2002-11-29 - 1:43 p.m.

The end of an era

Dinner was a most unusual one. It was probably one of my worst, but received several compliments. The first disaster was the failure of the big turkey cooker I have used for more than 25 years to cook with at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I can put the stuffed turkey in it at 10 or 11 and have a 25 pounder done in about 4 hours. Then I make gravy in it. It sits on a counter that I don't use while preparing food and is totally out of the way while it is also freeing up oven space. I have known it was on borrowed time for several years now and always breathed a sigh of relief when I saw steam rising from it.

This year, no steam. In fact when I wiggled the plug, lots of blue sparks and funny noises occurred so plan B had to go into effect. I transferred the 22 pound turkey plus stuffing into the largest roasting pan I had and lifted it into the wall oven. I knew, lifting it at a cold temperature, that trouble awaited. If the boys hadn't been around, it would not have been lifted out of the oven. That much weight just cannot be lifted by some one as short as us females. Even 2s with his broad shoulders and massive muscles trembled as he lifted it out and sat it on the counter. But it was deliciously moist and had wonderful drippings for gravy. Unfortunately the pumpkin pies, corn and oysters, and candied yams had not been baked ahead and had to wait until the turkey was finished.

The second disaster was the pie. The giant orange package I thawed out in preparation for filling premade pie shells turned out to be cooked apricots! I found 2 small packages of yellower stuff that turned out to be pumpkin and 2d made pumpkin filling. Unfortunately she drained most of the liquid out as she thawed it, and ended up with some extremely dry pulp, so we added more eggs, canned milk and sugar. The consistency was very coarse but surprisingly tasty and no complained were heard, but the pies were not the ususal custardy texture. The creamed corn was DelMonte and not as tasty as some brands but the guys were not complaining as they love the oysters mixed into the corn.

Store bought rolls purchased at the last minute, yams with brown sugar, butter and marshmallows, celery stuffed with cream cheese, bacon jar cheese and pineapple jar cheese, dill pickles and olives, jellied cranberry sauce, and ground fresh cranberries with an orange, chopped walnuts, and sugar, and a fruit salad completed the meal along with the turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy. It was 4:30 when we finally ate and everyone was very ready. 2d was an enormous help this year, I couldn't have done it without her. She always helps, but this year was very self-motivated and just kept rolling along. She is up on the mountain skiing today, so is well rewarded and guilt-free.

1d had to work a 12 hour shift at the care center and came late, but was already adjusted to having had to work on a holiday. There were no major uncomfortablenesses, and even the younger generation got along with no quarrels. They were so funny as they looked at old photo albums. They were all fascinated at how each other looked in younger years, but had very little interest in how their parents had looked at that age. They would have had no interest at all in seeing the ones from my and 800's generation. I can remember how archaic the pictures of my mom's youth were, and as for the stiffly composed pictures of the preceding generations----well, they looked as if someone had propped them up in their coffins.

All in all, it was a lovely day. No one was expecting perfection just a good time with family. We all knew each other so well that we weren't trying to impress anyone. That is one advantage of just being family. I was a teeny bit envious of various ones in the church clique getting together, but since I wouldn't have liked that anyway, the feeling didn't last long. 2d and I have often remarked that it is a waste of time and small spirited to feel negative emotions about situations we wouldn't want anyway. However that may be our way of pretending we don't care!!!

We are an independent, cantankerous folk and revel in our differences so we shouldn't cavil when we aren't accepted.

I awoke about 3 am and watched Hunt for Red October. I don't know why I enjoy that so much, not a bit of romance in the whole show, although in a different life, I could have been very taken with the American sub captain! That lean ascetic look and sardonic wit are very attention-catching to this old lady. That shows just how cantakerous I am, forget Connery, just show me some bit player!

EE's devotional

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