Thanksgiving

We have traditionally invited "orphans" to our holiday meals as our family is just too small to merit all the fuss of a holiday dinner preparation, Our friend Carlos and his fiance Jen have been the most frequent guests but we've also included Donna (former colleague) and her mom, Petra (Alessandra's piano teacher) and her hubby/son, our friend Mark (before he married his wife who hates us), Amanda (from my Bible study) and her brother, Joe's friend Vic and his wife, even including his daughter and ex-wife too. We had our friend Will a couple of holidays while he was separated from his wife and kids by his job placement (awaiting their relocation here which never happened),

It just seems like a lot of bother to make a 14# turkey, mashed potatoes, Lorraine's sweet potato pie (for Joe), cranberry jello mold (tradition!), rutabaga, cranberry bread and fluffy rolls, baked acorn squash with maple apple stuffing and a green salad, not to mention at least two but usually three pies for just the four of us. It was easier to do rationalize all the cooking and preparation with the whole Rossi clan coming to our house. And getting the premade Thanksgiving dinner for four from the grocery store just seems too depressing (but easy and quick!).

So, we're down to just the six of us this year with Carlos and Jen. All the others have gotten married, moved away or just moved on. The Fruits family shindig is just too far to go and the Rossis cannot travel here (although they keep threatening to...). So, if you know of anyone that is hankering for a good SW Thanksgiving dinner (hey! we've got green chile cornbread this year!), send them by. I'll leave a couple places set, just in case.