Nothing funny about feldspar

Today I signed the last of the papers, distributed the last of the money, said good-bye to the lawyer and my sister, and drove away from a locus of my attention for the last year.

Seems rather anticlimactic.

I’m thankful that we got through today without being too maudlin or too morose. We focused on the food, sneered at the advertisements (4am for Penneys?!), watched a couple of movies.

I’m thankful that I’ve made some friends this year who have helped me get out of the house and out of my head.

I’m thankful for Plagioclase’s mother for putting up with my crankiness, and for helping to make Plagioclase the man he is.

I’m thankful that I have enough food, money, and stuff, and I don’t have to choose between basic necessities.

I’m thankful for Plagioclase.

I’m wishing I didn’t eat that last bit of stuffing, but I made the pumpkin pie and I’m glad I did.

Despite what I said earlier, I am attempting to have a relatively “normal” Thanksgiving dinner for me, Plagioclase and Plagioclase’s mother.

Yes, it’s going to be hard. But I think that if I don’t I will be disappointed that I couldn’t honor the fun Thanksgivings we had (like the first Thanksgiving Plagioclase and I hosted in our first house — my dad was so impressed that I could cook, he told everyone). Remember, think about what you will regret not doing more, and do it.

Some things, however, are different. Not nearly as much food — only the essentials to say “this is what makes a Thanksgiving dinner,” turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce. However, this year, no “Mom’s recipe” pumpkin pie. Though since I miss it, I may possibly make one the day after. Or, given how I feel having written this, I may just stop at the store on the way home and pick up some pumpkin and a pie crust…

This Week’s Challenge: Think of the name of a current world leader. Taking the letters in the first half of the first name, and the letters in the first half of the last name, you can rearrange them to spell the language of this leader’s country. Who’s the leader and what’s the language?

Hint: It’s a country and a leader you absolutely have heard of. The name of the language is in English.

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I consider myself to be an inappropriately sentimental person. I cry at weddings and funerals, movies and commercials, books… anything designed to jerk my tears will usually get them. I also have a tendency to remember anniversaries, good and bad.

So it may not surprise you to know that I want to boycott Thanksgiving. Last year I was with my dying mother. The previous year I was with my dying father. The year before that I was with my dying father and my seriously ill mother. Each time I tried to put together some semblance of a “regular” Thanksgiving.

I can’t do it anymore. Now I understand why restaurants that offer Thanksgiving meals are popular. It’s not just that people don’t want to cook, but it may be that they can’t stand the thought of facing the tradition.