RuddyHeather of Ember
Nov. 30th, 2022 09:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ismoWe came home from our week-long Thanksgiving adventure on Monday. It was a great time. The beach house we rented was 89 steps up the bluff from the Lake Michigan beach, with a huge patio and glass doors so you could contemplate the waves way out to the horizon from almost every part of the house. It was a little bit tight when all 13 of us were there--could have maybe used one more bathroom and a few more comfortable chairs--but it worked out fine. I packed the car to an unbelievable degree last Monday when we drove over, with pots and pans and games and extra blankets and a 19-pound turkey and a lot of ham and almost everything that we'd need before Thursday. I even brought the KitchenAid, which was a great idea because it made many things much easier. The Nipper and family and Tron and the Lumberjack also arrived Monday night. On Wednesday, the Diva and her family came, and on Thursday morning, the Philosopher and his Lovely (and very pregnant) Friend arrived just in time for dinner. Monday: pizza that we ordered and picked up on our way out of town. Tuesday: mac and cheese and bean and ham soup, which I made ahead of time and brought with us, and brussels sprouts with bacon (made by the Nipper). Wednesday: ham, sweet potatoes, broccoli, the Sparrowhawk's special beans, lots of salad. Thursday: turkey, cornbread stuffing, corn casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, squash stuffed with a quinoa mix (made by the Diva), green beans, fancy salad, sweet potato rolls, pickles and olives, pumpkin pie, raspberry pie (storebought), lemon meringue pie (ditto). Everything was gluten free except for the rolls and the crust on the pie (there was a GF pie with a special crust, as well), and the vegetarians ate the stuffed squash. Friday: leftovers! Saturday: bratwurst, salad, baby potatoes, brown rice, mushrooms and onions, the rest of the brussels sprouts. Sunday: lots of leftovers.
Also, on Friday morning, there was a surprise tea party in honor of the Lovely Friend. The Redhead brought the table decorations and the teapots, and made everything look so pretty! We had cucumber sandwiches, cheese and crackers, chicken salad finger sandwiches, fruit salad, and shortbread cookies. And many different kinds of tea. Each of us brought a special picture book for the upcoming baby. Most special of all, the Duchess and Dr. Nurse came, and brought Bird Baby! I had extended an invitation, but I didn't expect them to come. Our place on the lake was only about 15 minutes from the Duchess' new house, so that made it a lot easier. Bird Baby was the star of the show, and accepted being handed around to all her relations with her usual equanimity. I felt very successful about our little party plan.
Our place was also just a short walk from the border of a state park, and it was possible to scramble up the dunes and join up with the trail system, so we had not only walks on the beach, but some nice walks through the woods. We also had lots of games, watching sports, and plenty of space for people to read, knit, nap, and generally relax. On Monday morning, I packed EVERYTHING back in the car again. By the time we got home, I was pretty sick with a bad cold I caught from someone, so the Sparrowhawk kindly UNpacked most of it.
I've been pretty wiped out for the last couple of days, alas. I tested myself, and it's not covid, just a horrid cold. Today I pulled myself together to go see Madame, who is recovering from her cochlear implant surgery, and is going stir-crazy from being at home so long. We had lovely weather for the Thanksgiving trip, and the snow all melted away. Today, a biting cold wind blew the snow back in again. The traffic lights were all hanging sideways, and now I'm coughing again and must go lie down.
Also, on Friday morning, there was a surprise tea party in honor of the Lovely Friend. The Redhead brought the table decorations and the teapots, and made everything look so pretty! We had cucumber sandwiches, cheese and crackers, chicken salad finger sandwiches, fruit salad, and shortbread cookies. And many different kinds of tea. Each of us brought a special picture book for the upcoming baby. Most special of all, the Duchess and Dr. Nurse came, and brought Bird Baby! I had extended an invitation, but I didn't expect them to come. Our place on the lake was only about 15 minutes from the Duchess' new house, so that made it a lot easier. Bird Baby was the star of the show, and accepted being handed around to all her relations with her usual equanimity. I felt very successful about our little party plan.
Our place was also just a short walk from the border of a state park, and it was possible to scramble up the dunes and join up with the trail system, so we had not only walks on the beach, but some nice walks through the woods. We also had lots of games, watching sports, and plenty of space for people to read, knit, nap, and generally relax. On Monday morning, I packed EVERYTHING back in the car again. By the time we got home, I was pretty sick with a bad cold I caught from someone, so the Sparrowhawk kindly UNpacked most of it.
I've been pretty wiped out for the last couple of days, alas. I tested myself, and it's not covid, just a horrid cold. Today I pulled myself together to go see Madame, who is recovering from her cochlear implant surgery, and is going stir-crazy from being at home so long. We had lovely weather for the Thanksgiving trip, and the snow all melted away. Today, a biting cold wind blew the snow back in again. The traffic lights were all hanging sideways, and now I'm coughing again and must go lie down.
