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| Me, Tom, and Kathy during the cocktail hour before dinner on Christmas Day last year. |
At last night’s Christmas dinner at Mary and Eugene’s home, again, we didn’t take photos to respect the attendees’ wishes. Not everyone feels comfortable having their photos taken and published online.
With 11 guests at the beautifully set the table, all passed and enjoyed the delicious foods. However, I could only eat the ham and turkey, but I’d had a salad earlier in the day.
After dinner, when the lemon meringue, pumpkin, and pecan pies were placed on the table with a large can of aerosol whipped cream, my mouth watered. In my old life, I would have eaten any one of them. But, I resisted after eating my plate of ham and turkey.
I always make an effort to avoid making a big deal of what I cannot eat, preferring to focus on what I can. Of course, others always comment on the lack of starches, grains, and sugar-laden items on my plate, and I state I have an inflammatory condition (so actual) that prevents me from partaking.
The menu consisted of most items included in a typical Thanksgiving dinner; roasted turkey with stuffing (plus lean ham in this case); mashed potatoes and gravy; sweet potato casserole; green bean casserole; white buns and pumpkin pie (plus other pies) for dessert. It has always been a favorite meal for most Americans. (I’d made the green beans and sweet potatoes earlier in the day).
During and after dinner, the conversation was rich and varied as we all easily connected with ease. Nine of the group were from Minnesota and, their neighbors Jane and Len are from Iowa. Eugene’s sister and her husband were in attendance, along with the widow of one of their brothers who’d passed away years ago.
During the day and evening, we had an opportunity to speak to four of our six grandchildren in Minnesota. Also, I spent time on the phone talking to both of my sisters, Julie in California and Susan in Nevada. Tom spent time on the phone with his eldest brother, Jerome. It was a good day.
Today will be low-key. We have leftover green beans and sweet potatoes, which Tom will have with the marinated chicken breasts we’ll make on the grill with other sides of riced cauliflower and salad.
We just returned from a walk in the neighborhood. I must admit I haven’t been doing as much walking as I should since my legs began to improve in October. After all, I could not walk far for over eight months due to the two surgeries on my legs and the crippling medications.
I know I should have been walking each day since we arrived here two weeks ago, especially now that the awful coughing has ended. We’ve been here 2½ weeks, and the time has come for me to commit to walking regularly.
My fitness device always reads at least 7000 steps a day, but I need to crank that up by walking with vigor on the street, not just going back and forth to Tom’s sister’s homes and moving about the house.
I’m committed, as of today, instead of waiting to make New Year’s resolutions which I’ve never been one to make, if I need to get something done, no need to wait for the New Year.
That’s it for today, folks. We hope every one of you who celebrates the holidays had a lovely Christmas day as well.
We’ll be back again soon!
Photo from one year ago today, December 26, 2018:
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| Kathy and Don do a tremendous amount of hosting guests and always do so with aplomb and ease. For more photos, please click here. |