November 25, 2021: Such a Nice Day -

Thanksgiving is the only occasion we host, really, which means it is preceded by the annual Procession of the Piles, when we pick up the Piles of (mostly) paper that have colonized the table and chairs and any other flat surfaces, and we ceremonially carry them to the bedroom for a day.

This year, of course, the Piles had not been accumulating for one year, but for two, so the Procession had a little more pomp. 

I read a headline last weekend to the effect that Thanksgiving cooks would have to be less picky than usual this year, something to do with the supply chain, and I flew into a frenzy of searching for my favorite cubed stuffing, which is infinitely better than all other stuffings. Two days and three stores later, I found it, on a bottom shelf in the twilight at the very back, at Fred Meyer, at 8 am. I bought more than I needed, because I had worked myself up into a mammoth yearning for stuffing, and I took it home and used the extra to make a big dish of chicken and stuffing, just to take the edge off, so I would last til Thursday.

In the event, I did have to be slightly less picky than usual about other things, but at least not about the stuffing. And it was all wonderful. We don’t have a potluck, but rather we assign and negotiate so that friends will bring precisely what we want – this year, four stalwart friends brought us stuffed squash and celery root and green beans and mashed potatoes and pies.

So we were six. It felt as if we were at a festival. Six people in the house at once! Yeehaw!

We started with thirteen possible guests, but then life intervened, and seven couldn’t make it. They are all okay, hooray, and a few who couldn’t stay managed somehow to drop by and say hello, bless them,  and it was as convivial as a day could possibly be. The dog got so overstimulated, he put himself to bed. It’s been a long, quiet couple of years.

Everybody headed home, mostly bearing leftovers, and now the dishes are clean and the soup stock is started. We got texts and emails and videos from folks who aren’t nearby. We have commenced the solemn Recessional of replacing the Piles. I am thankful for all of it.