Alone on Thanksgiving

[CaliPoutine]

This thread made me feel sad cause I'm not even in my own country now and while I'm cooking an entire Thanksgiving meal, having it with Canadians isnt the same. ( feel free to ignore me, I'm just feeling sorry for myself)

Randi ( yes, another Randi)

[Timh]

Find a great restaurant serving that day, and treat yourself. Being waited on, no mess to clean up, ... sounds like a great day to me.

[Pan]

This thread made me feel sad cause I'm not even in my own country now and while I'm cooking an entire Thanksgiving meal, having it with Canadians isnt the same.[...]

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Yeah, but don't you get to celebrate Thanksgiving twice?

[KatieLoeb]

Takeout Chinese? no no, that's CHRISTMAS Day! 

So true! Chinese food and the movies has always been "Jewish Christmas" for me, if I didn't have an invite someplace.

Glad you liked the spa day idea. And the pot of mulled wine or cider makes the whole house smell festive and wonderful too. Then you can curl up with your mug and your fuzzy bunny slippers and watch a favorite flick. I personally always enjoy It's a Beautiful Life, even though most folks consider that a Christmas movie. Other old classics (anything with Katherine Hepburn is great!) are the perfect balm for the soul on a day like that.

You might want to consider picking up your Thanksgiving dinner at Boston Market the night before, and then simply reheating it, so you can really enjoy puttering around in your bathrobe or PJs and not have to go out on Thanksgiving proper.

Of course, if you're feeling up to it, the volunteering suggestion is a wonderful one and could be a very empowering thing to do as well.

[tejon]

I've been lucky enough to host my own Thanksgiving for the past few years, and had a friends and family gathering (an odd, loose group of people who all were somehow connected) before that. If I ever found myself alone on Thanksgiving day itself, I'd probably do what I helped with last year - feeding homeless people directly. It was a truly amazing experience, moreso for all of us who helped than those who received food and other essentials. Nothing like sharing the true bounty that we have with those who have a hard time putting shelter together.

I feel so blessed to be making dinner for family and friends this year as I have in years past, but I pass that blessing along whenever possible. Anyone is welcome at my table, and there is always room for another to share the bounty. If you were closer, I'd extend that invitation personally

[Gifted Gourmet]

feeding homeless people directly. It was a truly amazing experience, moreso for all of us who helped than those who received food and other essentials. Nothing like sharing the true bounty that we have with those who have a hard time putting shelter together.

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This is where my family goes on the morning of Thanksgiving and we have done this for several years .. we help prepare the meals and another group of people comes in to serve them all afternoon ... so, Kathy, I have to commend you on your post ... and your making the holiday good for those who need it most.

No one needs to be alone on a holiday ...

[suzilightning]

when i was in college and anywhere from 8-13 hours from home i always went to thanksgiving service(yes, i am that old ) then to one of the local places that served dinner to the hungry. since i have done everything from washing dishes to working the line i slid in where ever i could lend a hand.

for the 15 years or so i work the day after thanksgiving so i send johnnybird up to his family with some food(the tradition for him is lunch with this mom and whichever siblings are available, dessert out at his uncle with his dad's family, if the weather is nice it's 9 holes of golf the next day with his dad, one uncle and his brother then take his dad out for a birthday dinner friday night) and i am either counting hawks on the hawkwatch or, if the weather is bad, going with a coworker to a local nursing home to help feed the residents. then i go home and eat something i want to - this year may be macaroni and cheese and some green beans with garlic.

randi, you're always welcome to come up north to visit though, if the weather holds we will be having a bit of snow

[Wendy DeBord]

Find a great restaurant serving that day, and treat yourself. Being waited on, no mess to clean up, ... sounds like a great day to me.

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That sounds like a great day to me too.............except it stinks being the person who's missing the holiday with their family to serve you.

[K8memphis]

Find a great restaurant serving that day, and treat yourself. Being waited on, no mess to clean up, ... sounds like a great day to me.

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That sounds like a great day to me too.............except it stinks being the person who's missing the holiday with their family to serve you.

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Kinda sorta--gives them something to keep their mind on. Umm, I always worked the holidays before I had my family so others with family could enjoy. It can be cool too.

Would be cool if your employer would consider getting a temp to stand in for you. Maybe next year...

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Find a great restaurant serving that day, and treat yourself. Being waited on, no mess to clean up, ... sounds like a great day to me.

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That sounds like a great day to me too.............except it stinks being the person who's missing the holiday with their family to serve you.

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Only if they're being forced against their will to do it for nothing.

[Susan G]

I'm going to be spending it alone, and I'm going to some thoughtful lengths to not be pitiful about it............

Divorce papers came through this week (note to self: Need to change list name), and best friend will be meeting SO's adult daughter for the first time.

I've decided to support my local restaurant - run by two lovely men who are neighbors *and* friends - and indulge in their lovely Thanksgiving buffet........and then be available for community service with the local volunteer ambulance service. Post-supper will be spent baking gingerbread men - something that always makes me cheerful, and gets me ahead of the holiday preparation curve!

What are other people doing?

[Carrot Top]

I'm going to be spending it alone, and I'm going to some thoughtful lengths to not be pitiful about it............

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Ah, there. . .you see? I went to great thoughtful lengths *to* be pitiful about it, Susan.

A long time ago, I discovered that sharing yucky stories with my best friends, when they had their own troubles, was really a great thing to do. Sort of a competition, you know, as to who has the absolutely worst story ever that happened to them.

Makes everybody feel better.

So let me tell you right now - the weather here is dreadful.

[Susan G]

So sorry, CT, I was casting no stones in anyone's direction!

[Carrot Top]

So sorry, CT, I was casting no stones in anyone's direction!

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I didn't think you were, Susan. Just trying to tell you how bad the weather is here. Cold. Almost snowing. Grey. Not like New Mexico. And we have absolutely no good tacos here either.

I like the idea of volunteering. It seems like an excellent thing to do. Hope all things that need being done get done and that you do find bits of joy in the day.

As for me, I will post my Pranksgiving meal when it happens. Might even take some - - - photos.

Edited November 22, 2005 by Carrot Top (log)

[CaliPoutine]

This thread made me feel sad cause I'm not even in my own country now and while I'm cooking an entire Thanksgiving meal, having it with Canadians isnt the same.[...]

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Yeah, but don't you get to celebrate Thanksgiving twice?

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I suppose technically, but my spouse and inlaws dont really care about canadian thanksgiving so they just haphazardly throw together a meal and eat it on the Saturday or Sunday before the Canadian Thanksgiving Monday and call it Thanksgiving.

[K8memphis]

I'm going to be spending it alone, and I'm going to some thoughtful lengths to not be pitiful about it............

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Ah, there. . .you see? I went to great thoughtful lengths *to* be pitiful about it, Susan.

A long time ago, I discovered that sharing yucky stories with my best friends, when they had their own troubles, was really a great thing to do. Sort of a competition, you know, as to who has the absolutely worst story ever that happened to them.

Makes everybody feel better.

So let me tell you right now - the weather here is dreadful.

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...and my feet hurt

but if I take my shoes off my feet will be cold because I've been working all day & well, feet sweat

Not only that but the freaking Eiffel Tower cake (geez louise already) that I was just introduced to today that we thought was for a 4pm delivery tomorrow is really for an 11:30 delivery Good thing we at least found out it got moved up but I don't want to end on a happy note,,,ummm,,,my cat is sick.

[winesonoma]

Go volunteer somewhere and have a really good bottle of wine and dessert when you get home. Warms the heart and feeds the soul.

[prasantrin]

I've never been big on holidays--I don't really care about Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. and I think that has helped regarding spending holidays away from home. It really doesn't bother me to be away from family on holidays, or to celebrate a holiday alone if none of my friends are around.

I do like food, however, so whether I am alone or with friends, I still make Thanksgiving dinner (with chicken instead of turkey) complete with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, etc. etc. Last year I did a feast for 6 (I had a couple of weeks worth of leftovers--I don't know what I was thinking!), but this year I decided to do it just for myself. Plus I'm adding a ham steak for good measure!

[misgabi]

As an Australian who don't really celebrate Thanksgiving I feel a bit shy offering advice. Then I decided, what with the turkey and all it is rather like our Christmas.

Personally, I am always looking for "strays" I adore inviting people who have nowhere else to go. I think you workmates may surprise you - don't be embarassed, you are not asking for an invite and just mentioning you situation may surprise you.

Apart from that I spent a Christmas alone (see above for our similarity in Australia to your Thanksgiving!!!), and cooked a turkey for myself and ate ALL the best bits!!

[mizducky]

A few friends and I are going on a five-day drinking binge.

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Now this sounds like it has some possibilities. Some hazards, too, I suppose. But hey, that's what life is all about.

I've been living on the opposite coast from my family for some 15 years now, so I've come up with a variety of Thanksgiving strategies, some of which have worked better than others. The hazard of getting invited to share Thanksgiving with a friend's family, I've discovered, is that instead of my own family's holiday neuroses, I can sometimes find myself witness to a whole other family's holiday neuroses. And I must confess that sometimes I also find myself witness to other families'--how to say this delicately without sounding like an ingrate?--less-than-optimum cooking expertise. To be sure, the cameraderie, when it's good, more than makes up for the sometimes haphazard food and occasional family drama-ramas. But sometimes I just find it easier to spend the holiday on my own, making and/or buying food that personally delights me--or finding someplace to volunteer.

This year, as I've noted elsewhere, I've been majorly busy with a project whose deadline is the 26th, so I've had no time whatsoever to think about making any special meals for myself. But I lucked out in that the gay/bi/lesbian group at my church is playing host to a free community dinner sponsored by a couple of groups at our city's gay community center. So, I'll actually experience what I might consider the best of all possible shared Thanksgiving dinners: I'll be volunteering for a good cause; as the sponsoring groups are doing all the heavy work, all I have to do is show up and play hostess with my fellow church members; as the meal itself is being donated by a local caterer and friend of the San Diego gay community, I'm anticipating the food will actually be pretty excellent; as one of the groups sponsoring this shindig is the local chapter of the Imperial Court, there will definitely be some fun flamboyance at the dinner; and last but not least is the whole flood of people who will be our guests: people of slim financial means, people estranged from their birth families, people with AIDS who might not have the energy to make their own feast and deserve a day of food-pampering--just a whole bunch of people who, not unlike me, could use a nice friendly accepting place to hang with others and share the holiday.

And then I'll come home and sleep A LOT!!!!!!! preparatory to my final push towards the project deadline.

And in the week or two following, I'm aiming to cook myself my own little postponed Thanksgiving feast, just because the cooking part of it is one of my personal favorite childhood memories. I believe Fearless Housemate has a couple out-of-town gigs coming, so if I time it right I'll be free to be as stinky as I wanna be in the kitchen. Ideally, I want to make a roast duck (yes, I'm a metaphorical cannibal), but at the very least I'll do a roast chicken or Cornish game hen. Or maybe, if I'm really lucky, I'll find a really tiny turkey on close-out, and just have a helluva lotta leftovers.

[lamb]

Randi,

My son, while doing community service for high school, volunteered here

Elijah's Promise

Located in New Brunswick, it's probably close to you. Although he's in college now, he still talks about how fulfilling it was for him to do this and how much he appreciated coming home to his family after serving.

I wish you a thankful Thanksgiving, no matter how you spend it!

[phaelon56]

It's too bad you don't live in or near Syracuse (I see the mention of Wegman's but that could place you in NJ, VA, PA or western NY state). I'm cooking again for the second year in a row and I love doing it but the drag is not having enough people.

There are six of us in total - possibly only five - it's always better and more fun with a bigger crowd. I agree with the others - just wrangle an invite. Every friend or relative I can think of in my circle of acquaintance would love to have extra guests given the opportunity (except my crank curmudgeonly aunt who grouses even about having her own children over).

[Katie Nell]

I am often at a loss at to how to do this thing of being a single parent...

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Beautiful post CarrotTop!

Edited November 23, 2005 by Katie Nell (log)