#i live for stuffing (and mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce and green bean casserole...)

[vaspider]

I can't tell you how fucking good my Thursday was. Like, I'm still processing it.

A few months ago, my cousin, the incredibly talented surgeon, got out of Burning Man right before people got stuck there. I had been checking her Facebook bc I was worried about her, even though we didn't talk much. She's half a dozen years younger than me, and her mom is my dad's baby sister.

I kind of dropped out of contact with most of my cousins when I went to college - I went off to be the weird one, the queer one, the one who didn't get a degree, while most of the rest of that generation... didn't do that. I accepted my status as "rainbow sheep" and figured me and my brother were all I needed.

It never really occurred to me that my cousins wouldn't be as judgmental as their mother. I just assumed they were all kinda looking at me out of the corners of their eyes, the same way their parents do.

My cousin M messaged me and asked if she could call, because Burning Man was the last on a long list of things which had gone wrong recently, and she needed someone to talk to who would understand.

We talked for three hours. Turns out that being the oldest of three in this family and either being or being assumed as a girl gives us an awful lot in common.

We talk pretty much all the time now in texts and on the phone. Turns out that her baby brother - who was 2 when I went to college - lives in town, and her sister just moved out here, too.

Then I found out she was coming up to visit her sister over the holiday and, with 48h notice, invited everybody to our house for dinner. No problem - I just put together turkey, fresh cranberry sauce, canberry sauce, stuffing, green bean casserole, cheese ball, biscuits, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, two kinds of fudge, all gluten-free, by keeping a running task list so anybody who was in the kitchen microwaving soup or whatever could scrub or chop something. I will always cook like the entire Jewish population of Portland might show up at a moment's notice.

All of which led to the moment after Thanksgiving dinner when M hugged Evie as they packed up to go and said, "Yay! More family!" after an afternoon of chatter and everybody pitching in to help finish dinner.

So like... reach out to your cousins, if you haven't talked to 'em much since you became adults. It might not work out.

Then again, it might.

[brainddeadd]

Thanksgiving

im australian.. i have 0 clue how thanksgiving works.. enjoy whatever this is

Thanksgiving with the New Jersey Devils was supposed to be a laid-back gathering—a few players, some food, and a chance to unwind mid-season. Of course, with Jack Hughes, Luke Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Dawson Mercer involved, it’s anything but peaceful. You knew chaos was inevitable the second Jack declared that he would “personally oversee” cooking the turkey.

“This thing is still frozen,” Jack grumbles, staring at the 20-pound bird sitting in the sink.

“You were supposed to take it out yesterday,” Nico points out, already exasperated despite it being only 11 AM. He’s peeling potatoes like a man possessed, determined to keep everything on schedule. His dedication to holiday traditions is impressive—and mildly concerning.

“What do we do now?” Luke asks, poking the turkey like it might come to life. He’s wearing an apron that says Kiss the Cook, but you doubt it’s been used for anything other than looking ridiculous.

You roll your eyes. “We should’ve just ordered pizza.”

Jack gasps like you’ve committed treason. “Y/N, this is Thanksgiving. We need turkey.”

Somehow, Jack convinces Dawson to try thawing the turkey in the bathtub, which immediately turns into a disaster when Dawson slips on the bathroom floor and soaks himself—and half the room—in cold water.

“This isn’t working,” Dawson groans, standing in the doorway with his drenched werewolf pajama pants sticking to his legs. “Who thought putting it in the tub was a good idea?”

“You did,” Luke points out, deadpan.

Dawson glares at him. “Details.”

Meanwhile, Jack’s trying to “speed up the process” by blasting the hair dryer at the turkey. You pinch the bridge of your nose, already regretting every life choice that led you here.

Nico, ever the responsible one, finally steps in. “Everyone out of the kitchen. I’ll handle the turkey before we end up with food poisoning.”

“I was doing a good job!” Jack protests, holding the hair dryer like a weapon.

Nico doesn’t even blink. “You were about to electrocute yourself.”

Jack sulks, but retreats to the living room, dragging you along with him.

“Come on, Y/N. We’re banned from kitchen duty.” He plops onto the couch dramatically, throwing an arm over his eyes. “Nico’s no fun.”

“Nico just saved your life,” you remind him, taking a seat next to him. “Be grateful.”

Jack peeks out from under his arm, grinning. “I’m grateful for you.”

In the living room, Dawson finds the football game on TV, Luke brings out snacks (mostly chips and questionable dip), and Jack makes it his mission to steal the best spot on the couch—right next to you, of course.

“This is way better than cooking,” Luke declares, stretching his legs across the coffee table.

You raise an eyebrow. “You literally didn’t cook anything.”

“Exactly,” Luke says with a smug grin. “See? Way better.”

About an hour later, the smell of roasting turkey fills the apartment, and the chaos shifts to the dining table. Nico finally manages to pull everything together—turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and a questionable green bean casserole that no one admits to making.

Jack grabs the carving knife, looking far too excited. “I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life.”

Nico groans. “Please don’t hurt yourself—or anyone else.”

Jack winks. “No promises.”

He saws away at the turkey with way too much enthusiasm, sending chunks of meat flying in every direction. One lands in Dawson’s lap, and the room erupts into laughter.

“Food fight?” Dawson suggests, raising an eyebrow mischievously.

“No,” you, Nico, and Luke say in unison.

Jack pouts. “You guys are no fun.”

Dinner itself is a whirlwind of bad jokes, bickering over who gets the drumsticks, and Jack trying (and failing) to convince you that cranberry sauce counts as a vegetable.

Nico, being the unofficial dad of the group, makes everyone go around the table and say what they’re thankful for.

“I’m thankful for this team,” Luke says earnestly, making everyone “awww” in unison.

“I’m thankful for Y/N,” Jack says next, nudging you with his shoulder. “She’s the best little sister-slash-teammate ever.”

You grin. “Right back at you, Spider-Man.”

Dawson, not to be outdone, declares, “I’m thankful I didn’t drown in the bathtub today.”

Nico shakes his head but can’t help smiling. “I’m just thankful no one set the apartment on fire.”

As the night winds down, you all settle back into the living room, stuffed to the brim with turkey and pie. Jack is sprawled across the couch, half-asleep with his head resting on your shoulder. Luke and Dawson are locked in an intense battle over the TV remote, trying to find the perfect post-dinner movie.

Nico leans back in his chair, watching the chaos unfold with a small, satisfied smile.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Y/N,” he says quietly, catching your eye.

You smile back, feeling warm and grateful despite the madness. “Happy Thanksgiving, Nico.”

And as Jack snores softly beside you, and Luke and Dawson continue their ridiculous argument over what to watch, you realize that this chaotic, goofy, wonderful group is your family. And honestly? You wouldn’t have it any other way.

[fafi-and-oblivia]

A quick note coming from Fafi on what Thanksgiving is, for those of you that don't celebrate it :] Thanksgiving is a holiday primarily celebrated in the USA and Canada. Its a meal where you come together with most commonly family but can also include friends as well. Its a time to give thanks and come together. Every family will do it differently and have different traditions but that's the basic description of the holiday. Anyhow enjoy!

THANKSGIVING WITH THE WHOLE BLOOMING PANIC GANG HCS

sal and his wife happily host everyone at their house

you, quest, nightowl, toaster, biglady, june, and even xyx show up in person

and everyone thinks onion isn't coming because of his lack of enthusiasm in the chats about the whole thing, but he shows up and surprises everyone

unfortunately two2 couldn't make it (his mom wouldn't let him 💀) but he hops on a facetime with someone so he can say hi to everyone

xyx is probably wearing a christmas sweater and sunglasses when he inevitably rolls in late

sal and his wife cook a lovely thanksgiving dinner but everyone else brings something to add

when everything is said and done, sal and his wife made a big turkey (and also a vegetarian roast!!), cranberry sauce and stuffing, quest brought mashed potatoes, biglady brings green bean casserole, xyx buys dinner rolls at the store, nightowl brings cookies, and june bakes like 3 pies

you bring enough drinks for everyone; cider, champagne, etc.

everyone sits around salo's dinner table (which surprisingly has enough room for everyone, but not enough chairs so some of yall have folding chairs or lawn chairs)

someone probably says grace based off of onion's insistence 

everyone digs in and banters throughout the meal, making the most of your time altogether 

quest is probably really nervously polite the whole time

he also probably scolds nightowl's table manners, which they all call him old for

you talk about work, school, the plane rides, love lives, plans for the future, and ofc bloomic 

sal tells everybody stories and you all listen intently and ask questions 

you crack jokes and talk as if you'd known each other your whole lives, as if you'd never been separated by thousands of miles and computer screens

you're pretty sure you even saw onion smile

and when everyone leaves the table that night, heading back to hotels and such, they leave feeling full; both their stomachs and their hearts

(Headcanon list made by Oblivia <3)

A (Early) Thanksgiving to Remember

This fic is placed after Toasty’s route, SO THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FOR BLOOMING PANIC. You can pick who you want to come with to the party, this will change a few things and how you interact with the LI (love interest), it’s implied that you live with your current LI in the fic. I will italicize and underline all the choices so you know where to click. That should be all, enjoy! :) -Fafi

Who did you come with to the Thanksgiving dinner?: (Click option to proceed)

Nightowl Quest Toasty Xyx

(If there are any complications with the links let me know -Fafi) (Edits made to story on(11/25/2023): fixed some link issues I found, apologies for the inconveniences! everything should work smoothly now <3 -Fafi)

[eva-knits12]

Thanksgiving with Chris Evans characters.

Steve Rogers:

Steve has never had a modern Thanksgiving, thanks to him being in the ice for so long.

He's impressed by a modern Thanksgiving.

Some foods confuse him.

What's a tofurkey?

is it some kind of weird food?

You explain that a tofurkey is for vegans.

Steve has NEVER heard of a vegan Thanksgiving.

Remember, veganism wasn't a thing when Steve was growing up in the 1920's and 1930's.

Thanksgiving doesn't feel complete without Bucky and Sam.

Sam brings his famous candied yams, which is really a family recipe.

Bucky brings his family's famous cranberry relish.

Your stuck cooking the meal while the boys watch the Lions and the Packers.

(I live in the Detroit area, and trust me, that game is HUGE around here, since the Detroit Lions actually started this tradition.)

You wanted to cook the meal with Steve, but with Bucky and Sam, that plan went out the window.

At least you can have wine while you cook the meal, so there's that.

The boys are drinking Sam Adams Oktoberfest while watching the football game.

Eventually, the dinner is finally ready, and everyone digs in-after Steve says the blessing.

Dessert is pumpkin pie with vanilla ice cream.

The dinner is eaten, and after the game, and after dinner, everyone plays Monopoly and Scrabble.

Beer and wine are drunk during both games.

You and Steve spend the next day watching movies in bed.

Screw going out on Black Friday.

Black Friday also confuses Steve, seeing as how Black Friday is a more recent thing.

Cyber Monday also confuses Steve.

Luckily, you and Steve have a whole DVR full of movies, so the computer, phones, and tablets are turned off from Thanksgiving to Sunday.

Thanksgiving is great.

Colin Shea:

Colin and Eva decide to just have a low key Thanksgiving at their house.

As much as it as about family and football, Colin and Eva just want to have a nice, chill Thanksgiving dinner at their apartment.

Which is good for the both of them, because Eva's having her period right now, feels crampy and bloated, and just wants to chill in bed or on the couch.

Colin and Eva sip wine and are cooking the turkey. The sides will be instant stuffing and instant mashed potatoes.

Along with ready bake rolls.

Colin cooks the dinner while Eva sleeps on the couch.

Colin sees and carries Eva bridal style back to the bedroom, and places her on the bed, then put the covers over her.

Colin cooks the rest of the meal, and then wakes Eva.

The dinner looks amazing and smells amazing.

Eva forgot about her cramps.

The meal is eaten, and the wine is drunk.

Colin and Eva have pumpkin chocolate cake for dessert.

Colin and Eva brush their teeth and fall asleep that night.

Andy Barber:

Andy usually cooks the meal.

He always cooked the meal, but when he was still married to Laurie, Laurie and Jacob just didn't care.

With you, it's different.

You, Joy, and Penelope are usually in your PJ's, curled up on the couch, and watching movies while Andy cooks.

You're checking your sugar, and Andy brings you snacks, and water and juice.

Andy LOVES cooking the Thanksgiving meal.

He LOVES cooking, period.

You and Joy drink water, while Andy drinks wine.

Penelope is happily sleeping in her infant swing.

You've already fed and burped her.

Joy loves the turkey, the green bean casserole, the cranberry sauce, and the rolls.

Penelope loves your milk.

For dessert, Andy made you a small pumpkin pie for dessert that's diabetic friendly.

You, Andy, Joy, and Penelope watch A Christmas Story and The Polar Express.

You and the girls fall asleep after The Polar Express is over.

Andy carries Penelope and puts her in her crib.

Andy carries Joy, and then helps her pee, brush her teeth, then carries her to bed, and tucks her in.

Andy reads The Polar Express to Joy.

Andy checks your Dexcom, and wakes you up.

Your sugar is really low, so Andy gives you a glass of juice and a granola bar.

He then checks your Dexcom again, and your sugar is back to normal.

Andy makes sure you check your Dexcom before going to sleep.

Andy and you both fall asleep.

Jake Jensen:

Thanksgivng? More like Gamesgiving.

You cook the entire meal, while Jake is busy playing video games.

But, you'll make up for it later when you binge watch all the Star Wars and Marvel movies this weekend.

Maybe that's too big a plan?

Nah, Christmas will be for watching Dr. Who and Harry Potter.

"Dinner already smells good, honey bun."

You are smiling while you're cooking, and sipping wine.

Okay, you're sipping it from the bottle, but still.

Since Jake proposed on your birthday, you can't wait to make the announcement to both his and your family.

Jake's niece and sister arrive, along with your brother and his family.

Jake's niece and your nephew are busy kicking the soccer ball that his niece brought outside.

The rest of the adults-with the exception of Jake-are watching the football game.

The dinner is finally cooked, and you and Jake announce that you're engaged.

The rest of the dinner goes by in a blur.

You and Jake go to sleep after everyone leaves.

Johnny Storm:

Johnny is on his best behavior.

He went from bad boy to becoming an adult since he met you.

He wants to make a good impression with your parents, since you're going home for the first time in a year.

Johnny is coming with you, and this is the first time he's meeting your family.

Johnny went to the local Kroger's and got wine, and even got flowers from a local florist.

You look at your engagement ring, and realize that you made the right choice.

Johnny has grown up a lot.

At dinner, you and Johnny announce the engagement, and that you're planning the wedding at Disney.

You announce that you got engaged at Disney.

Johnny wants to watch the game with your dad and your uncles, but your mom and your aunts kidnap him, and have to know every single detail.

You and Johnny tell the story of how Johnny put you on a scavenger hunt at Disney, and how you were given a clue from each character that lead you to Cinderella's castle.

A fun time is had by all.

Your cousin's kid want to play with Johnny.

You go back to New York on Monday.

Thanksgiving was great, and low key.

[she-karev]

Thanksgiving (Jolex and Luna Season 18 Imagine)

Age Rating: 12+

Chapters: One of One

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy

Ship: Alex Karev x Jo Wilson/Jo Karev

Other Ships: Andrew DeLuca x Amber Karev (Alex Karev’s Sister), Maya Bishop x Carina DeLuca.

Canon Episode: Season 18 Episode 6

AN: Happy Thanksgiving! I wanted to do a Thanksgiving dinner with everyone in my fandom gathered so I decided to do a rewrite of the Thanksgiving episode from season 18 with Jo and Alex still married with Luna as their daughter and them celebrating with their friends and family. Like and reblog below and let me know what you think.

Summary: Jo and Alex spend their first thanksgiving with Luna planning a dinner alone until unexpected guests come and join them when their own solo dinners go south.

Words: 2944

November 25th, 2021

“See that, Luna?” Jo tells her daughter as she traces her daughter’s tiny hand on the paper set on her highchair while Alex is in the kitchen with them preheating the oven getting ready to cook up a storm, “That’s a hand turkey. I know it doesn’t look like an actual turkey, but we just have to color it and put feathers on it.”

“It’s nothing compared to the actual turkey we’re gonna feast on.” Alex boasts tying his ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron around himself, “You can’t eat it but maybe the smell will make you see what’s so good about it. Plus, the mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce are soft enough for you to eat. Yep, it’s gonna be a great first Thanksgiving, Little Moon.”

“And we’ll have plenty of leftovers for the next three weeks.” Jo says with a smile looking at the ingredients Alex spread across the counter this morning.

Alex laid out recipes for the delicious stuffing, the sweet pumpkin pie, the tangy cranberry sauce, the mouthwatering gravy, the fluffy mashed potatoes, the buttery bread rolls, the succulent mac and cheese, and the savory green bean casserole. Jo looks at the pile of ingredients in their kitchen and wonders if it’s too much for their small family.

“Honey, I know that you love feeding us, but I think we should seriously consider just making a turkey and cracking open a can of cranberry because it’s just gonna be the three of us eating turkey today. Two technically since Luna is just gonna eat baby food.”

“Yeah, I thought about doing that too.” Alex starts with the frozen green beans and fills the saucepan with water, “And then Meredith called and said she was stuck in Minnesota due to the storm so she can’t be home for Thanksgiving with the kids.”

“Oh how awful.” Jo says sympathetically stroking Luna’s hair appreciating that she can spend this holiday with her, “I’m guessing the kids are gonna come here and that’s why we’re making such a big spread?”

Alex sets the pan on top of the stove turning it on to heat the water, “Close. Amelia is with the kids and she’s insisting that she can cook for all of them. I lived with her for almost a year, she could barely make spaghetti, so Meredith told me to prepare for the inevitable invasion of 3 kids that eat anything that isn’t nailed down.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine, maybe things won’t go south with her taking care of the dinner this year.”

Alex laughs at that, “Good one. Now I’m gonna start with the green bean casserole, do you want to start preparing the turkey?”

“Yeah.” Jo gets the turkey out of the sink and lays it on the table, “How hard can it be? I cut people open and after that I helped bring babies into this world a turkey should be cake.”

“You know it’s not actually cake right?” Alex teases pouring the green beans inside the pan causing Jo to smack his back with the kitchen towel smiling. The doorbell rings causing Alex to chuckle, “You see I told you; I should have made a bet. Can you get the door?”

Jo stands up and walks over to the door expecting to find an exhausted Amelia with the kids on the other side. She opens the door and sees four people but not the ones she and Alex were expecting. Her sister-in-law, Amber DeLuca nee’ Karev and her husband Andrew DeLuca look at Jo sheepishly. Andrew’s sister, Carina, and her wife Maya Bishop are next to them waving at the OB resident who looks surprised but grins at them and calls out to Alex.

“Alex four more settings at the table!”

“Happy Thanksgiving.” Amber says as she and her in laws enter the house each couple carrying a plastic wrapped bowl of their own. The four of them enter the kitchen to meet Alex who looks surprised by their sudden appearance as Amber told him she and Andrew were gonna have their own Thanksgiving dinner with Carina and Maya.

“You four aren’t the four I was expecting to barge in here.” Alex greets, “What happened to your small thanksgiving dinner?”

“It’s a really long story.” Amber answered with her husband scoffing, amused.

“It’s really not.” Andrew elaborates setting the bowl of mashed potatoes on the counter, “Your sister accidentally ordered a live turkey, and she was close to killing it.”

Full Story Here

Jo’s eyes widened at that, “Oh wow and I thought I heard it all working at the hospital during Thanksgiving. I can see why you came here, three against one is not good odds on murdering a turkey.”

Maya chuckles, “For the record I was almost on board with her but then my wife and brother-in-law suggested coming here or we kill the bird, and they would see us as cold blooded murderers.”

“You just gotta chop the head off, what’s the big deal?” Alex points out stirring his green beans.

“Thank you! I would have done it too, but I don’t want to be divorced before I’m 30 so I let my husband call the shots.” Amber says before going to Luna with a wide smile, “And how are you today my little turkey? Are you having fun today? I know your having much more fun than me because your gonna have a big dinner and I’m stuck with a big bird for a pet.”

Andrew chuckles at that, “Who were you guys expecting instead?”

“Amelia and Meredith’s kids.” Jo answers lifting Luna from the highchair to hold her, “Meredith can’t get a flight out from Minnesota so she’s missing Thanksgiving.”

Alex salts the pan with the green beans, “And Amelia is in charge of cooking for the kids today.”

“Oh god that woman is gonna burn the house down.” Andrew says scared knowing the chaotic neurosurgeon too well.

Alex chuckles at that, “No odds are she’s not even gonna turn the oven on until it’s dusk.”

Andrew grins at that seeing an opportunity, “Want to bet? Winner gets 20 bucks?”

“Oh, you are so on. Now help me prepare the turkey.”

Jo looks at her husband offended, “What? I thought I was preparing the turkey.”

“Honey, you know I love you but out of all of us DeLuca and I are pretty much the only ones that can actually cook.” Jo narrows her eyes at Alex who shrugs, “Hey I’m not one to look an Italian gift horse in the mouth. You can make the jello salad.”

“I uh brought some of my own.” Maya points out holding the bowl, “But I can kind of cook so maybe Jo and I can make the stuffing while Amber and Carina make the pumpkin pie.”

“As long as I get some turkey at the end of this you can make geoduck for all I care.” Alex says busy with his pan.

Maya furrows her eyebrows confused, “Isn’t that the one that looks like a-”

“Yes.” Amber answers before she and Carina go to the pantry to get the ingredients.

“Sorry your Thanksgiving is tuning out so poorly.” Jo says to Maya as they bend down the bottom pantries, “I’m sure a live turkey is not how you imagined your first real Thanksgiving with the family you married into.”

Maya grins, “No don’t be it’s already a better Thanksgiving than the ones I’ve had growing up believe me.”

“Let me guess traumatic childhood?” Jo asks knowing too well about that, “I am practically the queen of that. My childhood was such a trash dump I had to write the good things on little scraps of paper to remind myself they even happened. Then I would shove them into an old takeout box and read them on Thanksgiving between sad chicken nuggets.”

“Wow your right, you are the queen.” Maya takes the pie pan out and walks over to the circular table joining Carina and Amber, “You know I think this my first thanksgiving that didn’t have my dad throw something at the wall when an unexpected problem occurs. Like my mom getting the wrong ingredients or my brother forgetting to wash the dishes or me eating too much turkey on turkey day.”

“He sounds like a treat.” Jo says astonished at how horrible Maya’s dad sounds, “What about you Amber? Any horrific Thanksgiving stories you have on the table?”

“Not really.” Amber starts to open the can of pumpkin puree, “We couldn’t afford a turkey, or had a huge loving family to gather with but we did get pity dinners from the charity. Not so much dinners as more about to expire cans of food.”

“Oh yeah I remember those.” Alex reminisces as he drains the green beans, “What people donate to food drives is really the best character test in the world. No corn or mixed veggies those are for the normal people while we got kidney beans and sweet peas.”

“And do you remember that one year, you, me and Aaron ended up in foster care the month of November?” Amber asks pouring the pumpkin inside the bowl, “We got walkie talkies, snuck out Thanksgiving morning and spent the whole afternoon inside a movie theater sneaking into five movies I think.”

Alex chuckles at one of the few good memories of his teen hood, “Oh yeah. My foster parents sucked and ignored me, so I decided to do something fun to forget about why I was there. I think we saw Fight Club, Star Wars and The Blair Witch Project in that whole day.”

“Let me guess Amber picked Blair Witch?” Andrew asks with his wife sticking her tongue out at her teasing husband.

“Yep, and she stayed the whole movie while me and Aaron ran out within the first 30 minutes.” Alex grins at that before shifting to the DeLuca’s, “What about you guys? Did you have any unusual or traumatizing Thanksgiving traditions?”

“No.” Carina smiles, “We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Italy it’s more for Americans.”

“And that’s probably a good thing because our father would have ruined it like he ruined all the other holidays for us.” Andrew points out as he spreads the coating on the turkey, “My mom was very strict on me never conforming to American traditions so I wouldn’t forget where I came from. But I still love turkey, so I make an exception now and then.”

“Clearly not enough to let me cook that feathery animal on our front porch.” Amber reminds him with a sarcastic grin.

“Okay honey lets make a deal. The next time you accidentally order another live turkey I will let you chop it’s head off in our porcelain bathtub and help you prepare it.”

“Be careful she might just do it on purpose after you promise.” Jo suggests causing the group to laugh and keep preparing for their dinner.

Five Hours Later

“Thank you so much for having us.” Amelia says as she sets the table with Jo and Amber with Alex and Andrew setting the meals across the dining room table, “I wouldn’t want to impose but I managed to forget to turn the oven on with the turkey still inside and I didn’t want the kids to be even more depressed, so I suggested Thanksgiving at Uncle Alex’s and they exploded with excitement.”

Alex grins while Andrew groans quietly with a pained look hearing that he lost the bet, “We’re happy to have you and the kids and I’m even more happy to hear you didn’t burn the house down.”

Alex snaps his fingers holding his hand out to DeLuca who rolls his eyes but complies with their bet. He takes his wallet out and slaps a 20-dollar bill in his brother in law’s hand. Alex grins gloatingly, pocketing his win with Amelia looking at the men confused.

“We made a bet on what you would do that brought you guys to our house.” Alex explains, “I bet that you would leave the oven off.”

“And I bet that you would burn the house down.” Andrew says with regret.

Amelia looks shocked by that turning to their wives who are busy setting up the table, “You two married horrible people you know that right?”

“I knew that, but I love him anyways.” Jo says grinning at Alex who grins back.

“And I don’t want to be divorced before I’m 30.” Amber responds nonchalantly, causing Andrew to grin sarcastically knowing she’s only joking.

“Love you too Bella.”

Once they set the meals and plates the entire party gathers around the dining table set for 8 people. Meredith’s kids laugh and play Uno together in the small table Alex set up next to the main table designating it as the grownups table. The couples chat and laugh as they gather around for this holiday that proved to be hectic at first but ultimately led to them coming together to celebrate properly in their own improper way that is just right for each family.

Amelia and Link are seated next to each other with their son between them in his highchair. Maya and Carina are holding hands with Carina huddled up with her back against Maya’s front as they smile at the feast that exceeds their earlier expectations. Amber and Andrew are seated next to the DeLuca-Bishops with Andrew planting a kiss on Amber’s cheek that makes her smile. And the hosts, Jo and Alex are seated next to each other at the end of the table with Alex taking the head chair holding the turkey knife ready to cut it and eat it.

“Okay the moment we’ve all been waiting for, turkey!” Alex turns the electric knife on with a buzzing sound that brings joy to their guests ready for dinner. The turkey is passed around the table with each individual scooping stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, gravy, bread rolls, and mac and cheese. The entire table eats their dinner that is shared with casual conversation among them.

Link moans as he eats the casserole, “The one good thing about a pandemic stalling Thanksgiving is that it makes the meal that much more delicious.”

“Amen brother.” Andrew supports eating his wife’s lumpy mashed potatoes, “So since this is my first official Thanksgiving, is there a point in which we say what were thankful for this year?”

“I’ll go first.” Amelia says putting her fork down, “I am thankful for Alex for letting us come over and eat his turkey after I botched mine up.”

Alex chuckles nodding in appreciation with Link going next clockwise, “Um wow I didn’t have time to write a speech uh…I guess I’m thankful that I made the best baby ever in the middle of the worst year of all time because Scout made it bearable.”

The group awe at that sweet statement with Amelia stroking Scout’s hair as he is in a highchair next to his parents.

“Okay me next.” Carina sits up straight and clears her throat, “I am thankful for Maya. If I never met you bambina I would never know what it means to want to spend the rest of your life with one person who makes you feel all the love in this world.”

Maya smiles at that before chuckling nervously as she is next, “I was gonna say I’m thankful that I can eat this much without shame this year.”

The group laugh at that and Carina scoffs with an amused smile as Maya continues, “But that is tied with being thankful for Carina and getting her to propose to me and marry me and make me happy in a time that would otherwise drive me insane.”

Carina smiles at that and kisses her wife who smiles back at her.

“Nice save.” Amber commends before going next holding Andrew’s hand with a smile, “I am thankful that I got this sweet and handsome guy to be married to me for almost a whole year even despite my chaotic family and childhood baggage.”

“Seriously?” Andrew asks chuckling, “The first night we spent together you met my sister half naked just when she was about to sleep with my roommate. I think that night alone says I am messed up enough for you maybe even more.”

Maya clears her throat awkwardly, “Maybe don’t talk about my wife’s previous conquests in front of me. It’s like having a PowerPoint of all of her exes and their scorings in bed.”

“Schialla bambina!” Carina says with a smile before her brother goes next.

“I am thankful for Amber and somehow getting her to marry me. I love you Bella and no amount of chaos and baggage will ever change that.” Amber smiles at that before kissing him.

Jo goes next, “It’s easy for me, I am thankful for Alex and most of all I am thankful for Luna.” Jo caresses her baby’s cheek causing her to grin at her parents who look at her lovingly.

Alex goes next, “Well I for one am thankful for a lot of things. I’m thankful that this year is going better than the last. I’m thankful that even if Meredith isn’t here, we’re all here to celebrate together and will hopefully become a tradition for many years to come. And most importantly I am thankful for Jo and Luna because without them in my life…I wouldn’t even be half as happy as I am now.”

Jo smiles at her husband before kissing him above their baby’s highchair. They stop and get back to their first thanksgiving together as a family hoping it is the first of many to come.

[qveenofnoise]

I was gonna write an open all thanksgiving related but meh. so, a little jane bardot headcanon for you.

Jane Bardot is a holiday girlie, and that includes Thanksgiving.

Her mom, living her second life and thriving up in Chicago comes to Hawkins for Thanksgiving with her daughter, in Jane's grandmother's house, the same one she grew up in and was handed to in her Grandmother's will after she passed. They both go all out with dinner. Even making and baking pies together. One pumpkin, one apple and one peach. Sometimes Jane wants to get creative with a cheesecake she does by herself, different varieties and flavors year after year. They do the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes made from scratch, green bean casserole with the french's dried onion rings, yams with marshmallow topping — mainly for her mother's, Joy's, consumption. And, of course, Grandmother Jackie's recipe for honey cornbread muffins. Made from scratch gravy and ocean spray jellied cranberry sauce from the can to top everything off.

The invitation list for dinner is large, essentially asking any friend or neighbor to join if they don't have plans. Do not tell Jane that you don't have plans for Thanksgiving, she'll look at you as if you sprung a second hand, ask you to repeat yourself and then promptly invite you to dinner at her place and even if you make up an excuse, you're gonna get a plate and a slice of pie in your hands one way or another.

Oh, and if you're too stuffed to even move for the rest of the night? Jane and Joy are more than happy for you to spend the night and have breakfast in the morning. Don't worry, you'll be looked after.

Acts of service being Jane's love language? I don't know what you're talking about.....

( It is. )

[letmeplaytheliontoo]

Steve's Thanksgiving

I have had this idea since September and haven't had the time to write the whole fic but I wanted to put something out for today.

Thanks to @silkspiderstuff, @rae-gar-targaryen, and @mrshipsmcgee for letting me bounce ideas off them. This isn't edited so please be gentle with me. I should be cooking right now.

Steve decides he wants to host thanksgiving for the party a year or two after  the Vecna situation. It was resolved, everyone  lived,  don’t worry about details

Steve spend the early part of November in the Wheeler’s basement looking at Karen’s collection of recipe magazines and borrows her copy of Joy of Cooking

He wants to do this all by himself for everyone he loves.

Literally everyone says no to him doing it alone

Eddie and Robin spend the night before at Steve’s tearing up sage leaving and trying to help Steve defrost the bird and stay calm

Morning of, Steve wakes up to pounding on his door at 6:30 am, please picture him answering the door with his hair going every which way and wearing glasses

Hopper and Murray have shown up with cinnamon rolls made by Will and Joyce, all of the things needed to deep fry the bird, and enough beer to drown the town

Nancy and Jonathan show up next with the cornbread stuffing with all sorts of delicious things like onions and mushrooms and celery and craisins. There is plenty of it to go inside the bird as well as bake on its own

Please insert a scene of Nancy, Hopper, and Murray screaming about how to stuff/cook the bird while Jonathan, Robin, Eddie, and Steve look too tired to participate while they while quietly drink their coffee and eat the cinnamon rolls

Joyce brings her famous green bean casserole   

El and Robin make the mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows

Murray does a thing with brussels sprouts and balsamic glaze that would, low-key be the best dish on the table but this will hardly get eaten because brussels sprouts

Eddie has a recipe for mashed potatoes that he ripped from a magazine he saw at the store. These are some of the most garlicky, creamy, buttery mashed potatoes you have ever seen. They are truly terrible for your heart but too delicious for anyone to care.

Wayne makes the gravy on the stove top without saying a word but he’s smiling quietly, enjoying the large boisterous family his nephew has brought him into.

Lucas and Erica’s mom has sent them with the most incredible breaded mac and cheese

Erica has brought her own spicey sweet potato dish because she didn’t want any of that marshmallow nonsense

Claudia and Dustin bring three pies, one of them is chocolate

Max insists and making Pillsbury crescent rolls

Steve has a bit of freak out realizing he forgot about the cranberry sauce.

Nancy tries to placate him by telling him she picked up some that canned nonsense but not to worry about because no one likes cranberry sauce anyway

Steve is not having it. He will not settle for this. Things have gotten away from him. He let everyone else take control but damnit, he will not settle for this. His family deserves better than this. They deserve more than he got. He needs this dinner to be perfect and he needs for there to be real cranberry sauce.

Eddie holds Steve by the shoulders and says, you want real cranberry sauce, we will make real cranberry sauce

Joyce and Eddie help Steve make a lovely cranberry sauce with bits of granny smith apples and dried apricots and chopped pecans. It’s a smashing success and everyone loves it

Mike and Will are bashfully flirting while everyone is “distracted” (no one is that distracted. Everyone knows and they think it’s adorable)

Hopper makes Steve carve the turkey (with a little direction to assist him).

Everything is delicious and dinner itself is amazing.

A football starts in the back yard after dinner and Eddie joins under great pleading from Steve. Eddie didn’t need the pleading but he likes how cute Steve looks when he does it. One tackle results in a very cute Steddie make-out. Hopper teases them but he laughs

Mike and Will do the dishes together

Robin ducks out to meet up with Vicky after giving Steve and giant hug and congratulating him on a job well done.

Max and Lucas fall asleep cuddled up the couch

El and Erica are lying on the floor, trying to fight their food coma while White Christmas plays on the TV.

Claudia specifically fawns over Eddie and asks for his mashed potato recipe

She gets a little tipsy and gently hits on Wayne who is surprisingly smooth but a complete gentleman about it

Joyce pulls Steve aside to tell him how well it went and how glad she is that he wanted to do this.

At the end of day, Steve and Eddie are in bed together and Steve mentions how surprised everyone came together like that.

Eddie reminds Steve that of course his family would for him.

[tlbodine]

Thanksgiving is Gonna Be Weird: A Survival Guide for 2020

It’s 2020, the pandemic is worse than ever, and the holidays are right around the corner. No matter what, this is going to be a weird Thanksgiving for a lot of people. With travel restrictions in place and most of us having a mighty desire not to murder our friends and family by spreading around a disease, there’s a good chance that you’re going to be celebrating a bit differently this year. 

And, hey, maybe you decide not to celebrate at all. Which is perfectly valid! 

But maybe you’re staring down the possibility of your first Thanksgiving on your own, or feeding just the small group you live for rather than a big crowd, or some other unusual circumstance. And if that’s the case, I wanted to compile together some resources/ideas to help you out. I know this isn’t my usual horror fare, but...well, I hope it’s helpful, regardless. 

“Help, I’ve Never Made Thanksgiving Dinner Before” Starter Kit

Maybe you’ve always gone home for the holidays but are currently stuck in an apartment with a few roommates, and none of you have any intensive cooking skills. Maybe you always take the kids to Grandma’s house and have never had to contribute more than a side dish but now really want to do a proper Thanksgiving feast for your partner(s), kid(s) and whoever else lives in your house. 

Never fear! A Thanksgiving feast doesn’t have to be intimidating! In fact, Thanksgiving foods are usually pretty simple; the most challenging part of the whole feast is the project management aspect of working with a lot of different dishes and getting everything ready at once. But the smaller your crowd to feed, the easier that is! 

So, the first thing you’ll want to do is come up with a menu. Sit down and write a list of all the foods you normally eat and enjoy on Thanksgiving. If something is served at your family meal that you’ve never cared for, guess what? You can boot that bad boy right off the list! 

By and large, the standard Thanksgiving feast consists of: 

Roast turkey 

Mashed potatoes

Gravy

Some kind of dinner roll

Cranberry sauce

Some number of vegetable side dishes (often a green been casserole and a sweet potato casserole) 

Some kind of dessert (often/traditionally a pumpkin pie) 

I’ve linked above some easy & favorite techniques/recipes for all of these foods, but of course you can buy time-saving convenience items to get you rolling -- from potato flakes to gravy mix to premade pie. I won’t tell if you don’t. 

If there’s something you’re used to eating every year that you don’t know how to make....call whoever usually makes it! If at all possible, obviously, I’m not recommending you do a seance to talk to your dead great-aunt and get her rolls recipe. Just, like...phone up your friend/family member, get the recipe, and use it as an opportunity to connect. Odds are both of you are missing the human interaction. 

“Hey, That’s Nice, But I Live in a Dorm Room”  Edition 

Okay, okay, I get it. You’re away at college and can’t get home to see your family safely and you’re living in some kind of weird socially isolated dorm situation where you have limited access to cooking implements. Or, shit, idk, maybe you’re couch-surfing or living in a motel or otherwise not in possession of a full kitchen. 

I got you, fam. 

Do you have at your disposal a microwave? Rice cooker? Even an electric kettle will work! 

If you have some way to boil water, you can make instant mashed potatoes, gravy, and stove-top stuffing. If you have a microwave, you can steam some vegetables and bake a sweet potato. For dessert, core an apple, stuff the cavity with brown sugar + cinnamon + butter and nuke in the microwave for 4 minutes. 

It’s hypothetically possible to microwave a turkey, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Instead, I’d opt to buy a deli roast chicken (about $5 at most grocery stores), or even just some turkey deli meat. Alternatively, ham usually just needs to be warmed rather than cooked, and you can buy a big ol’ ham steak at the store for a couple of bucks. 

“I’m Dead Broke Because COVID, Send Help” 

You know the great thing about Thanksgiving food? It’s cheap. No, really! It can be, anyway, especially since a lot of foods go on sale. 

In my area anyway, the local Wal-Mart and Smith’s Grocery have: 

A can of green beans for about 79 cents

A bag of instant mashed potatoes for about $1 

A big can of yams for about $1, or fresh yams for 50 cents/lb (usually a couple sweet potatoes = 1lb) 

Canned corn or peas + corn for 50 cents, or steam-in-bag veggies of your choice for $1 

Stovetop stuffing for $1 or sometimes even 50 cents per box 

Margarine for 79 cents to $1 

Gravy mix packets for 50 cents each

A can of cranberry sauce for $1 or less

Most of these are also available at Dollar Tree! 

A lot of food banks will also be giving out turkeys this time of year, and some grocery stores will give you a free turkey if you spend $50 or $100 on groceries or whatever. Do you have an older relative who needs groceries? Ask if you can go buy their food and deliver it to their door (contactless!) and keep the free turkey.

You can pretty easily feed a group of 4-6 for $20 or so, especially if you’re willing to be flexible on your protein. And what are you doing feeding more than 6 people in the middle of a pandemic, huh? 

“I’m Used to Hosting a Big Dinner But There’s Only Like Three Of Us Living In This House WTF How Do I Scale This Shit Down” 

Maybe you are a Thanksgiving veteran. Maybe you’re accustomed to hosting for a big crowd and cooking a small meal just seems dumb and pointless. I feel you. This is my life right now! But don’t despair! 

The way I see it, you’ve got a couple-three options: 

Option One: 

Cook your turkey + a different side each day, and eat your Thanksgiving feast spread out over a week or so. It’ll keep your leftovers from dominating your fridge, let you eat something fresh, and allow you to enjoy all your favorite recipes. Downside is you’ll have to cook every day, so you tell me if you’re too busy to do that. 

Option Two: 

Cook everything that you normally would, but portion off half of it or whatever to stuff into your freezer, or go deliver it to somebody else’s door. The odds are pretty good that you’ve got a friend or family member who is freaking out about the holiday, and if you can’t see them in person, you can at least drop food off on their porch and then honk aggressively/cheerfully from the safety of your car! 

Option Three: 

Make something different this year. If you’re a foodie, take this as an opportunity to challenge yourself to create something high-maintenance and weird that you wouldn’t normally make. This is a good choice if you’re off work and stuck in your house with nothing else to do. Basically you’re subbing out quantity for quality so the meal still feels special and unique even if it’s, y’know....just you and your cat, or whoever. 

PS: Roasting a whole chicken or a cornish game hen is a fun, small-scale way to get your bird-in-the-oven experience. You can also buy a turkey breast and just cook that, which will be a lot faster than the whole bird anyway. 

"I’m An Essential Worker And I’m Working Thanksgiving And Have No Time To Do ANYTHING, What Now?” 

Dude, I get it. And whether you’re a doctor, nurse, grocery store employee, or whatever other essential service-worker, my heart goes out to you because hoo boy this year has been shit, hasn’t it? I can’t do anything about the hazard pay situation, but I CAN tell you that there are a few places offering delivery-based Thanksgiving meal options! 

You might want to search around a bit for your specific area. Cracker Barrel, Marie Callendar’s, Boston Market, and other types of branded “home-cooking” type restaurants tend to have some kind of Thanksgiving thing. Why not call your local restaurant fav to see if they’re doing something similar? Most restaurants are desperate for a way to stay afloat right now, so a ton of places that don’t traditionally deliver are offering curbside service now. It’s worth a try! 

So, there you have it. 

I hope some of these tips taught you something new, pointed you to a helpful resource, or gave you some ideas. More than anything, I just want everybody to be safe and happy this holiday. So, please -- get creative, wear your mask while you’re shopping, avoid the get-togethers, and be careful. You may save a life! 

[sdottkrames]

Five Little Turkeys

@comfortember prompt 17: Flashbacks

Summary: Five Iron Fam Thanksgivings Past + 1 Present

Notes: Happy Thanksgiving!  Even if you don't live in the US and don't celebrate, I hope you take a little time to think of something you're grateful for and appreciate it. I am so very very thankful to all of you! and a special Thank You goes to @baloobird for always believing in and inspiring my writing, to @an-odd-idea for tagging me in fun things and for beta reading some stuff for me, and to @littlemissagrafina for leaving the absolute best comments and to every other friend I’ve made in this wonderful fandom. I love you all.

Read on AO3: Here

Five little turkeys standing at the door,

One waddled off, and then there were four.

____________________________________

May Parker had never hosted thanksgiving before.

Maybe that was a good thing, because she’d already managed to ruin the mashed potatoes, which resembled concrete more than anything, and burn the green bean casserole past recognition.

At least Ben was having more luck with the turkeys and gravy, and that was the most important part, right?

Right?

Oh goodness, this is going to be a disaster. I never should’ve agreed to host Ben’s family.

At least baby Peter’s gonna be here.

Staving off tears and chanting more positive things to herself in her head, May turned her attention to something she knew she could do: opening a can of cranberry sauce and dumping it in a festive pumpkin shaped bowl. Then she grabbed the homemade rolls Ben had made that morning and put them carefully in a basket with a pretty white towel to cover them.

Ben came up behind her, surprising her as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Smells amazing,” he murmured in her ear.

May giggled despite the tears that threatened again. “Well, maybe it’s the ruined potatoes, or the burnt green beans.”

Ben spun her around, tenderly kissing her. “I wasn’t talking about the food, babe.” May blushed. “Besides, I’ve already called my mom, and she’s gonna buy more potatoes on her way to make a fresh batch, and we’ve got plenty more cans of green beans to make the casserole again. We’ll be just fine.”

Goodness, May loved this man. She told him so as she kissed him again, and again, and again.

May opened the door to her husband’s family and inhaled a steadying breath as she took in the five of them standing there. She focused on their genuine smiles and kind eyes.

I can do this.

Once hugs and warm greetings had been exchanged all around and a new batch of potatoes had been made, the others put their offerings on the beautifully laid table. What May Parker lacked in the cooking department, she made up for in the decorating department, and the table was stunning, and the food even tasted better than May had hoped. However, it quickly became apparent that it didn’t really matter what food had been made. Little 14-month-old Peter was the star of the dinner.

It was hard for him not to be with the chubbiest of cheeks and the sweetest of smiles. All eyes were on him as he tried turkey for the first time, then stuffing, and cranberry sauce. He was more interested in mashing the food with his fingers...until pumpkin pie. The little boy’s eyes widened as the sweet dessert hit his taste buds, and he eagerly made grabby hands for more. All the adults giggled along as he shoved another bite into his mouth, clumsily holding his spoon.

Ben was right, May thought. Everything is just fine.

She looked around again, her eyes lingering on her husband, who smiled back at her.

More than fine.

________________________________________

Four little turkeys sitting near a tree,

One waddled off, and then there were three.

_________________________________________

Tony stared at his phone, trying and failing to keep the disappointment off his face. It seemed to fill him, all the way from his toes to the top of his head, accumulating into a grey cloud that dumped great drops of homesickness all over him.

He’d been looking forward to Thanksgiving. He wasn’t all that excited to see his father, of course, but he and his mother did get along, and he missed her. It was his first year at college, and he hadn’t seen his mother in nearly three months. He couldn’t wait to sit and play piano with her, hear her singing, feel her hugs. His mom had also promised him that his Uncle Jarvis and Aunt Anna were going to be there, and he was beyond excited to see them too. All that excitement turned sour in just one text.

I’m sorry it said.

Sorry sorry sorry. Always sorry.

He should’ve known his father would ruin plans. Should’ve never gotten his hopes up. His parents were traveling (again) and taking Jarvis with him. There would be no thanksgiving.

Tony resigned himself to spending the holiday by himself, hoping to see his mom and the Jarvises at Christmas. He started unpacking and putting everything away.

Then his roommate walked in.

“What’re you doing?” James Rhodes- Rhodey, as Tony had dubbed him their first week together- said.

“My parents are traveling. I won’t be able to go home,” Tony answered flatly. “I’ll be staying here for thanksgiving.”

Rhodey didn’t hesitate. “Oh, no, you won’t. Pack your stuff, Stark. You’re coming to the Rhodes house.”

“You don’t have to do that, really. I’m alright staying here. I’m honestly used to it! I prefer to be alone, actually.”

Tony tried to keep his cavalier persona firmly in place, playing the situation off. But he should have known that Rhodey wouldn’t buy it. From day one, his roommate had been able to see right through Tony and his bullcrap and been able to call him out on it.

Rhodey arched an eyebrow, placing a hand on his hip. “Uh huh. That why you’re sitting here moping?”

“I’m not moping!”

“I can practically see the storm cloud above your head!”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Fine. Well, are you sure your mom-”

Rhodey placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder, cutting him off. His dark eyes were serious. “My momma would have my head if she knew I let you stay here by yourself. I’ll let her know to expect you, but trust me when I say that it won’t be a problem.”

Tony took a deep breath and placed the shirts and bag of toiletries he’d unpacked back into in his small duffle while Rhodey called his mom.

“She said you better come, and expect to bring home at least three Tupperware full of left-overs.”

And so Tony found himself sitting around the table with Roberta Rhodes, Lila Rhodes, and his roommate. He hadn’t expected to be treated like family so quickly, but it was clear that’s exactly how they viewed him as the chatted and passed him turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Later, the Christmas tree cast a warm, happy glow over the four individuals laying around the living room in various stages of consciousness, their full stomachs lulling them into a contented stupor. Tony was surprised the tree was up so early, but he was glad it was. It’s branches were laden with ornaments that clearly held stories (like the handmade snowflake one that featured a picture of a young James Rhodes wearing the ugliest sweater Tony had ever seen, grinning ear to ear without any front teeth), so different from the sterile red and white decorations that went on the tree at his home every year.

The warm light and company seemed to fill him with happiness and contentment all the way from his toes to his head, accumulating into bright sun rays around him like a halo that warmed every part of his soul.

It was the best thanksgiving he’d ever had.

________________________________________

Three little turkeys with nothing to do,

One waddled off, and then there were two.

_________________________________________

The first year is the hardest Tony had heard it said.

It gets easier people promised.

Well, so far, it had been the hardest year, but Tony didn’t think it was going to get any easier after the one year mark.

His parents were dead. Killed. Gone. Right before Christmas.

At each new “first” without them, Tony found himself turning more and more to the bottle, saw his roommate and best friend become more and more concerned, his grades more and more in danger.

Tony had refused Rhodey’s offer to come be with him for thanksgiving. He loved them, but he couldn’t stomach being around a family.

His family, because the Rhodes’ were almost more family than his own parents had been.

Maybe that’s why it was so hard.

So on yet another first- the first thanksgiving without them- Tony woke to a dull grey sky outside his window. Bare trees, brown leaves, and dead grass further matched his mood. It was another day to be drained from his memory, drowned out by the buzzing in his skull.

He was heading to grab a beer for breakfast (totally healthy, he knows) when a knock on the front door had him changing course from the kitchen to the entranceway of his apartment.

He had to grip the doorframe to keep from falling over when he saw who was on the other side.

“Jarvis?”

“Hello, Sir,” the man said with a kind smile, but he couldn't quite cover up the concern in his eyes.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, Anna and I thought you might like some company today. Our neighbor gave us a turkey that is much too large for just the two of us, so we thought you might come help us eat it.”

Tony knew Jarvis well enough to know that it wasn’t really a question. Jarvis wasn’t leaving without him. And, really, Tony couldn’t refuse even if he had the energy or desire to.

“Okay.”

Later that night Tony hugged them both goodbye, a stomach full of good food softening the sadness that had gripped him earlier that day. After Jarvis dropped Tony back off at his apartment, Tony paused as he was heading up the stairs, and turned around.

“Jarvis?” The man looked up from putting the car in gear. “Thank you. And Anna, too.”

Jarvis’ face softened. “Anytime, sir.”

And as Tony went to bed, he grabbed a beer out of habit, but thought twice before putting it to his lips.

Maybe it was okay to feel sometimes.

He dumped the beer down the sink and threw away the bottle.

___________________________________________

Two little turkeys in the morning sun,

One waddled off, and then there was one.

___________________________________________

The bright sun woke Peter up. He wandered blearily into the living room, and was surprised to find his aunt already awake, holding a cup of steaming coffee.

“Hey, baby,” she murmured, holding out her arm for Peter to snuggle under.

He didn’t need to ask about the red rim around her eyes, or what she was doing up so early. The space on the side of the couch from her was too conspicuously empty, the two places already set at the table too obviously missing a third, the hole in their heart too Ben-shaped to be ignored.

“I’m sorry,” Peter whispered, again, the guilt eating him as it always had, but especially on holidays.

Once May had found out about Spider-Man, Peter had finally cracked one day and told her the real details of Ben’s death after a particularly bad nightmare about the night featuring rain that was red like blood and gunshots echoing all around him. He’d sobbed and sobbed, begging her to forgive him. She hadn’t even thought about it. She’d wrapped her arms around Peter, hugged him as tight as she could, and whispered over and over again that it wasn’t his fault.

But hearing it and letting himself believe it were two completely different things. Peter didn’t feel like he deserved May’s forgiveness. It was his fault that they were awake at 6 AM, watching the sun rise, and missing part of them.

“No,” May said, her voice firm but her hand very gentle as she pulled back to place it on Peter’s cheek. “No. None of that. Ben would not want us sitting here, moping away on his second favorite holiday.”

Peter chuckled at that, remembering how his uncle would always insist that if he weren't already a religious man, he might start his own church dedicated to food. Thanksgiving was almost as holy to him as Christmas.

“Remember that year he made cupcakes that looked like turkeys? With the little candy corn feathers? You couldn’t eat it cause the turkey was ‘looking at you’?”

They both chuckled, snuggling together again.

“Or that time you tricked us with that stupid microwave turkey thing and he called in a panic, screaming for you not to do it?” May laughed.

“Oh! what about that time he laughed so hard, eggnog came out of his nose?”

They continued to remember and honor the man they were missing. As the sun rose and lit their apartment, the memories of thanksgiving’s they’d shared lit their hearts.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” May whispered, remembering her husband’s words from years earlier and taking solace in them once more.

“Yeah,” Peter murmured. “It will. Thanks, May. I’m so grateful I have you.”

“You, too, kiddo. More than you know.”

__________________________________

One little turkey better run away,

For soon it will be Thanksgiving Day.

__________________________________

Peeling potatoes was a mindless task, and Tony found that to be a very not good thing.

It meant his mind had time to wander and think about...things. Like Peter, and May, and the thousand others who weren’t celebrating Thanksgiving for yet another year. Though it had been four years since Thanos, Tony still found his mind wandering every holiday, thinking about and dwelling on the people who were unable to celebrate.

Especially one very specific person. The most important one, really, at least to Tony. And Tony hadn’t even been able to tell him.

To make up for lack of words shared in life, Tony found time every holiday to talk to Peter. Found a little private space that was quiet and secluded and talked to his kid. His kid. It had taken that kid’s death for him to finally admit it, but that’s what Peter had been to Tony. Pepper knew what he did even though he hadn’t told her, and he had a feeling she purposely kept Morgan busy to give him that quiet time.

Tony placed the last peeled potato in the bowl and turned to his wife. Her face softened at the look on his face, and she nodded, gesturing to the back door.

Tony squeezed her hand before walking out the door and to the group of small birches by the lake that he’d chosen for this purpose. He called it Peter’s Place. He was working on a sign for it.

“Hey, Pete,” he whispered, sitting on the ground and leaning up against his favorite tree. “Happy thanksgiving, bud. Another one without you, and I gotta say, it doesn’t get easier. But it gets...different. I hope you know I’m thankful for you. Thankful that you opened my heart to having kids, that you let me get my fumbling attempts at parenting so when Morgan came I had a better grasp on how it worked. I’m thankful for you teaching me about memes, for the movie and lab nights, for your smile and hugs.” He paused to wipe his eyes. “Geez, you made me soft. Anyway, I just wanted to come out and say my piece as usual. I love you, kid. I hope you know that.”

He took a minute to compose himself before heading back to the house. He didn’t make it all the way in before the door opened and a little body was running towards him.

“Oh no! A monster,” he cried, running the other way, smiling as Morgan’s laughter peeled behind him. He ran slowly, letting his 3-year-old daughter catch up to him on her tiny legs. She grabbed his leg, and he theatrically fell to the ground, rolling and taking her with him.

She giggled, and he placed a kiss on her cheek, then another, then another, keeping her happy laughter ringing out.

Morgan was a bright spot in his life, the light that, along with Pepper, chased the darkness of his failures away and reminded him that despite all he’d lost, there was still so much to be thankful for.

And Peter would want him to be happy, to live, to be grateful and positive. That’s how he’d lived, after all.

So Tony kissed his daughter twice more, one for her, and one for his other kid.

“I love you,” he whispered to them both.

______________________________________

Soon it will be Thanksgiving day

______________________________________

Peter could hardly contain his excitement.

May laughed at him as she put the mashed potatoes (that Peter had made, with May “helpfully” giving tips and pointers...mostly to make him laugh) in a tin to bring with them to the Starks.

“Peter, calm down or I will intentionally make this take so much longer,” she threatened.

“But Maaaaay, I’m HUNGRY.”

“Yes, and I told you to eat something for breakfast. And did you?”

Peter mumbled something unintelligible.

“What was that?”

“No. I wanted to be hungry for turkey! And potatoes! And pie!”

“Peter, please,” she groaned, good naturedly. “Go get one of the super bars from the cabinet so your stomach doesn’t start digesting itself and so I don’t have to deal with you complaining the entire way to the lake house!”

“Fine,” Peter sighed, and dramatically went to grab a granola bar as requested.

“Grab two!”

Peter did, and waved them pointedly in front of her face. May laughed. “Okay, okay. Eat them, and let’s get out of here!”

They passed the time by belting Christmas carols on the ride down, laughing and dancing, and soon they were there. Peter carried the potatoes in and put them down on the counter so he could accept a hug from Morgan, who ran and jumped as high as she could, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“Petey!!! Happy Thanksgiving!” She shouted, placing a kiss on his cheek.

“Hey, Mo,” he said, smiling. “Happy thanksgiving.”

The little girl placed both her hands on either side of his face, very seriously looking into his eyes. “Peter, I am thankful for you.”

Peter couldn’t help but chuckle a little at her dramatics, even though his heart was swelling from her words. “Well, thank you. I’m grateful for you too!”

Her mission completed, Morgan squirmed to go give May a hug, so Peter turned to Pepper. She was wearing an apron with little turkeys all of it, and was rolling dough for rolls into balls to be placed in the oven once the turkey was done.

He placed a kiss to her cheek. “Happy Thanksgiving, Pepper!”

“Happy thanksgiving, sweetie!”

“Where’s Tony?”

Pepper’s face . “He’s out back. Why don’t you go find him. I’m sure he’ll be happy to know you’re here.”

Peter found Tony by the lake in a little grove of trees.

“Tony?”

“Hey kid,” Tony said, and something about his voice made Peter pause. He glanced around and saw a little sign that said Peter’s place. He looked quizzically at Tony. “I came here every holiday to talk to you while you were...gone. I guess old habits die hard. I couldn’t not come here today.”

Peter blinked back tears. “Wow,” he said, unable to find more eloquent words.

“Pete, you know I love you, right? And that I’m grateful for you?”

Peter’s voice wouldn’t form the words, couldn’t make sound come out through the lump of emotion in his voice. He settled for hugging Tony instead.

“Yeah,” he said finally. “You know I feel the same, right?”

Tony hugged Peter tighter. “Yeah, kiddo, I do.”

They stayed there for a little while, just holding one another, basking in each other’s love and the intense gratitude of being able to be together again that seemed to overwhelm them.

Eventually, Tony let out a watery chuckle. “Geez, today’s supposed to be a happy day. I blame you for making me all emotional!”

Peter nudged Tony with his elbow. “Rude, old man!”

And the two, still linked together by arms thrown over shoulders and around waists, headed back to the house.

As Peter looked around the table as they all sat down, the Starks, May, even Happy and Rhodey, he allowed himself to be a little bit sappy. This was what Thanksgiving was truly about, anyway: family. And he really couldn’t express how grateful he was for each and every one of them, including the ones he’d lost. He closed his eyes and mentally committed the moment to memory.

“Happy thanksgiving, everyone!” He said, raising his glass.

“Happy thanksgiving!” They called back.

And it was. It really was.

[gregheeres]

Less is more

Years ago I was reading the local newspaper and in the comic section was a simple cartoon of a chubby man named Lester standing on a scale. The caption said, “Les is More.” Of course this was a picture following the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, where many of us gain (a few!) holiday pounds. 

Less is more is a good sentence to ponder. The obvious implication is about weight gain, but it easily could apply to having less in your life that would allow you to live more. Having margin in your life allows for more of the good things—the important things you are supposed to be doing.

Margin is something during thanksgiving dinner that one can’t find around the dinner table. Plates are full of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams, stuffing, rolls and butter, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce. And don’t get me started on the desserts! 

Sadly, after that margin-less plate of delicious food one, we have little left to show for it (except those pesky holiday pounds). 

Human nature likes to be busy but not over stuffed. We need margin in our life to add or expand when the right opportunity knocks. One Thanksgiving my grandpa scooped lots of food on his plate. He left zero room. You couldn’t even identify the design on the nice dish. Then he noticed one of his favorite side dishes: homemade applesauce with cinnamon. He grunted with disappointed that he hadn’t left any room on his plate for his favorite treat. 

As a leader, I worked and lived too many years with little or no margin. Perhaps you too have kept adding to your proverbial plate. It just gets heavier and heavier, and the pile of stuff keeps growing and growing. Eventually something has to give. We drop things because our plate is too full. In other words, we can’t handle our leadership responsibilities well because of all the stuff that’s hindering us. 

So here’s my leadership challenge for you this month: Find and protect your margin before you make a mess or miss out on something important. 

[desperationandgin]

Deep As The Road is Long (Part 1, Chapter 8)

Rating: Slightly Mature

Also Read On: AO3

A/N: I promise, this is the 8th chapter in 28 chapters. The journey is a long one. I hope you’ll trust me.

Read Previous Chapter

November 2015

Thanksgiving, as cobbled together by two non-Americans, turns out not that badly. It wouldn’t have happened at all if Faith hadn’t been captivated by commercials on television, but the ads for the Macy’s Parade clenched it. For as passionate as she’d been about Halloween, she’s just as enthusiastic about Thanksgiving. Together, father and daughter looked up traditional foods and they needed to have turkey, that was a given they decided together. Jamie let her pick whatever else she wanted and by the time he was done writing a list (dressing, not stuffing, because stuffing in the bird was too weird, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie), he’d realized it was too much food. He ordered everything because he couldn’t cook it all in the small apartment but nevertheless, it was too much food.

Naturally, he’d had to call Claire and invite her to dinner.

The night before, Faith couldn’t sleep at all. They’d picked up the food and he was right - it was more food than he’d even imagined. She’d said plenty of times that there was enough for everyone back home and for a while they talked about when they could go home again. He’s glad she wants to be back at Lallybroch, but hates not knowing what it would do to him and Claire. He likes her; more than likes her, really. It’s something he didn’t consider for himself again, and with Faith being sick, he hadn’t thought there was room for any feelings other than fear, sadness, and guilt.

It changed one day while she was adjusting an IV. Jamie stepped out of the room, just to give Jenny a small update over the phone and when he looked back in through the window, he’d watched Claire. Watched the way she laughed freely with Faith, the tender kiss she’d placed to the side of her head while hugging her. He watched the way Faith brightened to see Claire and something shifted in him. Claire Randall didn’t just care. She truly loved these children, and he knew then that someone this giving deserved to be loved and cared for in return.

Of course, he had no idea then if he was the right person for it. He still doesn’t know and he might not be, but he’s decided to do his best, while he can.

The promise of a parade and seeing Santa Claus has been too much for Faith to bear, so they’re up early, coffee brewing for Jamie as he gets her settled on the couch with the parade on. He smiles at every exclamation (It’s Sesame Street! Da, look, a Dora balloon!) as he sits on the couch beside her and watches. He watches her face, the way she bobs her head along to a few songs she may or may not know. It’s less interesting the fewer bits she understands or recognizes, and after not sleeping at all the night before, she falls asleep during a Broadway performance (School of Rock). Jamie lets her sleep until the very end, then gently wakes her so she can see Santa. It makes her so happy, something so small, and he answers all of her questions the best he can about how Santa will find them all the way in America. (He already sent Santa an email about it, so it’s fine, he promises.)

Shortly after the parade ends and some sort of dog show begins, Claire arrives, arms loaded with more food that has Jamie eying her as he relieves her of the load. “Did ye no’ hear me when I said we have enough here to feed an army?” he asks with a barely suppressed smirk.

“I heard you, but this is my first time to really celebrate an American Thanksgiving, too. I heard rumors of sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top and that’s too odd sounding not to try. And I thought we might as well have a pecan pie. Tradition, Jamie,” she says with a faux ‘tsk.’

After he helps her put things down in the kitchen, his lips press to her forehead, then her lips.

“Where’s my little greeter?” Claire asks, only realizing now that there was no shout of happiness to see her.

“Oh, asleep. She didna sleep much last night, then woke up earlier than the Almighty Himself to see the parade.” It hadn’t even started yet, but what could he possibly deny that little girl? “Which means I have ye all to myself for now,” Jamie murmurs before kissing her again with his hands at her hips. His tongue seeks permission to taste, and when her lips part there’s a low groan of approval into her mouth. Slowly, he presses her against the fridge, one hand wandering up and down her side now before slipping under her shirt.

“Feeling me up in your kitchen?” Claire asks with a grin against his mouth.

“Too much?”

There’s a laugh now as she kisses him again, pulling back briefly. “No, not at all. Very romantic. Just you and me and the turkey.”

He laughs into their next kiss and his hand resumes its travel, fingers lightly ghosting over her stomach before cupping her breast, dragging his thumb across a nipple even through the fabric. He can feel her shiver and in a way, it isn’t fair. They certainly aren’t going to do much more than this with Faith asleep on the couch, and Jamie raises his head to look at Claire and the way her cheeks have flushed with want. “We should…” He swallows, drawing his hand away and holding onto her over her clothes now.

“Right,” she breathes out, hands relaxing from the way they’d been gripping the back of his shirt.

There’s an offer for her to stay overnight on the tip of his tongue, but it’s been such a long time, for both of them, and he isn’t sure he’s ready. Parts of him certainly are, but taking her to his bed and making her fall apart with their clothes still on are two very different things. With the lack of invitation comes something else; one thigh between her legs as he kisses her again and drinks her moan. He relishes the feel of her hands back at his shirt, tugging downward desperately.

“Jamie...”

“I changed my mind. Christ, I want to see ye fall apart again,” he breathes out, encouraging her to use him, to use the friction. When she begins to grind against him shamelessly he groans and a hand moves back under her shirt as his lips press to the side of her neck in heated open-mouthed kisses.

There’s just enough pressure that she has to rock with no restraint as she concentrates on the sparks of pleasure that blossom low in her belly. She can feel it when she has the perfect spot, but it isn’t enough friction. It’s maddening, so before she can think about it, really, she gasps out one simple two-word command. “Touch me.”

Jamie’s head rears back almost comically fast as he looks at her, trying to be sure of what she said. Her eyes open slowly, and God the arousal has blown them wide; he knows by looking at her that he heard correctly. With her permission, his hand carefully moves to the button of her jeans, the zipper, working them both enough that he can slip his hand beneath the denim and fabric of her underwear. The moment his fingers touch her flesh he grunts, low in the back of his throat, to feel how wet she is.

Her reaction is slightly more, body jolting as if kissed by lightning. She’s not quiet by nature but she’s trying, pressing her lips together tightly while he touches and she jerks into his hand, fingers finally circling and stroking exactly where she needs him. “There, right there,” she gasps, holding onto him, pressing her face to his neck. He moves faster and the pleasure turns from simmering to explosive in a matter of seconds as she comes apart, letting out a sob of relief that’s muffled by his neck.

After a solid minute goes by, Jamie moves his hand, softly kissing her lips now. “That’s what I wanted to see,” he murmurs, turning his head to let his nose nuzzle against the side of hers.

Once she can breathe again, Claire takes a deep breath and pulls back, looking at him and exhaling contently. “How did I know you’d be good with your hands?”

The resulting laugh is a little too loud and it rouses Faith, but it doesn’t matter now. While Jamie cools off in the kitchen, Claire goes to join the other part of her company on the couch, happily wrapping her up. Not long after, the three of them sit to eat together, trying the new foods, deciding that cranberry sauce is delicious mixed into the dressing, the burnt marshmallows are terrible, and pie is really all that matters. They eat enough to put themselves into food comas in the living room afterward. Jamie lays along the couch with Faith spread on top of him, and Claire curls up in a recliner, fully reclined and asleep in the chair about ten minutes into something animated bouncing on the screen.

Friday, while the rest of the world shops, Claire goes back to work after promising Faith she’ll see her on Monday for her checkup. For Jamie and his daughter, it’s a lazy day spent watching movies. She doesn’t stay awake for most of them and he’s content to hold her, fingers idly playing with the little curls on top of her head while he watches Moana alone.

Sometime in the night, during the still-inky blackness of a Sunday morning, a soft whimpering of his name finally rouses Jamie from sleep. Listening in the dark for a few minutes, he finally hears it again, Faith calling out for him. Out of bed and tugging a shirt on, he goes to her room where he can hear her, crying, whimpering. “Mo leannan,” he murmurs with a frown, sitting and reaching for her and immediately waking fully at the touch. “Christ, ye have a fever,” he says, feeling her now, realizing how hot she is.

“Daddy, I dinna feel good.”

He tries to quell the panic, the feel of his stomach rising up to his throat. “Where does it hurt, Faith?”

After a few moments of her quietly contemplating, thinking and sniffling, she looks up at him with wide blue eyes. “Everywhere.”

He begs her to be more specific, and then he’s on the phone out in the living room, calling Claire in a panic. There’s no time to register the groggy sound of her voice. “She has a fever, Claire. She woke and said she’s in pain.” Jamie pauses, choking on his fear for a few precious seconds. “She said her bones hurt her.”

Claire’s fully awake at that, sitting up in bed. “Get her to the hospital. Now. I’ll be there as fast as I can. Take her, Jamie.” She doesn’t bother with reassurances to ease his panic. They both know, they know rates and statistics; her because she has to, him because of sleepless nights researching. There’s a second, though, a heartbeat of silence they can both feel, a shared twist of their hearts before she hangs up and throws on a pair of scrubs. Everything about this is urgent to her, personal. She knows a line has blurred, but if she stops to refocus now, she won’t be able to do her job.

When she arrives she nearly jogs into the ER, upset to see that Jamie’s still in triage with Faith, knowing it’s protocol until a doctor decides to admit. She takes it upon herself to do so but before beginning all the tests, before finding out something concrete, her hands take Jamie’s, looking right at him and holding on tightly. She says nothing, he says nothing. Whatever comes next, she’s there.

It takes eighty minutes from the time they have the MRI done to Claire viewing the results on a computer monitor. Looking at them, she simply closes the tab and takes a breath, steadying herself. She’s done this before. She has to do it now and she’ll have to do it again in the future, most likely. Her own dam can’t break. It has to be locked down for her to make it through this part. But as soon as she walks into Faith’s room, as soon as Jamie looks at her, she knows that he knows. When he joins her in the hallway, one of her hands reaches out to rest on his shoulder. She wants to vomit and would rather do that than say the words. But she has to tell him.

“It’s back, Jamie. It’s spread.” Too far.

He knows without her having to say more; if there was something to be done for it he knows she’d look the way she did the first day they met: ready to fight, ready to give the cancer hell. He doesn’t ask where it’s spread to. Maybe he should. Does it matter?

“How--how long?” He can’t look up, can’t meet her gaze, and instead stares at the floor.

“A few months.”

“A number, Claire. Give me…”

“Two. Maybe three good months, Jamie.”

Those words are the knife to his heart and he leans over, hands on his knees as a sob tears through him. Claire’s arms go around his body and somehow they wind up right there on the floor, his forehead pressed to her shoulder. She’s been here, she’s held parents, it’s nothing the nurses haven’t seen before, but it’s different for Claire. One hand makes its way to the back of his head, rocking while he weeps against her. She whispers that she’s sorry, feels her heart twist in her chest because she promised to do the best she could. Had she? Did she think of everything or did she fail Faith because she wasn’t good enough?

When he’s quiet, Claire rubs his back and then carefully stands, helping him up. “I’ll sit with her if you need to--”

“No. No, I have her,” he tells her, voice broken. Without saying anything else or acknowledging Claire further, he walks back into the room and leaves her standing alone in the empty hallway. Blindly, she walks to the bathroom and locks the door, pressing her back against it. Before a cry can choke its way out of her she covers her mouth and squeezes her eyes shut tightly. On Thursday, she watched a sweet little girl eat her way through an American tradition.

Now, she’s going to die.

Slowly, Claire sinks to the floor, crouching as she buries her face in her hands and sobs.

Next Chapter

[duketheman]

Generation 4 Part 6

We go to the Dining room & are seated. Menu consists of: Stuffed lamb breast with lemon, ricotta, & oregano variety of cheese, Selection of Bread & Cracker, Jams, chutneys, spicy mustards, caramelized onions, candied nuts & pistachios, Rich flourless chocolate cake with a glass of sweet port wine, Small pieces of chocolate & Brandy. Father says Prayers: My God in Heaven. Please Bless this meal & Bless our Family with Your Grace. We thank You my God for all that you've provided & for the Miracle of those two tiny new lives that You so Graciously Blessed us with. Thank You my God, in the Name of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen! 8:30pm we finish dinner & retire to the Drawing room for Coffee & Brandy! Sodas for the kids & Juice for Mary & Lucy. The Doctor recommended that Lucy attempt to Breastfeed again, so she too has decided to refrain from alcohol! The room is filled with Christmas Music! Mother says: ~Family, it's time to realize "The Reason for the Season"! We have a lot to be grateful for! It's time we start acting like it~ She begins to sing along with the music! We too begin to sing & the mood in the room becomes festive! We've hired a nurse to help with the babies, as to give a little bit of a break to our wives. Mary has pumped extra Breast Milk into bottles. Lucy has Formula for Anabel until she takes hold! It's now 12:45am & we've been enjoying ourselves so much, that we didn't realize how late it is! We decide to call it a night & go to our rooms. Mother was right! Tis the Season for Joy! God Bless us everyone!

I pick up my son & hold him, & pray a prayer of thanks to God! I turn to Mary, who's ready to feed him before we sleep & say: ~Darling, thank you for being the best wife a man could ever be Blessed with! I love you Mary Grace Newport!

She replies: ~'O my sweet Harry, no woman could ever hope to be Blessed with a husband as loving, generous, thoughtful & sweet a man as you! My love, you have never disappointed me in anything you've ever done. Now we're Blessed with another child. I feel my life is only getting better. You Harry, are my life!~ She has always made my every day & night! I thank God for allowing her into my life! She feeds little Harry, burps & changes him. Places him in his Bassinet, careful to lay him on his back. He falls asleep immediately. Such a good baby! We climb into bed & she falls asleep in my arms. I'm tired, Goodnight!

Skipping forward:

Sunday December 22 Little Harry's & Anabel's Christening

8:00am & the whole Family is enroute to Church. Today we'll be dedicating little Harry & Anabel to Christianity. It's 8:45am & we arrive. We enter the Church & the Family are seated. Mary, Myself, Lucy, George & both Babies are escorted to the front of the Church where when called, we'll bring the Babies forward! 9:00am service begins. After the Choir sings the opening hymns, Pastor Reverend Johnson calls the names of "Harold Joseph Newport Jr." & Annabel Josephine Richards" to the Altar. Mary holds little Harry in her arms & I stand by her side. The Pastor Asks: ~Who will be the Godparents?~ George & Lucy Step forward! Pastor Johnson recites: ~Harold Joseph Newport Jr., In the Name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit! He then pours water over his forehead three times. He wipes dry little Harry's forehead.

Pastor Johnson says: ~Who will be the Godparents?~ Mary & myself step forward! Pastor Johnson recites: ~Annabel Josephine Richards, In the Name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit! He pours water over her forehead three times. He wipes dry Annabel's forehead & Congratulates us! He invites the Congregation to take photographs! We're seated & service It's 10:30am & service is over. We're enroute back to Newport Mansion. 10:45am, we're arrive at the Mansion. We take the babies upstairs. The Family retire to their rooms to get ready for lunch. It's 12:00pm & Huntington rings: ~Lunch is being served in the Dining room!~ We go into the Dining room & are seated. Linguini, White Winter Truffles, Aged Parmesan is on the menu! The meal is delicious. 1:15pm we finish lunch & retire to the Drawing room for drinks & conversation! 2:15pm My wife & I are having a Date night. We're going to dinner & a movie! She wants to see "Jumanji, The Next Level". Showtime is 8:15pm at the Woodard. We go upstairs where she will feed little Harry. We'll nap a little before leaving!

It's 5:00pm & we're enroute to Grumpy's Diner on Main! There are no Fancy restaurants in Madison, but we do enjoy a good Burger & Grumpy's has great Burgers! We've arrived at the Diner at 5:45pm. We're seated & read the menu. I order the Steak & Tarter Special Combo with Lemonade. Mary orders the Burger Bowl Combo with Sprite. We finish eating & leave a tip. It's 7:40pm & we're enroute to the Woodard so we can get a good seat. It's 8:00pm & we park, buy the tickets & enter the Cinema. We're seated in the fourth row from the front. The previews are already showing, so I take time to by Popcorn, BomBoms & Soda! 8:15pm the move starts running. 10:20pm, the movie has ended. It was a great movie, starring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, & Karen Guillan. It was funny, exciting, mind boggling, test of skills & scary all in one game! We both enjoyed it! 10:30pm we're walking out the doors & getting in the car. Enroute to The Waffle House on Bandit st for Coffee. 10:45pm we pull into the Parking lot & enter the restaurant. We wait to be seated just a few minutes. We order coffee, decaf for Mary! We tip the Waitress & leave the restaurant, its Midnight. Were enroute to Newport Mansion. It's 12:30am & we've arrived at the Mansion. We go upstairs & get ready for bed. Mary has that look in her eyes. She winks & smiles, holding the covers up for me. I know what that means & I'm eager. It's been a while & long enough. Goodnight!

Tuesday, December 24

It's 8:00am & Huntington rings: ~Breakfast is being served in the Dining room!~ We go into the Dining room & are seated! Menu for the Morning consists of: Waffles with flax & almond butter, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, a fruit salad & protein shake, juice, coffee! 9:30am, we finish eating & retire to the Drawing room to discuss tonight's festivities! Mother has planned a Christmas party for friends & family! The party will be in the Grand Ballroom! She's been known to have the most entertaining parties in two hundred miles of Madison.

Christmas Eve

It's 5:00pm, I'm putting on my Tux, while Mary nurses little Harry! I can't help but to think about those we've lost! But I know God has a plan for all of us. JR has another week before we've got to get him back to the Academy. We're lucky to be able to have him for the Holidays & his Birthday! He'll be sixteen on New Year's eve. My God, where's the time gone! It seems like yesterday I was holding him in my arms. Tomorrow morning is Christmas & the anniversary of the first day I met Mary, the day I began to live again!

It's 6:00pm & we're in the Drawing room discussing the music for tonight, Mother of course has the last say!

We're expecting Governor Ron DeSantis to attend, as well as other Dignitaries she's friendly with! Busy day ahead...........

7:00pm

Governor DeSantis arrives & my parents greet him immediately! Other guests are arriving, to include; Mayor Jim Catron & his wife, Chief of Police Reggie Alexander & his wife, & friends of the family totaling over 150 guests!

Huntington escorts each of the Guests to the Grand Ballroom where food & drinks are being served.

The tables each are marked with the guest's name on a card. Christmas music is playing. The wait staff are offering hors d’oeuvres & Champagne.

The menu consists of: Goose, apple sauce, ham, bread stuffing, crawfish cornbread stuffing, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, green beans, broccoli, ambrosia, a cranberry mold, goose gravy, a relish tray with green onions, watermelon pickles & olives, Russian caviar, pumpkin, pecan, apple & cherry pies. A crisp white wine, eggnog, syllabub, & sweet potato punch! More Champagne! We have Non-Alcoholic Champagne for Mary, Lucy & the kids!

My wife looks stunning in her new Red Christmas Gown.

George, I've never seen him decked out before. He looks like he belongs in that Tux. Lucy's wearing a Bluish colored Evening Dress, slitted in the arms & down the left leg; also looking quite Beautiful. The kids look like a Prince & his Princess! The whole family, I must say are showing their Best. Mother looks quite pleased with herself! 

This will be a party to remember, I only wish Rachael could have been here! The babies are upstairs with the nurse. They're bringing more hors d’oeuvres & Champagne around.

My Father's dancing with Mother, to Tony Bennett's Christmas Waltz. It's my Mother's favorite. I better get my wife out on the Dance floor, before someone else does, I'm somewhat stingy!

The Governor & his wife Casey seem to be enjoying themselves! They've been on the Dance floor over two hours already! The Ballroom is alive tonight & Happiness is it's heart! My Brothers don't seem to have a problem finding someone to dance with, I wish they'd settle down & have a Family. Sis & Bill are dancing the night away! Santa is expected to arrive at 12:01am!

12:01 2019 Christmas

The music starts playing: "The Santa Claus Rock" by INFANTIL! Everyone's rocking with the music as Santa enters the room! The music stops, Santa grabs his Bag & begins to pass gifts out to the Family & friends! He calls out each name, without hesitation or looking at a note. He just hands the gifts out as if he knew what was in them! Everyone seemed surprised but pleased with the gift they received.

I ask JR: What did you get Son?~ He replies: ~The Nutcracker Soldier, I've been wanting it ever since I can remember! Only my Mother knew, she promised to get it for me for Christmas, the year she died!~ I ask: ~What's the card say?~ He replies: ~ From Mommy with Love! Dad, I never told anyone!~ We both left it like that! I received the Gold ring I lost some years ago off my Boat. I had dropped it in the water, never to be seen again; so I thought! It's inscribed with the words: Dolphins Bring You Luck" dated 2004. These were words Julia said on my Boat when I took her to see the Dolphins, the year we first started dating! She had given it to me for Valentine's day! The card read: Love never dies Harry, be Happy! anta leaves as fast as he arrived, with a HO HO HO, Merry Christmas to all, & to all a Goodnight! I followed him out, but strangely, he just disappeared, poof he was gone! I really wanted to congratulate him on how good he was & ask him how he knew! Mother says: ~Son, that wasn't our Santa, your Father was suppose to play the part! We have no idea who he was, where he came from or disappeared too!~ Kind of got everyone thinking....... The last song is playing: "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas" by Bing Crosby! I take Mary out to the floor & dance the last dance with her, cheek to cheek! It's 2:00am & everyone's left. I & Mary say Goodnight & we go upstairs & get ready for bed! I didn't tell Mary about JR's gift, nor mine; but it was weighing on my mind! Even in Death she was able to keep her promise to our son & assure he got his Christmas present as well as; to send me a message! God is good! Merry Christmas to you all from the Newport Family & Goodnight!

Skipping forward:

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Happy Birthday John Ross/New Years Eve 

It's 6:00am & my wife is feeding little Harry. We're drinking coffee in the room, Decaf for Mary. When finished, we'll go downstairs for Breakfast. Eggs Benedict, Toast, English Butter, Jelly, fruit, & juice is on the menu this morning.

We got to get things together for today. Its JR's Birthday & we want it to be a special! Mother has planned a big party for him, lots of guest!

The cake will be delivered some time today!Kellyanne has asked if I would take her & her Dad to the Mall, so she can buy him something special for JR! Tonight Mother will be putting on her Annual New Year Fireworks display!

7:00am, Huntington rings: ~Breakfast is being served in the Dining room ~ We go downstairs, to the Dining room & are seated! It's 8:30pm & we're finished eating. Myself, George & Kellyanne get in Father's car & proceed to the Valdosta Mall just over the State line. She wants to go to Jared's. It's 9:45pm & we're pulling into the Mall's parking lot. It opens in fifteen minutes. That's good, no rush. 10:00am sharp & they open the entrance, we head for Jared's.....

Kellyanne finds a ring she says is perfect! It's a Black Diamond ring 1/2ct tw 10k Gold running about $1300.00! I have to say she has impeccable taste. Not feminine looking, yet beautiful. JR will love it. She has them inscribe the words: Love is forever! I can't help to notice how much Kellyanne is like Julia the way she thinks! No wonder JR loves her so much!

It's 12:30pm & we are enroute to Madison. We stop at Dairy Queen for lunch. Its 1:00pm. 1:45pm & were on the way back to the Mansion. 2:10pm we arrive. Mother is outside supervising the setup for the party & Fireworks tonight. I go upstairs & my wife is talking a nap. I kiss her on the forehead, careful not to wake her, check on the baby & go back downstairs to have a beer & help wherever I can!

It's 3:30pm & the cake is delivered. The stage for the Band has just been finished.

Mother has hired The Frequency Band for tonight. Mother is a perfectionist, everything must be right. She's hire fifty extra staff for the Party, she loves JR. He was her first Grandchild!

Dinner will be finger sandwiches & hors d’oeuvres, as well as cake & ice cream; served during the party! Dress is casual.......

t's 5:30pm, the band has arrived & setting up! Though not like when he was a child, this party will still be big.......

6:00pm, the guests are arriving & the band is already playing music. They're quite good actually, from LA is what I hear!

7:00pm & the party is in full swing. Kids & adults alike are dancing. They're playing all the latest favorites. Drinks are being served but Alcohol is in one tent under the control of Huntington. Soda & Fruit Punch in another, self serve! There's Sweet Tea for the asking.....

8:00pm, the band starts playing Happy Birthday to John Ross, & a table is rolled out with a cake!

Two candles in the shape of the number sixteen, on top of a Beautiful Black Cake. JR makes a wish, blows out the candles, takes a knife & cuts the first piece. 

Kellyanne hands her gift first. The ring & a kiss! She says: ~John Ross, take this ring as a symbol of my everlasting love for you. Happy Birthday John Ross, may you have many more!~ He slipped the ring on his finger & kissed her. He says: ~Kellyanne, I'll never take it off for as long as I live!~ 

He begins to open the many gifts from everyone here.

Mary bought him a Beautiful Compass inscribed: "To my son: Wherever your journey in life may take you, I pray you'll always be safe.

ENJOY THE RIDE & NEVER FORGET YOUR WAY HOME. I'm Always Here For You; Mom"! The compass is made of Gold in a Sailor's pocket watch casing. Quite elegant, I could see him trying to hold back tears!

I got him a Man's music box with my recorded words to him: "To my son: SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO FIND WORDS TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH YOU MEAN TO ME. IF I HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN Loving you & breathing I WOULD USE MY LAST BREATH TO SAY ~I LOVE YOU~ I WILL ALWAYS BE THERE TO LOVE YOU, I WILL ALWAYS BE THERE TO SUPPORT YOU. You will always be my baby boy. ~Love Dad~"

My Parents got him a Pocket watch with the inscription: "To my Grandson: Never forget that I Love you. I hope you believe in yourself as much as I do.

George & Lucy gave him a Gold wristwatch.My Brothers gave him a check for a thousand dollars. My Sister & Bill gave him an authentic Navy 1860 Officers Cutlass with His name on it, inscribed: "With His Swift & Terrible Sword "

It's 11:00pm. JR received well over two hundred gifts. He will have to leave some of them behind when he returns to the Academy on Thursday!

11:59pm & were getting ready to countdown to the New Year. Were counting down from 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 & the Fireworks display goes off as the band plays "Auld Lang Syne" The new Year's Anthem! I take my wife in my arms , kiss her, really kiss her & tell her : ~I love you Mary!~ She replies back: ~I love you my Harry!~ Everyone is kissing, singing & wishing all well! It's now 1:00am & the Fireworks Display is over. The band has played it's last set & everyone's leaving! Everything went well & we all had a great time. It's New Year's day & JR goes back to school tomorrow. We will be going home too! It's been a great vacation except for losing Rachael! 

We say Goodnight & go upstairs. We're tired, The baby senses we're here. Mary nurses him before we lay down. She lays little Harry down, we lay down & fall asleep in each other's arms!Wednesday, January 1, 20206:00am, I've decided to let Mary get some rest after a long night. I change little Harry, feed him with stored Breast milk in a bottle, burp & play with him a little while! This brings memories back of when JR was a newborn! He fell asleep in my arms, I lay him on his back in the Bassinet! It 8:00am, I wake Mary up to see if she's hungry. She wants to sleep another hour,I go downstairs & Brunch is being served. I ask Huntington to assure that Mary has something to eat when she wakes up. I sit down & eat, it's only myself, my parents & Mary's parents! Seems like everyone else decided to sleep in..... I say Good morning & they reply almost simultaneously: ~Good morning Harry!~ Mother asks: ~Sleep well son?~ I reply: Yes Mother, I did; Thank you! She says: ~How's Mary & the Baby, is Harry Jr sleeping through the night?~ I reply: ~Yes Mother, he is & Mary's sleeping in another hour!~ She replies: ~Good, a new Mother need as much rest as she can get!~ Mary's Mother adds: ~Yes they do! Harry, you're a good man, our daughter loves you very much & so do we! We feel Blessed having you part of the Family & you to John Ross!~ I reply: ~She is my Blessing Laura, she & my children are my life. I'm more than proud to be part of the Family & I love you two as well!~

8:30am, JR sits down at the table, followed by Kellyanne! They both say Good morning & sit down at the table. JR remarks: ~I'm starving!~9:15am Breakfast is over. Huntington has told Cook to hold Breakfast for an hour in case the rest of the Family is hungry! I go back upstairs & check on Mary. I find she's up & the baby seems to be hungry again. She's nursing him! I call downstairs to the kitchen & have them send Mary's Breakfast up to the room!...... We've got to pack & get ready for our trip home. JR's flight takes off for Valley International at 5:30am & the rest of us are scheduled to take off for Miami International at 7:15am! My wife finishes nursing little Harry, I take & burp him so she can eat! She says: ~Lord, I can really use a strong cup of regular coffee! But our son is more important! But just as soon as he stops nursing, I'm going to nurse on a whole pot of Community!~ She laughs, but she's more serious than she let's on..... I'm having fun with little Harry! He sure does smile allot, but Mary says it's gas! I think he smiles because he's a Happy baby! I put our son in his Bassinet because he's fallen asleep! I sit next to my wife & say: ~Mary Grace Newport, I love you! You married me & gave me life. You took my son as your own & raised him! Now you've given me another son! You have been & are my life. I'm truly Blessed! Thank you Mary, I only hope I tell you enough!~ She replies: ~Harry, you tell & show me every day! It fills my heart with joy & happiness everytime I hear your words. I love you Harry, with every essence of my being! I live for you Harry, you're my heart & soul!~ We embrace & kiss for more than a few minutes! We go ahead & pack up everything we can for now. We have laundry that has to be brought up to the room later!

Were just going to hangout with the Family today, we're going to miss them all very much! JR & I will visit the Cemetery this afternoon, so he can see Julia's & his Grandparents graves one more time before he goes back to Texas! He wants to plant flowers on the graves........ I think he wants to tell Julia thank you for his gift. I know that sounds strange but so do I, there's no other explanation!We go downstairs & everyone is congregating in the Game room. Mother has declared this day, "Family Day"! She says: ~We see far too little of each other, & I think it nice if we spend the day enjoying each other's company!~...... She has Finger sandwiches, Olives, Dill pickles, Cheeses, Sweets & Drinks set up on a table. We'll not have to stop for lunch, yet we can eat as we wish! I & George immediately challenge my Brothers to a game of Eight ball! I'm quite good at this, though it's been a while..... Father is acting as Barkeep! My Sister & our wives are Bowling on the indoor alley! Mary's parents & Mother are playing cards! JR & Kellyanne are playing Table Soccer!......... it's 4:30pm & as promised, I borrow Father's car: I & JR are enroute to Newport Cemetery to place flowers on Julia's & her Parent's graves. We'll place them on my Grandparents grave as well! It's 5:30pm & already getting dark. We leave the Cemetery enroute back to the Mansion. It's 5:55pm & as we're walking in the doors, Huntington rings: ~Dinner is being served in the Dining room!~ We all have our last Dinner as a Family! It's 7:30pm & Dinner is over. We retire to the Drawing room & share a little more time together. We plan next Christmas vacation together. It's 9:00 & we say our Goodbyes to my siblings. Mine & Mary's Parents will be up to say Goodbye in the morning. The Chauffeur will drive us to the Airport, theirs eight of us with the Babies & Father's Car won't have enough room. We say Goodnight & go upstairs so we can be fresh in the morning. Mary nurses little Harry while I take my shower! After; I take, burp & play with him while Mary takes a shower! I see him smiling more & more, warming my heart with everyone! He falls asleep in my arms & I lay him down on his back! I didn't know that SIDS was a growing threat in the USA & laying a baby on their stomach or side was the leading cause! Mary taught me that! She's a very cautious Mom & I thank the Good Lord for it! We lay down & I say: ~Mary Grace Newport, I love you!~ She replies: ~Harry Joseph Newport, you are my whole life &I Love you!~ We fall asleep in love!

Thursday January 2, 2020

It's 2:30am & we get up. Mary nurses the Baby while I wash up, brush my teeth & shave. I call for Huntington: ~Please take our bags down to the Limousine. Mary finishes feeding the little Harry, I take & burp him while my wife washes up & gets dressed. We go downstairs & meet up in the Dining room. Mother has arranged for an early Breakfast so we don't leave hungry! It's 3:30am & we say our Goodbyes. Mary & her Mother are crying & Mother is doing her best to hold tears back. They kiss, hug & kiss us all again as we walk out the doors! Father walks us out while the others stand on the stairs! He says: ~Harry, I love you kids, please have a safe trip. John Ross, you too, make sure you make next year son! Bye you all & take care of our Grandkids, I'm talking to you too. You're family too now! George replies: ~aye Mr Newport Sir!~

I tell my Father,: ~I love you Father, we'll call you as soon as we land! Bye now!~ It's 4:00am & were enroute to the Airport. Its 4:35am, we arrive at Valdosta Regional & the Baggage Valet loads our baggage onto a cart. JR checks in & the kids say their final Goodbye. Kellyanne is crying & makes JR promise to write every day! He hugs me & tells me that he loves me. He hugs & kisses Mary Goodbye & tells her he loves her. She's crying again! He kisses his little Brother & Anabel, he's only got so long until Boarding, so he has to get through Security! Its 5:30am & his flight takes off on time!

JR has one more year until he Graduates in June 2021. He's already been accepted & will enter Annapolis Naval Academy in January of 2021 He'll attend four years thereafter; he'll be Commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant & serve a minimum of five years in the Marine corps! That boy has made us proud!

It's 6:15am & we're allowed to check in. We walk through Security & to the Boarding gate where we'll wait until allowed to board.. 6:30am & we're boarding the plane. It's 7:00am & our flight takes off on time! Its 11:20am & were on approach to Miami. Suddenly; we start climbing & are ordered to stay seated & buckled. We have a landing gear stuck & are circling the Airport! There's some panic, but all in all; most stay calm! We circle for twenty minutes & it begins to look like we're going to have to land without the the front Landing gear! Now I begin to worry a little! But I look at Mary & she says: ~It'll be fine Harry, God has us covered~ Suddenly; the front Landing gear comes down. Relief is felt all over the plane, people begin to cheer & clap! Mary turns to me, smiles & says: ~See Harry God is watching over us!~ I remember calling my wife an Angel sent by God, now I'm sure of it! She didn't worry at all, she knew we'd be ok! We're on approach again. We land & it's 11:50am. Late but safe! God is Great!!!! We get through Security, get our Bags from the Carousel & have our wives & Babies sit down & rest. George & I walk across to the Parking Garage & pick up my car. We drive around to the loading zone & help Mary, Lucy & Kellyanne into the back seat with the Babies. George & I load our bags & we're enroute home! I'm going to miss everyone but I'm so happy to be home! It's 1:00pm & we drop George & his Family off, they're looking tired & happy to be too! Kellyanne is still sad but she'll get over it! We're enroute to our house. It's 1:20pm & Home sweet Home! I help Mary into the house & come back for the bags. Mary takes our son into the Nursery & says: ~My sweet little child, welcome home Baby Harry!~ She lays him down in his crib & sings a Lullaby: The song is called "Sweet Dreams ". I've never heard it but it's quite beautiful! Mary is a wonderful Mother. I go in the kitchen & prepare lunch, as they don't serve food on flights anymore! Simple Ham & Cheese, Dill pickles, Lays lightly salted chips, Sweet tea! We sit, eat lunch & talk about all that's happened. We finish & she says: ~Harry my Love, I'm going to lay down & take a nap; I'm just feeling so tired!~ I reply: ~Darling, sleep well, you need to rest!~ I go into the Library & check my messages. I need to start the "Willow" back up after Vacation! Looks like I have a scheduled trip on Monday, January 6! I give George a heads up, grab a cold one & relax! It's 4:00pm & I think I'm going to cook dinner for Mary. She'll be awake soon & hungry, she has enough to do just taking care of the baby! I prepare Baked Chicken, Macaroni & cheese, Garlic Bread & I'll wait to see what she wants to drink!It's 5:00pm & Mary comes down. She's pleasantly surprised. We sit down to dinner & enjoy each other's company. We finish up & retire to the Living room. We sit on the Loveseat, listen to music & just cuddle. She has Baby monitors set up everywhere in case he wakes up..... He sleeps until 8:00pm, Mary says to me: ~I'll be back my love, let me nurse him, he's hungry! She goes up, feeds him & is back in my arms within twenty minutes! I love my wife & enjoy spending time with her. I am a CUDDLER! I love cuddling & showing her how much I love her! It's 11:00pm & she asks: ~How about a snack?~ I reply: ~Sounds great Darling~ She goes in the kitchen, goes in the pulls out two thinly cut steak out of the freezer & chops them up with onions & Bell peppers. She grabs four eggs & shredded cheese out of the refrigerator. She's making steak & cheese omelets! That's my favorite omelet, she knows me so well! We sit down & eat. We finish, I handle the little cleanup there is. She goes up & nurses the Baby. I'm done & I follow her to find her waiting for me, under the covers. She says: ~Come on Big boy, I need you!~ She smiles, winks & exposes her naked body! Goodnight all!

Duke Sherman

To Be Continued

[athomeinmybooks]

Listen, I hate to be "that guy", but I feel I need to vent. Here it is: I don't really care about Thanksgiving. I mean, I like the idea of a day to be thankful for our lives. But the traditional thanksgiving food? I honestly don't care for most of it. Turkey? Blech. Stuffing? Double blech. Green Bean Casserole? What sin did we commit to have that dropped on us? Mashed potatoes are alright, provided that they only have the following ingredients. 1. Potatoes. 2. Water. 3. Milk. 4. A shit ton of butter. That's it. No seasonings. No herbs. No gravy. And only the right consistency. Not too lumpy, but not all loose and watery. Ham? Cool. Buttered rolls? Fine. Candied yams? Sure. Cranberry sauce? Yes, please. But why do we have to do "traditional" foods at all? I mean, if we really liked those foods, wouldn't we do them all year round? You can literally buy the ingredients to green bean casserole all year long, but it's a "Thanksgiving" dish. Turkey? I don't care for poultry any given day of the year. Why don't we just do a platter of cheeseburgers? Or a build your own pizza? Or something tasty, like Swiss Steak?

That concludes this year's anti-thanksgiving feast rant. Thank you for your time. Remember, I'll be here all week, and tip your waiter.

[twelfthtwelve]

ugghhh it’s too early for stuffing recipes to show up on my dash!! Now I want stuffing but Thanksgiving isn’t for a few more weeks 😭😭😭

Stuffing

Apple Cranberry Rosemary Stuffing

wild mushroom fennel & leek stuffing

Savory Herb Stuffing with Smoky Bacon and Caramelized Leeks

Crock Pot Stuffing with Wild Rice Cranberries and Almonds

Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffing

OYSTER STUFFING (OR DRESSING)

thanksgiving stuffing muffins

Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey and Stuffing Muffins

More recipes here

Follow for recipes

Get your FoodFfs stuff here

[queenofcarrots]

Happy Thanksgiving from the FRMAU Crew

This is a little half-assed because it doesn't actually get us to Thanksgiving, but I hope it’s a bit of a sweet lead-up to it. If I write a second chapter for the day I will post it to AO3, otherwise it will just live here on Tumblr.

Ben knows, intellectually, that Rey has never celebrated a real Thanksgiving before; Unkar Plutt had not been a man with any sense of holiday spirit whatsoever, and if he’d had any he never would have wasted it on the girl in his care.

Their little family has already celebrated many of Rey’s first holidays this year. Her first High Holy Days at Leia’s house, with Han and Chewie. Her first Halloween pumpkin carving, at home with just the three of them. Coming up in December will be her first Christmas, and Ben and Finn are already making plans to ensure it is as special and unforgettable as it can be for her. But Thanksgiving, Ben just didn’t consider Thanksgiving. It’s a holiday he regards as a chore more than anything. You cook, you eat, if you’re not lucky you get sick to your stomach. That’s it. What’s the point? But it’s Saturday morning, Rey’s taking the day off work for the first time in months, they’re working on the shopping list for the meal, and Rey is more excited than he’s ever seen anyone about any holiday ever.

Within minutes he realizes why: this holiday is all about food. And Rey loves food.

“Okay, turkey. Right, roasted turkey. Uh, can we have other meat too?” Ben’s in his armchair and Rey’s curled up on his lap, dressed in the pink jammies she slept in and embracing a mug of coffee. Her hair’s a mess and she’s still waking up, she keeps yawning and rubbing her forehead against his shoulder. He thinks, perhaps, she’s never looked more beautiful in the entire time he’s known her.

Finn, the keeper of the shopping list, is on the sofa with his own mug of coffee, even though he’s dressed and has been awake for hours. He nods in reply to Rey’s question. “Sure. Turkey’s traditional, but my family has ham, too. I have an uncle who doesn’t eat birds, so he insisted, but everyone else likes it too.”

“Great, so ham. Leia won’t eat it but I will.” She takes a pull of her coffee. “And I want all the sides. Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, with the marshmallows.” Ben groans at that, and she ignores him. “Cranberry sauce, both kinds.”

Finn looks up from the piece of paper on which he’s jotting her suggestions. “What do you mean ‘both kinds’?”

“I mean I want the jelly from the can, but I also want some made from a bag of cranberries. Like homemade. Yeah?”

He chuckles and writes it down. “Okay, yeah. So what do you want for green stuff? I like collard greens, but I cook that with pork so we should probably do green beans or something.”

“Leia doesn’t like the green bean casserole with mushroom soup, so maybe just plain old beans?” Ben shrugs. He doesn’t want to contribute to the conversation, really, but he wants to make sure they plan a meal that his parents will eat. The idea of having his parents over for Thanksgiving dinner, cooking for them, is already making him anxious and he’s trying to deal with it by not thinking about it too much. Which is hard when that’s all everyone around you wants to talk about.

Rey pokes him with her elbow. “Make both. I’ve always wanted to try that casserole. With the little crunchy onion things on top.”

Finn adds it all to his list. “This is going to be one big meal. Anything else?”

Rey hums and swallows the coffee in her mouth. “Stuffing. Er. Dressing. Is that the same thing?”

“It’s the same, except stuffing is cooked in the bird and dressing is cooked in a separate pan.” Ben is glad Finn knew that, because he certainly did not.

“Okay, let’s do some of both. I bet the stuffing will taste better, though.”

Finn smiles over at her. “That’s certainly been my experience with it. But you have to be careful with stuffing to make sure it’s fully cooked, or it can make you sick.”

Rey rolls her eyes and takes another swallow - Ben can see she’s almost to the bottom of the mug, and he considers offering to stand up and get her more but he’s really enjoying having her on his lap right now. So he gives her a squeeze instead, and she responds with a contented hum before making one more suggestion.

“Oooo, what about rolls? Or biscuits or something?”

“Bread to eat with the bread, gotcha,” and Finn adds more to his list, then takes a minute to read back through it silently to himself.

“I can’t believe you guys have forgotten the most important part of the meal.”

Rey looks up at Ben quizzically. “What do you mean, love? I think we covered everything.”

He stares at her and then hits her with a surprise side tickle as he exclaims, “DESSERT! I’M TALKING ABOUT DESSERT!” Rey shrieks with delight and barely manages to keep hold of her thankfully empty mug as she wriggles in an attempt to escape Ben’s wandering fingers. He can’t help but notice that her wiggly body feels quite wonderful in his lap. Finn’s pen somehow made its way into the dining room, where he’s crawling under the table to grab it. He’s laughing so hard there are tears in his eyes.

“Oh Lord, we can’t forget dessert,” Finn manages to say through a sigh. “Pumpkin pie? Apple? Pecan?”

Rey’s calmed down, set her mug down on the coffee table and is now reclined comfortably across Ben’s lap, one hand playing with the hair that falls over his ear. “One of each, I think. Can we make them or do we have to buy them?”

Finn sits back down on the sofa and talks as he adds to the list. “We can make them, but crusts will be difficult, especially for the apple pie. You wanna try though?”

She shrugs and stretches a bit, reaching the arm that isn’t toying with Ben’s hair above her head and pressing her chest out and her ass down. He’s pretty sure she can feel his interest in her just now, and she seems interested too. “I’m sure if you’re there to help me I’ll do just fine,” she says with a grin.

Finn returns her grin fondly and stands up. “Okay, guys, I think that’s it. You want to get dressed and come with me, or…” he raises an eyebrow.

Biting her lip, Rey glances up at Ben. “I think we’ll take ‘or’ today, love.” She looks back at Finn, “If that’s okay?”

He laughs and leans down to give her a kiss, then gives one to Ben too. “More than okay. I’ll be thinking about you guys while I’m out there shopping. Be good to each other, okay?”

They promise, and before Finn is out the door Ben’s carrying Rey into the bedroom, considering all the various ways he can be good to her before their other third is back with the Thanksgiving meal supplies.

[ritacaroline]

A New Series

By ritacaroline

Quips n Blips to Ponder

Episode 5

What will we be doing for the holidays ??

Thanksgiving has just passed. So how did we do ?

What food items were available at your Thanksgiving table ?

1. Turkey

2. Glazed Ham

3. Stuffing (please indicate what type)

a. Bread cube - (preferably from our friends at Pepperidge Farm. )

b. Corn bread stuffing

c. Sausage and bread stuffing.

d. Oyster Stuffing ( for the aphrodisiac lovers. )

e. None - instead, we like crescent rolls. ( that ones mine - no you ate 3 already. Mom ? Do you see him ?) Poppin fresh open a new tube Please.

4. Cranberry sauce

a. Fresh made from real cooked cranberries. ( wow, is your mom Martha Stewart ? Or Betty Crocker ? Circle just one )

b. Canned. Fresh outa the Oceanspray can. ( when it lands with a plop onto a plate - you see impressions of the can ridges all over the glob. ) The shiny glistening glob. That's the true sign of a fresh can of gelled sugar. Bon appetite.

5. Green bean casserole mush w mushroom soup glop. OMG. Gag me w a spoon. Pardon me please while I hurl.

6. Lasagna ? Yep. Some people do this. Not a bad idea.

7. Creamed onion pearls. Hmm. I don't think so. But ok.

8. Mashed sweet potatoes w marshmallows ? Diabetic kamikaze ? ( 10 points off for poor spelling )

9. Gravy. Yes. To be created by only experienced cooks please. This task is not for you if you're wishy washy about cooking. In that case you have little chance of success. And you will be off to Thanksgiving jail. Yes - it exists. Yes - it's awful. Imagine hordes of people wandering about aimlessly in the style of night of the living dead. Holding metal stirring whisks in the air while looking zombie ish in a tie back apron and chefs hat.

(So - get out the hand held submersion blender or die. ) If you don't know what that item is - give up now.

Or just buy a few cans of gravy. Voila. Magic.

10 Pumpkin pie. No comment.

How did you feel after eating said meal ??

1. Ok. Not bad.

2. Little tummy trouble. But I'll live.

3. Problems best portrayed by video of Mt Vesuvius erupting. :

4: I spent the day after thanksgiving praising the porcelain God. On my knees.

10. And how do you plan on celebrating Thanksgiving next year ?

a. Run for my life

b. Eat at the diner.

c. Make pb&js. And call it a day.

d. Bribe Martha Stewart to

provide a home visit.

e. I will be on a food fast that day.

For religious reasons.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Be sure to have the lemon lime flavored alka seltzer available in your cabinet. For the morning after you have over done it with the booze. That fizzy shit will be your best buddy.

Did you get all the toys you need ? If not - expect crying and tantrums. From you. For being negligent.

Did you put that crap together ? Assemble the toys that need that ?

Batteries ?

Yes

No.

I'm a dumbass. Expect crying and tantrums.

Do not walk about while barefoot. If you have purchased Legos. For the young ones. You will be damn sorry if you step on a few. It's very confusing why this form of weaponry has not been deployed in times of war. Way less costly than missiles and air to ground combat.

Do not steal this idea under severe penalty of the law ! Do you promise ?

During times of international conflict and war, simply hide the enemy's shoes. Secretly. Then shhh. Sprinkle lego pieces all over the grounds outside their tents and/ or quarters. Then watch them emerge and slowly but surely - they will be rendered unable to walk due to the steppage onto-age of afore mentioned Legos. That's a military term. Thus rendered unable to defend their territory in a painful surrender. And a sad day shall be bestoweth upon them. ( ? ) official quote from the victors, " It was the Legos amongst them that led us to Victory. "

Back to our normal programming :

What will we have for breakfast on Christmas ?

The family will be expecting a special breakfast. Have you thought about this ? No ? You must. Cereal or toast will not cut it.

How about an egg breakfast casserole ?

Cinnamon rolls ?

French toast. Without something like this - you're fucked. I mean it.

If worse comes to worst , swing by the Golden Arches for a few packs of the McSanta Delight. Mmmm. Yummy mush.

Now that the presents are opened and a lot of folks are seriously disappointed, ? Now wtf ? Instruct those spoiled brats to go play w the toys and stop fighting. And shut the hell up.

Grab you some eggnog. Spike that bad boy w some vodka or tanguray gin. Now that's a Merry Christmas. Do not over do. Or drive. Just hang out. And to all a good night. Ho ho ho.