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There’s no way around it: the holidays can be tough right now. Due to the economic crisis, some far-flung families can’t afford to get together. Others can’t swing the traditional feast, and they’re dialing it back.
Other families have lost people over politics or another cause, and there are heart-breakingly empty seats at the dinner table. Still others simply have nobody to share the day with for any of a number of reasons.
In 2022, we started a new tradition with our first online OP Friendsgiving. This community is like a family (complete with grouchy uncles and a few members who make us shake our heads with their political beliefs.)
But truly, we have such a lovely community of people here from so many different backgrounds. The conversations are enlightening and ever-interesting. Let’s “get together” here!
I realize this isn’t a substitute for truly being with the people you love, but I hope it helps the day go by a little more easily, just knowing that someone out here cares about you. We’ll be keeping this post front and center on Thanksgiving Day.
I’m going to post a bit about our Thanksgiving and a couple of recipes to get things started, and the things I’m grateful for this year. Please take a moment in the comments to do the same if you feel so moved. And let other commenters know that they’re not alone.
Our Thanksgiving menu
We have a smaller get-together this year and decided to do things a little differently. I don’t know about you, but our favorite parts of Thanksgiving is the sides. We really don’t care that much about the turkey. So we decided to have a Sidesgiving Dinner.
We’re having:
- Charcuterie board with fruit
- Stuffing muffins
- Fresh-made cranberry sauce
- Sweet potatoes
- Garlic green beans
- Dinner rolls
- Gravy
- Sweet corn with butter
- Baked brie
- Pinto beans with onion
For dessert, since I’m not really on my feet this year, I got an assortment of mini-pies from the bakery and a carton of vanilla ice cream. That way we can all have a little bit of each kind.
Aden contributed a Thanksgiving poem for preppers.
Aden wrote the most beautiful poem that I have to share with you. As a prepper, it will really hit home. It’s called Comparison, The Thief of Joy. He’s so creative.
What I’m grateful for this year
Dealing with a long-term injury has been tough, but I know I still have things really good.
I’m incredibly grateful for my family. My girls and I have such a beautiful relationship, and it’s a priceless treasure. The fact that they are adults (24 and 29) and they still want to talk to their mom nearly every day just brings a glow to my heart every time I hear the phone ring.
My friends are wonderful. I’m an introvert. I have very few friends. But the ones I do have…holy cow. They’re just incredible. They’re so supportive, so loving, and so encouraging. They never let me feel lonely during an entire year of barely being able to leave my apartment. They called, visited, texted, and sent memes. It seems like no matter what I’m dealing with or how “crazy” my latest idea sounds, they are there with suggestions, love, and cheerleading. They even tolerate my quirky need for solitude with unrelenting affection. They’ve got my back every step of the way. Y’all know who you are!
I have the most amazing readers in the Bloggerdom. My work is such a privilege. I know everybody says this, but I really never expected to be a blogger with lots of readers. The fact that I’ve gotten to know such a wonderful, supportive, and caring community through the work that I do is a gift that constantly amazes me. I’m going into my 12th year of blogging on The OP and I feel endless gratitude that you all help me do what I love every single day. I always wanted to write, and your visits to my website make that possible. How could I get any luckier than this? You guys mean the world to me.
My recovery is going better than expected. Last year was tough, with two surgeries and a terrible prognosis. But I continue to improve and am already well past the point of expected improvement. I know that in the new year, things will continue to get better, and I really look forward to rejoining the world again.
I’m thankful for the election results. I have been so concerned about the crazy culture taking over our country. I’m thrilled with the outcome of the election and I hope for real change and a step back from the insanity. I deeply hope that our new leadership will pave the way for greater peace, prosperity, health, and happiness.
What about you?
What’s a dish that you make every Thanksgiving without fail? Would you share the recipe with us in the comments? Is there a story behind the recipe? If so, please tell us!
What are you grateful for this year? What makes your heart sing? Let’s talk about it.
And if you are struggling, tell us. Hopefully, a burden shared is a lighter burden.
That being said, we here at the OP love our readers, and we’re so glad that we can provide information and entertainment to you.
Happy Friendsgiving, from my family to yours.
