Thanksgiving Fragments Gathered into a Casserole

 Some fragments from an unusual Thanksgiving week:

--I finally saw Harriet last night.  Hmm.  Part of me loved watching the movie--so gorgeously filmed, with such beautiful landscapes.  I kept turning up the volume, until I realized that I could hear the movie, but I just couldn't understand what Harriet was saying.  Oh, I got the gist of it, and if I had the movie on mute, I probably would have known.  But the dialect came across as garbled to me.  I should try watching the DVD on a different device just to see.  

--The DVD came with no trailers for upcoming movies.  How strange.

--As I watched the movie, I thought about how Harriet had "spells" where God spoke to her, and John Brown felt that he was on a mission from God.  We could see them both as deeply disturbed or as deeply committed to a cause or maybe both.

--I am chagrined to realize that this Thanksgiving was no different than any other in terms of my exercise.  Even though I wasn't traveling and the weather here was lovely, I haven't done much exercising.  I've been enjoying cooking, but the real reason I haven't been exercising is that I wanted to get to stores early to beat the rush:  the garden center on Friday and Michaels yesterday.  I've decided not to beat myself up too much--it's been a wonderful vacation, if I couldn't have the vacation I really wanted, which is my family reunion in North Carolina Thanksgiving.

--I am thinking of Advent practices.  I an only just now thinking of this, but it's the first day of Advent, so it's not too late. I will try writing a poem a day every, and by try, I mean that I will sit down with my poetry legal pad.  I may not end up with a finished poem or a polished poem, but by Christmas, I will have 26 rough drafts.  Yes, that will be one of my Advent practices.

--Later I will post a picture of an Advent wreath with battery operated candles that I will make for the morning watch devotional time that I broadcast from my church's Facebook page each morning.  I'm leading an Advent wreath making workshop (distanced and masked) at church this morning, and I will make a special Advent wreath for morning watch. 

--Today I will have another version of my favorite Thanksgiving meals.  I'm making a sheetpan of dressing with this recipe from The Washington Post.  I'll heat up some leftover turkey and cranberry sauce, along with the last of the sweet potato casserole.  I'll try to keep from feeling sad by reminding myself that I could have this food any time I wanted.

--It has been a good Thanksgiving week-end.  It may not have been the holiday I anticipated for much of the year (until our plans changed a few weeks ago), but it worked.  It may not be the holiday I want every year to be, but I am grateful for its goodness.