And So It's Thanksgiving...And What Have You Done

 So to get in the mood for the reason for the day -- consuming mass quantities -- on Tuesday night Jonathan returned from a friend's dinner and said he wouldn't mind a cocktail. D2 joined in, and along with teetotaling Wifey, watched the latest episode of "Curb."

Yesterday, Miriam and Isobel were here to clean, and Wifey slept in. D2 was there, not having to work but still doing so, and I got ready. D2 asked where I was going, and I answered I didn't know, but out. Wednesdays the house isn't mine -- and I tend to flee.

I decided to go up to Aventura to Mo's, and texted Paul and my nephew of another mother, Josh, my Waze status. Both were free -- and I fetched Paul at the bank at Aventura Mall, and we sat outside. Josh arrived, and we all continued training for today -- with brisket and pastrami sandwiches. We sat for hours -- it was a lovely, female-less episode. Josh let on how he loves getting wisdom from old guys. He has an old soul himself.

I came home to a sad Wifey. She had visited my ancient suegra, and she was barely responsive. The hospice folks said she would barely take Ensure, and she said a few words. She's taught us, though, that when we think she's going to pass on, she surfaces like a porpoise, and lives on. Her 97th birthday is just over 2 weeks away. The Ds and I will go see her in the next few days.

On the way to Aventura, I spoke to my Florida sister and brother in law. They've moved to Lutz now -- to be close to their daughter and her family. We reminisced about T Days past -- and they were fine ones. My sister would always host, in a lovely house on a lake in West Boynton, on an outside table, and we would eat and laugh -- and enjoy our dear Mom, who would, sometimes unintentionally, provide the biggest laughs, with her hearing issues.

Alas, sometimes the death of a family's matriarch brings extended family closer, but in our case it had the opposite effect -- and T Days over the past decade and a half for us have been here in the 305. Now, with both Ds married into loving South American Jewish families, and Wifey and I being the "Americans," we host -- either at local restaurants, or home, with caterers, on account of we don't cook.

Last year, with the plague raging, we brought in food from a local place, Chef's kitchen, for just the Ds, their men, and the nearly one year old grandson. They sent a whole cooked turkey, and we realized we didn't even have a carving knife! But Joey is VERY good with his hands, and I know how to carve a turkey, and so like an aging Attending doctor and his young resident, actually doing the work, we acquitted ourselves well.

This year, we're able to have back Joey and Jonathan's family, and Catering by Les is up on deck. We used them 2 years ago, and they were awesome -- the server was a large, affable Catracho who mixed a fine martini as he served the food.

We had bought all new appliances, and Bouche, the supplier, said the oven would be in by T Day. The cabinet maker, friendly Israeli fellow, removed the old one and made ready the space -- but -- no oven. No problem, says Les -- warming trays are coming in -- he does lots of TDays at remote places without even electricity. So they're due here at 12:30 and lunch is at 2.

It'll be 14 of us plus an about to turn 2 year old grandson! And, since D1's birthday is Saturday -- we'll celebrate that as well. Somehow that adorable little girl is turning 33. Talk about sunrise; sunset.

So I'm off for my constitutional in blessedly cooler temperatures. I'll put some Sinatra on the Sonos. We'll fend off the dog infestation we have here -- especially the enormous puppy whose head reaches all of the table tops.

And mostly we'll be thankful -- the Big Man has given us another year to enjoy the love we all share so deeply -- and time to talk of years gone by, and years, hopefully, to come.

We'll toast my departed, dear parents. My father would SO have loved meeting my consuegros -- Jews from Colombia and Venezuela, of all things. He thought his friend Harry Binder's wife, born and raised in North Carolina, was an exotic Hebrew! Mom would have been happy just seeing everyone else happy.

And this is what we have done.