods, including those recently immigrated, because it's their holiday too, and everyone eats what they want. It's the quantity you go for on Thanksgiving. Everyone is supposed to eat their own weight in food.)
So, back to last night. Sadly, I got no more than a glimpse or two of my sister's step-grandbaby, who was fussing a bit and hungry, so her mom had her upstairs, feeding her and trying to get her to sleep. Even if she had been with us all, she's only four months old and I think would have been very overwhelmed by all the people. Maybe next time I'll get to hold her for a bit. Her parents, my BIL's daughter and her husband, are really delightful people, and very enjoyable to be with.
I sat next to my Good Guy nephew, then his new fiancee, then her father on her other side. I'd never met him before, and had been told that he was in a wheelchair, but he's not because apparently he uses prosthetic legs, which I think are not comfortable for him but he uses them when a wheelchair would be difficult. We enjoyed his company a great deal as well; the Hubs and I were sitting in a kind of corner where it was hard to get out, so I didn't get up and help the Sibs as much as I usually do, but I figured I did my part by making conversation and such with this guy so he wouldn't feel that the only person really talking to him was his daughter.
Really, the only negative thing I can say about the whole time there is that there were people I would have enjoyed spending more time with that I didn't get the chance to. If that's the worst I can say, then it's not too bad.
I've made ... okay, I have to say it, extensive notes to avoid some of the same craziness next year. I know just how much to make of each thing. I know we'll need to bring chairs, rather than finding out an hour before we were leaving. I know that when the Sibs starts up her lunacy, I can say "Remember last year? Cut it out." I think, anyway.
So I'm in the house today, since I really can't go anywhere where I'd have to park and leave my car, since I can't roll the window up. Not that I would go anywhere near a mall or a highway today.
I may read a book, although I just got the DaVinci Code DVD from Blockbuster. Hmmm, choices, choices.
