Happy Thursday! I am so glad we made it to Thursday. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were busy busy and I am ready for a little slow down. It is supposed to rain all day today and I am going to enjoy the cozy. I’m linking up with Holly and Patty today to share some Thanksgiving thoughts.

1 – Favorite Thanksgiving traditions?

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is my most favorite tradition! My mom LOVES the parade and my grandparents LOVED the parade. I almost think that it’s more Thanksgiving to me than the actual turkey dinner. Almost 15 years ago, my mom, sister, and I went to the parade and it was SO MUCH FUN!! They say they are reworking the parade in a virtual way, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be quite the same. As long as the Rockettes are there, it will be ok.

We also watch White Christmas after the dishes are done. My mom and her sisters can quote the movie forwards and backwards. My sister and I aren’t quite there, but we are close! Jeff usually sneaks off to a different tv to watch football and my dad loves to snore through it.

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Every Thanksgiving morning we run a turkey trot. Our local YMCA puts it on and I love starting our day moving our bodies. We’ve been in Hilton Head for Thanksgiving and we run the Turkey Trot there too.

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2 – Favorite Thanksgiving dish? Will you share the recipe?

This took me a little bit of time to figure out, but my honest to goodness favorite Thanksgiving dish is asparagus. We don’t have gourmet or even fresh asparagus. It is canned asparagus dumped in a baking dish and heated up in the microwave. It sounds gross, but I love it. I could eat canned asparagus cold from the can, but I love it this way. And we only eat it like this on Thanksgiving. I also love Ocean Spray Cranberry Jelly, complete with the ridges from the can.

My mom makes a DYNAMITE Thanksgiving dinner! I am just a little picky. For years, I ate a tan Thanksgiving dinner – turkey, roll, and mashed potatoes. Last year was the first time I tried stuffing. I know, it’s ridiculous.

3 – Football game? Yes/No? In person? On TV?

Always! There are two local private high schools that always play on Thanksgiving morning. When I was in high school and college, we went to the Turkey Bowl and it was always freezing but tons of fun. I don’t go to or watch the Turkey Bowl anymore but we do watch NFL games throughout the day.

4 – Talking turkey – white meat or dark meat?

Sure! I like a little of both.

5 – Do you call it stuffing or dressing?

We call it stuffing and we stuff it in the bird. There’s always some extra that my mom cooks in a dish in the oven, but we still call it stuffing.

6 – Tell us three things you are thankful for in this crazy COVID Thanksgiving.

I am mostly thankful for my family and friends. Even though spending every single minute together for months felt a little trying at times, I am thankful for my family. Our friends bubble has also made these safer at home times better. It gives everyone a little break from each other. I am thankful for books! They have given me quite a mental escape during these crazy COVID times. I am thankful for sunshine. Getting away to the beach and soaking up all the sunshine was so good for all four of us! And when we are all here together, the sunshine make each day better because everyone can go outside and run around for a very long time!

7 – Pumpkin pie? Apple pie? Pecan pie?

I’m not really a big pie person but if I had to choose I’d pick apple.

8 – If you celebrate Christmas, do you put up your tree before or after Christmas?

Absolutely not!! I do not put my tree up until Friday morning. The main tree is usually up by 10 am so we can spend the day leisurely decorating it. We spend the rest of the weekend putting up the rest of the trees. One in each bedroom and one in the family room.

9 – Black Friday shopper, yes or no?

I have never been to the stores on Black Friday but I do some internet shopping. Hunting down all of the sales makes my wallet happy but it stresses me out a bit. I usually have a few things that I know I want to get on Black Friday but I don’t do the majority of my shopping then.

I do like to Shop Small on Saturday though! Our downtown Main Street has the cutest shops!

10 – Do you sit at the table for Thanksgiving dinner or dine more casually?

We ALWAYS sit at the table. It can be pretty cozy, but we are all together and that’s what matters. We have been known to lengthen the table with a kitchen or card table on the end. One year, my mom put a ping pong table in the dining room because it was bigger and made sure there was enough room for everyone.

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