Friday, November 27, 2009

Well......I'm Stuffed!


I went to my mother's for Thanksgiving dinner, and manage to down a plateful of roast turkey breast, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, and something that came out of a cardboard tube, that appeared to be impersonating a bread roll, all topped off with a slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and a dish of rocky road ice cream. What? Two deserts, you ask? Oh yes! Thanksgiving after all, is a day of forgivable gluttony. To my credit, I did passed on the corn, and cranberry jelly, but mainly because I didn't need another serving of simple carbohydrates, and I prefer whole berry cranberry sauce to cranberry jelly, but then beggars can't be choosers. Actually, cranberry jelly isn't bad, when combined with peanut butter and bread, to make what is known in the vernacular, as a choke and slide. Helen....are you listening? Yum!

I've been slacking off on the exercise for the past month or so, and it is starting to show on my midriff. Can't have that! With winter coming on, and the urge toward more lethargic indoor pursuits, I am gong to have to redouble my efforts on the stationary bike. An hour every other day is just not going to get if, I intend to keep on wearing the same size clothes. Nothing is more depressing than having to go up a size, and it so easily prevented with a dedicated hour of aerobics, at least five days a week.

Mom, my sister, and my niece all remained in good spirits, in spite of the absence of my twin. It's been over a month now, and the reality of her departure is beginning to sink in, although I wouldn't be surprised if a tear or two is shed at Christmas, when her absence will surely be noticed more.

Speaking of Christmas, in one of my past blogs, I mentioned that I was going to get an advent calendar, because I haven't had one since I was a child. Well, in fact, I got five! One for my sister, one for each of my two nieces, one for my mother, and one for myself! The one in the picture at the top of this blog is mine. In four more days, I will be able to start opening windows leading up to Christmas, just like I did when I was a child. Hopefully my deceased Welsh grandmother will forgive me, for buying them from the Catholics! That's one of the lovely things about being an agnostic. I don't have any religion to feel superior too.

I hope all of my American friends had an enjoyable and peaceful Thanksgiving, and thanks to my friends in the UK, who sent their best wishes!

Melissa XX

9 comments:

Melissa said...

If you click a couple of times to enlarge and you look in the picture, you will see the baby Jesus, wrapped in what are ostensibly swaddling clothes, but if you ask me, it looks more like the baby Jesus is entering his larval stage! :-D

Melissa XX

Leslie Ann said...

He does seem to be bursting forth from a termite egg. You heretic!

Lucy Melford said...

How irreverent! But he does, doesn't he?

I also used to like advent calendars, although it was something I did when a young adult in my own place, and not at home. Might well get one this year. It may put some of the magic back into Christmas!

Lucy

Anonymous said...

Hi Melissa
Happy Thanksgiving! Wow just as I got used to the idea of 'choke n slide' as perhaps strawberry jam (jello) acompaniment to peanut butter you now broaden the pallete of options with cranberry! Now I know I will have to try that sometime over Christmas and will let you have my objective appraisal! LOL :) Oh and when I said to my wife do you know what 'choke n slide' is slang for in America? I wont tell you her reply - I was too shocked!!!

We have an advent calender up in our house on December 1st. Its a lovely tradition that goes back to my childhood. Enjoy yours! Hope the exersize bike does the job for you, Christmas food is such a killer calorie wise I'm already dreading it!

Lots of Love
Helen

Caroline said...

One year I made an enormous quantity of apple jelly and was shortly afterwards introduced to it's best friend peanut butter. It took a hell of a lot of exercise to wear that off my middle!

Christmas, only four weeks and it will be over.

Caroline xx

Anonymous said...

All I can think of (as I'm LMAO!)is what Helen's wife thought "choke n slide" means...LOL.

Kay & Sarah said...

Ah, the holidays, food and more food. Melissa, if you want to read something that will put the meaning of Christmas in a different light, read Marcus Borg's "The First Christmas", What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Birth! Interesting perspective!!
Sarah

Naukishtae said...

Well, never heard "choke and slide" before, but here's a slightly different turkey sandawitch.. 2 slices of bread.. dah.. (the bread may vary, depending on where you are in the world).. put cream chease on one slice, as thick as you like.. crannberry sauce on the other.. lay out some sliced turkey over the crannberry.. put the creamchease piece on top, and slice the way you like it.... now I have to admit to also adding stuffing when available.... enjoy

Naukishtae

Calie said...

I used to live for the Advent calendar that had been passed down through at least three generations. Brings back some good memories.

I was thinking of you, Melissa, over the Thanksgiving holiday. I'm glad your family gathering worked out OK, despite the loss of your twin sister. I'm sure your family memebers saw a part of her in you, the twin, and that must be so comforting.

Calie xxx