Glenda, I like how you always make the best of a situation! I can't help but wonder why the "other" family can't make room for one more You would be an asset at any table:)

I echo ellendi's thoughts and comments. You are such a neat lady! Enjoy your luncheon with your friend's son.

I used to have an Great Aunt Bea, so it's a nice reminder of her when I see you talk about your friend Bee :)

In our house, we combine families for most of our holidays. My mom is a widow, and I am an only child, so she would be alone most times also. We are lucky that we live close by and actually all get along (shocking idea I know!!). I know that is not the case for MANY people, so I am thankful for that.

I think Thanksgiving is all about getting family, friends or even strangers together to share a meal and be thankful for all that we have.

Enjoy your meal Glenda whatever it turns out to be!!Personally, I'd go for the surf & turf!

After my grandparents had to give up their annual TG dinner/lunch I took over. I not only combined 2 families but added several friends and a brother in law brought 6 Air Force guys who had no place to go. We all had a great time --so much food and so much sharing. It can be done. I do miss that, but will go to Granddaughters where there will be 2 families ++ Probably 10 kids under 10. Lots of noise but lots of love too.

Whoops! forgot that brother in law does not like turkey, so had a nice beef roast.

Not me! I'm a vegetarian so that automatically disqualifies me from traditional Thanksgiving.

Plus this year I launched my baking business and I have about 20 cakes/pies/cheesecakes to deliver for Thanksgiving while working full time so I'm pretty sure the last thing I will want to do is cook!

Going to be all the traditional things for us. Everyone brings something to share. There will be about 20 of us this year.
Glenda I agree with the previous posters. I don't understand why the "other" family doesn't include you. Sad that your son allows you to be alone on so many Holidays. One would think he would make sure his Mother wasn't alone. I'm sorry because I know it must hurt you, even though you say it doesn't.

Our group will be rather unusual....DD is hosting; her guests are her SO, her two grown kids, her ex-husband, his wife, and her two grown kids, another of my DDs,her son and wife, and me. Oh, yes, at some time the 16-month twins will be there. Sounds like a fun day.

This year we are going to Cracker Barrel, first time we have ever not been home for thanksgiving.
Seems a little strange not to be planning the Thanksgiving dinner.. will be just the 2 of us, my daughter and her husband...

A few years back my wife and I were traveling on business in Brazil over Thanksgiving. A professor my wife was working with took us and several of the students to a churrascaria for dinner on Thanksgiving. (A churrascaria is a restaurant where servers roam around the restaurant with skewers of various cooked meats, continually stopping at each table to offer some to everyone at the table)

While there I mentioned that it was the US holiday of Thanksgiving and described it to the professor and the Brazilian students in general terms: get together with family and/or friends and have a large meal together, and described the "traditional" Thanksgiving meal.

I was merely trying to make conversation, and make the point that what we were doing was pretty similar to the Thanksgiving tradition. However the professor responded "I'll see what I can do" and flagged the head waiter over, and spoke to him in rapid Portuguese. The waiter responded to us "We don't have any turkey but I'll see what we can do." and disappeared into the kitchen.

About 10 minutes later he emerged from the kitchen followed by a server carrying a large skewer of meat, he presented it to us with a big beaming smile saying "This is as close as I could get to turkey. Its Ostrich." It didn't taste even a little like turkey, but it was delicious.

This year will be a much more traditional Thanksgiving.

I've had ostrich before, grilled at the Carnivore Grill in Nairobi. Excellent as well as everything else.

Darn it, Glenda. I wish we lived closer. I'd have you here in my kitchen while we cooked, drank a little wine and talked til we couldn't talk anymore. That would be so fun!

I think dinner out at Ruth Chris would be just wonderful. When our kids get married the sad part is we have to share them with those dratted in-laws on holidays. ;-) We have Christmas alone, but I'm used to it now and it's not a problem. I'm sure it isn't for you, either. Enjoy dinner out, if you decide to go. I've never eaten there but understand the food is excellent!

Thanksgiving is a great day for us to rest before all of the celebrations in December. We never have a traditional meal because we will cook that meal three or four times for large family gatherings around Christmas, the first one being December 1. I think the Canadians are smarter because they have Thanksgiving in October, not so close to Christmas and Hanukkah.

Glenda, if that doesn't work out with Bea's son I would love for you to join us at my house for TG. We were supposed to go to Anniston but DSIL's Grandmother is in the hospital in Mobile so his Mom is down there with her. Soooo, TG has been moved to my house. We can always squeeze in another plate and there will be plenty of food. DSIL's Dad, Uncle and Aunt will be joining us. They are a fun group so join us if you don't make other plans. I think it's awful that "the other side of the family" doesn't include you in their plans. Then again that's not always a bad thing if you don't want to spend time with them. LOL!

You are a sweetie, Linda! Thanks!

I'll know for sure Sunday. Will call or send you can email.
glenda

I wish you lived closer, too. It's just DH. DS and me. Only once didn't have the traditional Thanksgiving years ago. Since then, I'd rather stay home and cook a turkey even if it's only two of us. Of course, the meal has been scaled down a lot but the most important thing is that turkey so we can have turkey sandwiches.

a first for us..we're going over to ds1's for football, then to his mils for dinner...don't have a clue what they're serving, but we're bringing pumpkin pie...

i've had dinner out several times as a kid, and once on the side of camel back mt in phoenix...beautiful place...

Bob, yours is a special story.

Just me and my husband....daughter is going to "other family" and we are always invited to have dinner with a friend, but I want to stay home this year and will fix turkey and dressing for us. I would like to eat out at Moody Gardens in Galveston....they have a good buffet...but I had some pretty extensive dental surgery and I can't eat a lot of things right now.

chi83

Please tell us more about your new busines venture maybe on a sep thread. Sounds like a big undertaking but something you love to do !!