Day 40. 10 small moments
1. I start the day with a big goofy smile and pre-heat both ovens. At the end of a very long and trying day yesterday, I lamented that whenever we go somewhere else for Thanksgiving we come away from the holiday without leftovers. And so he called two grocery stores to find a thawed turkey and then went grocery shopping for us after dinner. This is him in a nutshell. You don’t allow yourself to be in an unfixable state of mind. You keep moving and doing until reality equates to pre-heating both ovens and changing around your Sunday to re-prioritize your choices.
2. There is something so empowering in knowing how to make an entire Thanksgiving meal by yourself. He will carve the turkey later, for sure, but otherwise the kitchen is mine alone for this brief electric moment.
3. I saute the string beans with garlic and soy sauce the way they made them for us as kids.
4. I shred the Vermont cheddar cheese for the mashed potatoes. This is a nod to my six years in a state I thought I would never leave. The first time I made this recipe, I was a senior at UVM. I used a hand mixer and the gummy mashed potatoes were so inedible I almost cried. I ate them anyway… And now I’m 42 and these potatoes are balanced and decadent and worthy of serving to those I love most.
5. I explain to him that preparing a large meal is basically a lot of prepping, cooking and cleaning - continuously until the service of the meal is done. He reminds me that it’s also a lot of hanging out with family in the kitchen… This kid... I love him, and I want to know what his own children will be like.
6. All of our Thanksgiving meals have two different cranberry sauces. His and hers… His is a gelatinous thing with the required ridged memories of its metal house still in tact. Mine is whole berry and textural, and lovingly served in his Grandmother’s blue glass dish.
7. He surprises me by making popovers. They’re beautiful and tall, and are one of the many reasons I married him.
8. The meal will be served in 10 minutes and he asks for ramen. This kid… I love him, and I want to know what his own children will be like.
9. I am fully prepared to clean as much as possible at the new house. The shop-vac is a glorious thing that basically eats shards of drywall and nails like it’s no big.
10. The winds are howling and the kids are asleep. My bones are tired from the weekend, the day, the somewhat clean(er) house… Before I can close out the day, I look over my report that’s due tomorrow. Keep your commitments, even so.
