It’s Not Only Turkeys That Are Stuffed

Helllooooooo ……. Is anybody out there? Anybody? Anybody at all?  ....... I was afraid that would happen. That’s okay. I talk to myself a lot. I’m used to it. Or I’ll just pretend like I’m talking to my computer. I do that a lot too.

I have been busy tunneling through the mountain of tissues that have piled up around me during the last 10 days. And let me tell you; it’s hard work to tunnel through tissue with a body bloated and sloshing from gallons upon gallons of tea. And it takes alot of time. So I haven't been very productive recently. If I’m not on the couch, I’m making and drinking tea. And if I’m not making and drinking tea, I’m in the bathroom because I just made and drank a lot of tea. And then I make more tea and well, you know…back in the bathroom. While I’m doing all that I’m blowing my nose. And when you’re drinking as much tea as I am, you don’t want to do a lot of nose-blowing or sneezing unless you’re making regular trips to the bathroom. I’m just sayin’. When I’m not at home lying on the couch, blowing my nose, drinking tea, or you know, in the bathroom, I’m at work pretty much doing the same thing. Except for the couch part. The good thing is, the walk down the hall to the break room to get more hot water for more tea and subsequently, more walks to the bathroom, is much further than at home so at least I’m getting some exercise.

I’m pretty sure I’ve left a goodly portion of my brains in those tissues. I cannot believe the human body can produce as much snot as mine has over the past 10 days. There just has to be something else blowing out of my head and all I can come up with is my brains. I’m sure I’ve lost some grey matter. I have a suspicion that I am currently not the sharpest carving knife in the drawer. I’m a pumpkin pie without the whipped cream. I’m potatoes without gravy. I’m a turkey sandwich without the cranberries. Lately Dean’s been giving me “the look”. The sympathetic, slight head-shaking, “I love her but jeeze, she’s an even bigger dork than usual” look. So writing this post is probably not the smartest move I could make. But as I said, I’m a lemon pie without meringue.

However, even with only partial brain power I’m going to get back on the horse, so to speak. I’m getting my sticky fingers typing again so I can wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving spent with your families. Dean and I are on our own for Thanksgiving this year. Leslie’s with Ryan’s family and Abby is cooking her first ever Thanksgiving dinner in Ecuador. It’s probably better that we are on our own because nobody should be forced to listen to my incessant nose-blowing. Nobody other than that special someone with whom I share that myriad of honks, toots, puffs, snorts, creaks, pops, and aromas unique to each of us. We will roast a turkey and I will bake the required pumpkin pie. We’ll have homemade dinner rolls and our traditional cranberry/whipped cream salad (which I am sharing with you below).  And I have plenty of boxes of nice soft tissues. We are ready.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING everybody! May the only snorting and blowing you hear be from laughter and cooling your food.

Cranberry Salad

(from my sister)

Ingredients

2 cups chopped cranberries

1 cup sugar

7 ounces crushed pineapple (drained—save juice)

7 ounces mandarin oranges (drained – save juice)

¾ cup juice (from saved pineapple/mandarin oranges)

2 packages unflavored gelatin

1 cup sour cream

1 cup coconut

1 cup whipped cream

Heat ¾ cup juice with unflavored gelatin

Mix with sugar, cranberries, pineapple and mandarin oranges

Fold in: sour cream, coconut, whipped cream

Refrigerate

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It’s Not Only Turkeys That Are Stuffed