Happy Thanksgiving to you, Dear Sue and family. I will have a few friends over to share the day, but I would be okay alone, too.

It doesn't bother me at all. We are going to eat with the kind lady who gave shelter to my horses following the flood, but though I appreciate her inviting us, I would rather be at home. I have so much to do, I hate taking a day off.

We are fortunate to have family near us. This year it's only family coming, but the past few, it's been "Friends (and family) giving." That's what it's all about anyway.

I'd be okay alone. But glad I'm not going to be.

There is always just the two of us. We have no family. We will be going out to a local restaurant for our Thanksgiving dinner.

I have done Thanksgiving for just the two of us........can't bear the thought of going to a restaurant. This year my daughter, who is usually on the road for Thanksgiving and other holidays, will be home and is doing the cooking. YEAH!

The entire family gets together. Have never spent any holiday alone.

It'll be just the two of us and that's fine. I'm thawing the turkey and we'll have a nice dinner and lots of good leftovers. When we lived in Florida, my husband used to drive up to Georgia to hunt over the long Thanksgiving weekend. I always cooked our Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday. I really enjoyed being home alone on Thanksgiving and I would make it a point to work on a special project every time. He got to do what he wanted to do and I got to do what I wanted to do. It was nice!

Not this year, but I have been alone on a couple of previous T'days. Also one Christmas. With a large extended family scattered across the country, it seldom happens that we are all together in one place at the holidays. But if we were not together on the exact day, there was always a pre- or post-holiday family gathering of as many of the locals as could manage.

My family was appalled at my decision for the one Christmas I spent alone :-) All of my nearby relatives were out of town celebrating with other family members elsewhere and it required a ferry ride and significant travel to get to the remaining ones and I opted NOT to spend my Christmas in the car. I cooked a great meal for myself, opened the couple of gifts I received, talked to or texted everyone of importance, took the dog for a long walk and went to the movies. I had a lovely day!!

The older you get, the less significance holidays seem to hold. It is just another day........

As usual it will be all of our children, three with their spouses and the little ones plus two extended family members and one person we have yet to meet, a friend of my widowed daughter and his little dog!

Sue

Just me and DH this year. That's fine. We are having a heatwave: low 90's today and tomorrow.

I don't think I would mind being alone. Time to be a little introspective, get a few things done, read, watch a movie, garden, take the dog somewhere he likes--do anything I wish.

For me, no reason is needed to gather with family or friends you want to see when you have the chance and also none when you don't. We've done "Thanksgiving" weeks early and also weeks late, depending on schedules of those involved. And some years, not at all.

I'm with gardengal to an extent, I think people overdo holidays and I'm not sure why. But I differ in this respect, I gladly submit to moderate inconvenience (or more) for the chance to see people I want to see. If you don't, then you really didn't want to see them. I'm taking a very long flight abroad today for that very reason.

I will be eating out with friends on Thanksgiving at a local restaurant that has a huge Thanksgiving buffet every year. It will be fun and a chance to visit. I will miss being able to munch on leftovers the next day but did buy a couple of turkey breasts yesterday for future use.

I spent one alone when I was 32 and had just had a hysterectomy. I forced my husband and the kids to go to his mother's for dinner and I'd be okay but I wasn't. I remember crying in my bed. Of course it may have been because I had no estrogen. I put on a good act when they came home.

The wonderful lady that gave us a place to live after the flood is having us and some other neighbors over to her house for Thanksgiving dinner. She invited anyone in the neighborhood who flooded and all of the garden club, of course many of them had other commitments but how gracious of her to do that.

We have spent a few holidays just the 2 of us together and it's fine. I usually am the one cooking though so this time will be a little different and easier lol.

We celebrated an early Thanksgiving earlier this month when my sister was here visiting. Aside for a couple of aunts in Canada and some distant cousins I have never met, there is no other family, so it will be just my husband and me on Thursday. We are smoking a brisket and making sides typically served with BBQ. I'm thinking about making a decadent dessert that isn't Thanksgiving themed.

When hubby was working, he was often out of state or out of country on the big holidays, so I became used to spending them alone. Sometimes I would go to a friend's house and sometimes I would opt to spend the time alone at home. No matter what I ended up doing, I always enjoyed myself, but I've never minded being alone. I can always find plenty of things to occupy my time and I'm quite content to spend a day doing exactly what I wish to do including having popcorn for dinner if that's what I want.

I hope all of you have a nice holiday whether you are with family and friends or if you are on your own this year.

We had our main dinner last Saturday while friends and family were in town to celebrate riding in El Tour de Tucson. I cooked for 18 people and enjoyed every minute of it! That is a family tradition for us and we had relatives from Calif., Ohio, Wisc. here plus a couple of long time friends who live here. Bob and I will probably stay home tomorrow (my choice) and have turkey casserole with a salad and dessert. Happy Thanksgiving to each of our friends at the KT!

Me! I'm fine. Had son and wife for pre Thanksgiving brunch Sunday.

I will be alone, by my own choice. Our big Thanksgiving family dinner will be Sunday, as everyone has commitments to their spouse's families tomorrow. I've been invited to a couple of them, but decided to stay home by myself, perhaps binge watch Hallmark Christmas movies (I've never done that before!) and/or work on some craft projects that I enjoy. I'm really looking forward to it!

Rusty

None of my family or DH's live close enough to share Thanksgiving, so I've been making turkey dinner for two or three for 30 years. I still make everything I grew up eating with a family of nine so our plates are full. Being far from family, I feel it's even more important to keep traditions alive, otherwise it won't feel like a holiday. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I'm not homesick on Thanksgiving like I am on Christmas.

LOL!! Elmer, it was my brother and SIL that were most concerned about my being on my own and were pestering me to join them. But it's not like I don't see them often.....had a big family gathering and dinner with them and the rest of the local fam just a few days before all the rest headed out for other holiday destinations. But spending several hours in transit both there and back just to spend a few hours with them on Christmas day seemed like an unnecessary waste of a good holiday. They really just did not want me to feel left out or forgotten......and I didn't :-))

As long as my kids are nearby I'd be upset (these days) if I didn't see them on Thanksgiving or Christmas. I used to feel that the exact day was not important, for some reason that is changing for me.

Tomorrow my sons are coming over for lunch, and then they will go to their Dad's for dinner.

Dh is working, so I'll be alone. That's been the case many times through the years. No big deal. We'll have a holiday meal some time in December, because it looks like he'll be working Christmas too.

Lucky you PK. This idea hasn't caught on with my two daughters. Both are single, living on their own in the city and vegetarians!

So, I will be doing the cooking.

I'm so very thankful I've always had the choice - alone or with family or friends. Always have an invitation from someone. Sometimes stay home by myself, but that doesn't go down well with family who insist I come. I count myself very lucky in that regard. The older I get, my circle of family and friends may not be around.

we are with my side of family. same way its always been since i was a kid. DH's side is split up and we don't get involved with them, too crazy. my side is stable, haha!!

I'm cooking for a smaller group this year, probably eight or so. My daughters will be here, but son has to work. He spent the night Sunday. No matter the number, I might feel alone, since it's my first Thanksgiving since my mother passed away.

Sorry for your loss mama goose. It’s at this time of year we feel our losses more keenly (for some of us)...

This will be my first Thanksgiving alone :( not from any loss (thank God), but because my DH is working and DD has final exams for her first semester in Law school and DS is with friends.

So just me and the doggies!

DH is in law enforcement and he retires just after Christmas so next year he’ll be home for the first time in years! Woo hoo!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

We're always with DH's entire immediate family for holidays. Since my parents have both been gone, my sister tends to take off by herself for Thanksgiving. She'll take several days and go somewhere she's always wanted to go. Charleston, Philadelphia, NYC. She has a great time and does exactly what she wants, on her time table. Much happier than she would be hanging around with my in-laws!

This year is a departure from our usual family gathering. Instead, DH and I will dine with my MIL in her assisted living residence. She moved here from out of state last summer. My daughters have plans with their in-laws. One daughter and her family will join us for an apple cider social with MIL mid afternoon and then come to my house for turkey "leftovers". I plan to roast a turkey breast Thanksgiving morning.

Whatever your plans, enjoy your day.

This year, none of our 3 children will be with us for Thanksgiving Day. We do have a place to hang out with friends and new people to meet. We have been invited to go to a pot luck type meal where anyone who does not have a place to go to is invited. Its not open to the public; Its among private friends. We expect that a few college students may be there.

Our celebration will come later. Our 2 boys will be here Friday to chow down with us at a pizza buffet. My wife will be in contact with our daughter and granddaughter via FaceBook.

I had an early Thanksgiving dinner at my daughter's house this week, and I'll be home by myself today. I know I'd be welcome at my son's in-laws' big family dinner, but I'd rather stay home and put up my Christmas lights and do some cleaning while the sun shines.

This is my 3rd Thanksgiving alone. I went from cooking for 20+ people for 20 years to nothing after my divorce. While I was married all of my family passed away except my son who works today and my father who could give 2 you know whats. So even after 3 years I am so lost on Thanksgiving. Where for the week before and day of I was sooooo busy preparing and cooking to nothing. I wake up and realize I have not a darn thing to do today and it is just like every single other day. Seems so odd back then I prayed for someone to take over one Thanksgiving because I was exhausted from doing it every year now to I wish I had it to do again. Silly I know. Christmas is the exact same way for me. I used to host Christmas Eve open house with a Ham dinner and all the fixings, clean up that night and get up Christmas morning do the whole Christmas Dinner thing now again nothing. So Christmas I go to an amusement park and ride rollercoasters all day with my son and that is our new tradition,

Aprile, I feel for you. I too have a very small family, but they are with me for the holidays.

Are there any cousins or old friends that you could reconnect with? I think there are more people in your situation than you think.

Life has a way of being unfair. It seems that those who have so much, seem to accumulate even more.

You have one son and it would be great if he meets a SO and you can be part of that family.

Yeah I have been waiting for him to meet someone. He is going to be 30 and has shown no interest in dating at all sigh. As I said I have no other living relatives sadly they have all passed away over the years but that is life everyone passes away at some point. Right now being back in my old home state after 20 years I have reconnected with a few of my old friends. They have their own families now and some are going through much worse things than I being alone on the holidays. Their mother is dying of brain cancer so I know my life could be much worse. I just have to figure out a way not to be so lost and make the day my own like I have done with Christmas but just haven't figured it out just yet.

Aprile, I can empathize. Every year, even though I'm well aware that I have much to be thankful for, I try not to think too much about the way holidays used to be. Although some women continue to prepare holiday feasts for their ever-expanding families, my guess is most of us have had to redefine holidays and create new traditions. Life evolves, and things change.

I've learned to accept this for the most part, but on a day like today when I'm spending too much time in my head I long for those days when holidays were so perfect I was actually aware at the time that they were.

Today I posted on my blog a little poem I wrote back then about the difference between the Thanksgivings of my childhood in the city and the ones my husband and kids and I shared in the country. I'll resist the temptation to add an update about the absence of turkey grease, cranberry sauce, and some of those I love.

https://sweetrocket.blogspot.com/

I usually stay home alone, because I am either swamped with grading (this long weekend I am not, thank G*d) or I am just tired because it is near the end of the semester (90 adolescents this semester, yikes!). Also, my one brother who lives in the area usually spends the day with my SIL's relatives. And this year, since I cannot travel far because of the neuropathy, I really didn't want to go anywhere. I enjoyed the day resting for a change and listening to music, which I don't do enough of these days.