Home for the Holidays
Home for the Holidays
This year, many of our writers and contributors will have a new tradition of sorts for the holidays, no thanks to COVID19. In honor of our fabulous family of writers, I asked them to send a short sentence or two on how they will be spending Thanksgiving this year. Remember that each writer for Silver Sage must be forty or older in order to write for our beloved Magazine so these responses are candidly Silver Sagers. Here are some of our writers Thanksgiving plans for 2020:
Our fabulous editor, Tim Niedermann is on a well-deserved holiday. And so, I take full responsibility for any typos, grammatical errors, or poor penmanship as I cannot disturb him until after Turkey Day.
My eldest daughter is coming this week with recipes in hand! I have been the caretaker-chauffeur-cook for my parents (ages 94 and 96-the latter birthday this week) for a couple of years and am in need of a respite, however short. Thanksgiving vacation is here! We are isolated in the rural countryside, so risks are minimal and my daughter has had multiple tests just to make sure. The rest of the family will have to Zoom in! TN
My family and I plan to remain local and not undertake any large family gathering. For us, more than one circumstance has dictated our plans – the COVID pandemic, yes, but also the fact that our teenage daughter had major spinal fusion surgery on November 9 and is in the process of a three-month recovery. It so happens that the same daughter turns 15 on Thanksgiving Day! So among many other things I have to be thankful for, I am filled with acute gratitude for all doctors, surgeons, caregivers, nurses, and other medical practitioners, as well as loving family members on both sides for support. JJL
Thanksgiving will be a long phone call. Oldest son and daughter-in-law are having an awful year (like, who isn’t?) It started off wonderfully – expecting their first child. Sure, the prenatal visits were a bit tough to manage with Covid-19 restrictions, but all was well, heartbeat, development everything on track. We weren’t able to see them until late summer. And then a long labor and a baby delivered via C-section with all sorts of problems and days in the NICU. The worst sort of news: failure to thrive. Back and forth to the hospital and things finally settled down. Or so we thought. But, no. My daughter in law is having gallbladder surgery on Tuesday. Therefore, no food, so family… just a long phone call. Prayers of thanksgiving will still be given up at my house, because mother and baby (and brave son/husband/father supporting his girls) are alive and breathing. I’m alive and breathing. Happy Thanksgiving. It’s always the little things. BS
Thanksgiving has come and gone in Canada but I remain thankful. Today, a cover of snow fell over the beautiful views I have from my windows of the countryside. I feel as if I have my own Walden Pond, to find beauty and intricacy nearby. Our daughter and granddaughter dropped by, wearing masks, sitting far away, but with us. I worked on a revising a different chapter in my book of seven biographies on the wives of the Canadian artists called The Group of Seven. I was inspired to write this when I heard the author of the First Wives Club speak at a Book Fair in Arizona. I knew then that the women “behind” needed to be seen and heard. Restrictions do not mean a lack of opportunities. AS
I was invited by a friend, a former chef, to have Thanksgiving at his house with some other friends. I went there last year and it was wonderful. Alas, this year I’ll not be attending. I have jokingly asked him if I can swing by for take out. He said I could, and I just might. Otherwise, I’m just going to stay home, alone. I’m making mashed potatoes for my boys (19 and 15), who live with their mom, and at some point on Thanksgiving I’ll drop them off. Truth be told, I’ll probably get the Gobbler bowl at Wawa for my dinner. CK
We originally planned to go to my step son’s house for a small gathering of 10. Today we found out our grandson was sent home from school because he was exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID. After talking it over we decided we will stay home to be safe. SF
We have 3 local grandchildren who will be with us over Thanksgiving, making being home for holiday the best! Unfortunately, my daughter (Nashville) was planning to come for Thanksgiving as well but with the turn of events recently we all felt it best for her not to come. It was a difficult decision as we have not seen her since end of last year. We have 3 other grandkids who live in GA and will not be able to be with them for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. However, we are planning to travel in the spring to visit them, having just bought a RV! Being in the “elderly” category, we are not venturing too far from home base. But the future is looking much better with the possibility of a vaccine and having our own “land yacht” to travel in securely. Just need to get a dingy to tow behind so we can see the country side wherever we happen to through out the anchor! We have lots to be thankful for; our grandchildren and children and we are all currently in good health. Best wishes to all for happy and healthy holidays and getting 2020 behind us. SC
We’re celebrating with our household members “inside” our home. I’ll make a porch visit to those less careful and two home visits to those in my safe circle. DS
There is no choice about how to ‘do Thanksgiving’ this year – it will be subdued and limited. We must remain vigilant as help and hope are on the way, and I don’t just mean the vaccine. This year’s celebration was already stark, as it is the first without my Mom. But, I am grateful for her memory, my Dad, and my fur-kid, Rafaelle! Happy Thanksgiving! SM
I was originally planning to get together with family, but we agreed to forgo holiday gatherings until the spring, when we may have enough of a break from the COVID pandemic to have a “gifting cookout.” The prospect of limited (electronic) to no (physical) connection this year has inspired me to slow down and consider what I’m grateful for and to reach out to help others, through contributions to food banks and contacting those I haven’t connected with in a while. I’ll also have the opportunity to reflect and write about the year. SO
thanks.giv.ing: the expression of gratitude, especially to God. This meaning goes very deep this year. Over the years, our family gathering on this holiday has significantly dwindled due to the loss of our parents. Our plans this year, regardless of the pandemic, will not stray too much from the norm. A dinner for nine, usually hosted by my brother-and sister-in-law, will now be at my house. Being careful to distance of course. Supporting our local grocery store, I preordered the turkey and all the trimmings and will be adding a few baked goods for dessert. Having not seen family for a time, I look forward to our reunion. And watching the Steelers go to possibly 11-0! Happy and healthy Thanksgiving to all! LC
For Thanksgiving (and Yuletide time), my husband and I will continue to quarantine ourselves and not have visitors indoors. We’re going to cook for ourselves and have virtual gatherings instead of in person celebrations, due to the pandemic. We care about our loved ones and don’t want to put them or ourselves at risk of illness, unemployment, bankruptcy, or death. If the weather is cooperative, we can have masked, distanced, outdoor only gatherings for one household at a time, as we have an outdoor heat source and a camp toilet as well. We’re taking this virus extremely seriously. CM
Canadian Thanksgiving was in October. It was dismal. We didn’t celebrate at all in my family. I pouted for much of the day. I typically cook a massive meal for 12-20 people and have a house full of friends and family. This year we just called them all on the phone. Did I mention that I pouted? Happy turkey! LEMB
This year, I am hosting a small family gathering at my home. We plan to take some precautions: everyone will screen themselves for a fever before attending and one person will handle the food and serving. However, we all chose not to live in fear and let the virus control our lives. We decided to focus on living our lives. TG
Plans for Thanksgiving this year include cuddling with my new granddaughter. Spending the day with a very small group of family which I actually prefer. Online shopping for great deals. No traveling this year due to the pandemic. AC
And as for me, I planned on a simple Thanksgiving driving Mom to my sister’s new home in Maryland. A quiet Thanksgiving and home cooked COVID free holiday. A small dinner for four. However, COVID had alternate plans for us all when I became quite ill the week before Thanksgiving and by Monday of this week, I realized I could not smell my favorite thing in the morning. No. Not coffee. But the yummy forever puppy smell of Sigmund Freud’s fur. One COVID test later and fourteen days of quarantine, I shall be spending Thanksgiving snuggled up with S. Freud hoping I get my smell and taste back soon. Wishing everyone around the world a healthy, happy holiday! From all of us, to all of you – a safe, healthy Thanksgiving. We are all truly grateful you choose to be part of our Silver Sage family. TEH
Photo credit by Krakenimages.
