Crow’s Feet Prompt #71: Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Eve
Happiness is an Open House
Back in 1995, when my little family moved from New York to North Carolina, we vowed to return often. And that year, come Thanksgiving we did. Approximately 13 hours in a car with two teenagers gave one a lot to be thankful for when we finally pulled up to our destination.
But that would be the last time we made the trip north for Thanksgiving. Come 1996, we were settled in. We had met all our neighbors. Both my husband and I were working and had made friends with some colleagues. The kids had a full year to find their tribe at their new schools and were adjusting slowly.
So for Thanksgiving 1996, we decided to stay home. Not only that, we noticed a lot of our friends didn’t have family locally. Many were traveling either the evening before or the morning of Thanksgiving. So my husband and I hatched a plan to celebrate. On Wednesday — the Eve of Thanksgiving — we would host an open house.
I made all the trimmings — turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and a pumpkin pie. Evites and flyers went out to everyone we knew. We asked folks to bring an appetizer, side, or dessert to share along with whatever alcoholic beverage they preferred. We managed to provide soda, beer, and wine.
