November 22nd, 2017

It's a lot of work getting ready for Thanksgiving. I had all my normal chores to do today, which was helped by Mom giving me a ride around town. She had already done most of her grocery shopping, but there's always those few items that she's forgot. So I went with, not only to make the stops I needed, but because I needed to get grocery items for what I'm going to make. We also got a card for Efe, and I wrote a note to him thanking him for his Birthday wishes.

I always loved Qatayefs, so I wanted to do those and serve them with honey as dessert. I'm a little nervous about frying them in oil though, I've never done that before, but otherwise they should be pretty easy.

My parents tend to want meals that speak to our heritage, which is fine because it's what they know. But I often feel like I'm missing out on some of the more "traditional" Thanksgiving dishes that everyone talks about. If it weren't for Max bringing me leftovers for our school lunches, I probably wouldn't have any idea what stuffing was, or green bean casserole. So I did some research online hoping to find some way of being able to incorporate an American traditional dish into my parents heritage. I found a recipe for deviled eggs that use olive juice, green olives, and pimientos. They look like fun.

In addition to laundry and my other cleaning chores, I helped Mom clean the house, and especially the kitchen. She keeps the place pretty clean, with our help of course, but once in a while we have to get into the nooks and crannies. It reminded me an awful lot of cleaning at work this last week. But, the place looks and feels so much better now, and tomorrow we'll get to enjoy it.

Then Mom and I did what preparations we could today, to help for tomorrow. Like boiling the eggs. We also cooked some homemade treats that could survive the trip, and put together a basket to be mailed with the card we got. It was fun working in the kitchen with her, we don't do that often enough anymore. But since we'd put in so much work for tomorrow, we ended up ordering pizza. I had to laugh at that, it was not so long ago that Mom would be insulted at the idea of ordering out.

I did get a break though when Candace called. Once I realized it was her I got concerned, she still doesn't like calling out on her phone. We had a nice long chat though. She was worried about having dinner with her in-laws, understandably. I assured her though that Thanksgiving was about being thankful for what we have, that it was a holiday that called to our better selves. If her in-laws couldn't live up to that, then she was welcome to come join my family here. I think that set her at ease, and Sam texted me later to say thanks.

Other than that, I have to admit feeling a little disconnected. We didn't turn the TV on at all, and beyond looking for recipes I didn't get on the net. So I have no clue whats going on with the tree, or the rioters. To be honest, it's a bit of a relief. I'm just worried that if something happens, having my head down might be a bad idea. Here's to the officers and fireman who'll have to spend the holiday guarding the tree. Hopefully nothing happens.