-Henry David Thoreau
I think we all need to take a break from political bickering and generally bad news and roast a turkey. The turkey needs to be crispy skinned and quite juicy, and the accompanying stuffing (or dressing...according to location) needs to be moist, filled with veggies and sporting those crispy bits on top. The mashed potatoes need to have a TON of butter (forgive me this one time Dr. Levine) whipped throughout, and the gravy should be rich and liberally poured. Candied sweets, string bean casserole, roasted carrots and corn soufflé might be nice, and cranberry sauce needs the perfect mix of tang and sweet to round out the meal.
Then we get to dessert. Somehow as that Thursday in November draws near, all I can think of is pie. Arthur usually contributes a traditional pumpkin pie while I will produce the perfect pecan pie...the recipe straight from the light corn syrup bottle. Apple or cherry pie can contribute the requisite fruit part of dessert, and Beth’s amazing carrot cake covers after dinner vegetables in our feast each year. Several cookie varieties will round out this array of sweets, and we should all become catatonic as we swallow the last bite.
Next we need to enjoy quality time together with those we love. We used to have televised football games entertaining my troops, but I have a bit of a ban going on. Somehow what used to be a fun thing to cheer for has become a blood sport. Too many young men ending up with CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) makes my one time favorite sport pretty much unwatchable for me. Then when they started arguing over this whole taking a knee business, I decided to find other forms of entertainment.
Most importantly we forget the politics of disagreement and swallow our bitter words long enough to recognize our similarities and be thankful for everything that is good. The food on our tables and roof over our heads should be shared with open hearts and not policy differences. I took note last year that our Thanksgiving table included people of different races, cultures, sexual preferences and political choices, and that is what makes our lives interesting. When we share backgrounds and interests with each other we grow as individuals and our world becomes a more inclusive place.
It is time to stop taking another person’s political choice as a personal affront. I have been as guilty as the next person in judging others’ choices, and the time has come to respect other people’s political leanings and understand that they are much more than the candidate they support. They are the kind and intelligent people that they have always been, and I will not buy into the “us -vs- them” mentality that is so pervasive in our country at this time.
I get to pick up Mike from the airport this afternoon. He is staying until the Monday following Thanksgiving, and I am looking forward to lots of mother-son quality time. Since next week will be spent cooking, entertaining and enjoying family get-togethers, I won’t have time for reading/writing. Hopefully you will all be equally busy and never even miss my blog/review. We will be back on November 30 with a peek at Joseph Finder’s amazing new thriller.
This week I came across a book that I missed over a decade ago. I am a fan of Harlan Coben and never miss reading his newest offerings, yet The Woods passed me by in 2007. Luckily I found it this week, and it was a nice surprise.
As always a complete review of this book follows my blog.
Happy reading,
- Beverly