New Thanksgiving Traditions

I am excited about Thanksgiving, although we're really not doing anything. The Big Plan is to put together a 10,000-piece (something like that!) Lego Holiday Train that will run on an electric track around the Christmas Tree (we might get that set up too!). 12yo Puberty Angst Boy is very excited, as he is a Lego Robotics Champion (really!), and he can hardly wait to tear into the boxes and get it going Thanksgiving morning.

For the not-so-mechanically-inclined in the house, I bought a $9.99 Gingerbread House KIT (Linens & Things) -- it's all baked and put together (I think), except for the frosting and all the candy decorations, which are included. I LOVE Gingerbread...

So the long, slippery slope into the overblown Christmas decorations and overeating commences--

Last year, we TG'd with fellow Thanksgiving 'orphans' who are out of town with family this year. The year before, it was just me, hubby, the three kids and Grammy, my mother, who has been here -- near us, not with us -- in Atlanta for 13 years...since she came to visit "for six months" to help when the first child was born. Thirteen years ago.

She decided last month that it was time to go "home" to Washington State, to a much smaller town and a quieter life after retirement, so she packed up, sold off and donated a great deal of accumulated treasure and went "home" last week. She has two older children (my half-brother and half-sister), two grandchildren and at least one great-grandchild back in Washington State. It was great having Grammy so close for so long, and we'll miss her, but I am glad she will have some time with her other kids, too. She was over life in the city, which I can certainly understand. [Note: See 2nd update below...]

So this year, we are on our own, and it is time for some new holiday traditions. I am planning to cook, but to keep it reasonable:

• Roast Turkey & Stuffing (which I can handle)
• Mashed Potatoes & Gravy (which I'll have to learn how to do)
• Roasted Vegetables (there's a huge departure from the traditional veggie side of green beans w/the onions on top -- and I'll also have to learn how, but my brother-in-law the chef makes awesome roasted veggies, so I'm sure he'll phone/email me through it)
• Some kind of bread/dinner rolls
• and Pumpkin Pie (again, something I'll have to learn how to do -- or buy).

We should be fine, especially since 10yo Drama Queen has started cooking & baking and is very excited to help.

If you have any cooking or baking tips, suggestions or recipes, help a Rebel out, by email or in Comments below.

H A P P Y ~ * ~ T H A N K S G I V I N G ! ! !

Update on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 01:05PM by Sherri Caldwell

As for Thanksgiving Holiday Traditions, don't forget the classic Thanksgiving movie/DVD:

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

A Jodie Foster Film
With Holly Hunter & Robert Downey, Jr.

Oh.My.God. This is a hysterically-funny dysfunctional holiday movie the whole family (well, PG-13, more for adults) can enjoy year after year after year. The older you get, the more you recognize and identify with the characters and situations.

Director Jodie Foster dishes up a "heaping helping of holiday hilarity" (NBC-TV) with this laugh-out-loud comedy from screenwriter W.D. Richter about family, food and finding acceptance with the people you love. Home for the Holidays is a "wickedly funny" film that's "so true it hurts" ("Entertainment Today")!

In a span of 36 hours, Claudia Larson (Holly Hunter) has managed to lose her job, make out with her boss and learn that her daughter (Claire Danes) is planning to go all the way. But Claudia's fortunes actually take a turn for the worse when she flies home to endure an even more grueling trial: the family Thanksgiving! Beset by a neurotic mother (Anne Bancroft), kooky father (Charles Durning), eccentric brother (Downey, Jr.) and compulsively "normal" sister (Cynthia Stevenson), Claudia struggles to maintain her calm. But as sparks fly, tempers flare and turkeys go airborne, Claudia manages to recapture the zaniness of her childhood and discover that the most important things in life are the memories she shares with family...and for that, she can only be thankful!

Update on Friday, November 23, 2007 at 10:39AM by Sherri Caldwell

I have news, and I almost can't even type it...my mom, who packed up, sold off, donated and dumped everything else on me to move "back home" to Washington State last week...called today. First time since I talked to her on the phone at the airport on her way out. (To really make sure she got on the plane.)(She did.)(It was a one-way ticket.)(She sold her car!) She's coming back "home" again next week -- Tuesday. Grammy's back!! Now Atlanta is home, apparently. She's already arranged to have all her stuff that was en route to Seattle, re-routed back to Atlanta. She called and got her same apartment back. She's already set up all the utilities again, same phone number! Help me, here, this is just a little crazy, isn't it...