Well, that was interesting. Two men came over to our apartment with two good-size cases. In one was a television camera, in the other was a big rectangular light. I wore a lavender blouse, my new purple shawl, and my new lavender straw hat – I know, I know, it’s after Labor Day and straw is over. But I just love that hat, so I wore it anyway.
They set up in our living room, in front of our floor-to-ceiling shelves of books, and for forty-five minutes I was thrown some very nice “softball” questions about my writing. Did I ever use real people in my books? Did I like my covers? Who is my favorite character? It was very pleasurable.
Then we did a segment on my hats. I tried on several hats and they took brief videos of them. I put some hats on the dining room table and they panned across them. That was fun.
Then came the bad news: All this is going to be severely cut into a five-minute presentation! I’m looking forward with some trepidation to the result.
But then came the good news: This is going to be put up on Face Book. Yay! I can’t wait.
We’re going to do something this Thanksgiving I’ve never done in my life: eat out. Oh, okay, while I was in the Navy I ate in the mess hall. But that is not the same thing. At all. We’re going to brunch at my sister-in-law’s house which will probably last until noon or close to it, then at five we’re going to a nice restaurant for a turkey dinner. It felt really strange when I went grocery shopping yesterday and walked past the bins of frozen turkeys and the canned-good shelves of sweet potatoes and kidney beans (I make a killer kidney bean salad just twice a year, at Easter and Thanksgiving) and didn’t even take a good look. But a friend at water aerobics said I was going to love dining out. She’s been doing it for years and wouldn’t have it any other way. So I wonder if this isn’t the start of a new tradition.
I remember many years ago I was working a stressful job and wasn’t looking forward to the annual gathering of my family for Thanksgiving – my five siblings had young, noisy children and were often rubbing up against one another in unhappy ways. So I did a very selfish thing: I didn’t go. I stayed in my small, quiet apartment. I cooked half a turkey breast, made a salad, and watched “Miracle on 34th Street” on commercial-free public television, just me and the cat. It was heaven, a gentle, refreshing break I needed badly.
What’s your Thanksgiving tradition? What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish? What’s your favorite Thanksgiving memory?
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
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7 comments:
45 minutes down to 5?? That will be interesting! Hopefully they will use the hats video while you are talking.
One Thanksgiving years ago, we told each side of the family we were heading over to the others, then we got a motel room in town and enjoyed their buffet and swam in the indoor pool. Loved it!
I used to work retail and the daughter lives 5 hours away. We discovered the casino that's halfway between us has a Thanksgiving buffet we could make reservations for. The best of both worlds, plenty of food, family time,birthday party for one, no leftovers, no dirty dishes. I don't work anymore, but it's our tradition.
The TV segment sounds great, Monica.
Iused to cook Thanksgiving, but since I'm a vegetarian, I started finding it harder and harder to cook a turkey for everyone else. So, we started going out.
The restaurant we've settled on for the past few years is right on the ocean. If we're lucky, we get to see some dolphins pop out of the water.
It's a buffet with all the side dishes for me and the meat items for everyone else, so we're all happy.
But since my husband misses leftovers, I buy some prepared turkey, cranberry sauce, etc, at the grocery store for him.
Carol, that's a good idea, panning over the hats while part of my interview is a voice-over.
Dee, I like your solution of gathering the family at a buffet - the best of both worlds indeed!
Betty, I like your suggestion of buying food items specifically to provide "leftovers"! Clever, I may do that, too.
Looking forward to seeing the interview. We used to always make it to the family thing at my brothers. As my neices and nephews married and had children, it has become increasingly loud and as you said they rub up against each other in unhappy ways. Lately we have put a group of people together and do dinner with friends and it is a nice break instead of a chore.
Sounds as if you'll be able to save your interview, Monica, from Facebook--in its entirety. Glad it went well. Eating out at Thanksgiving does sound very relaxing. You can let other people do the work!
I'm usually working on holidays-and I will be on Thanksgiving. On that day I'll have a nice meal before I go in-not sure what yet. Then the Saturday after (when I'm off work) I'll celebrate with my folks. It'll be a bit odd this year as Dad is still in rehab-so we'll probably visit him, then Mom and I will have a traditional meal. She's already made plans to eat with him at the rehab place on Thanksgiving. Their food is actually wonderful!
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