Thanksgiving! After composing and sending out my love-mail (and it's always a joy to see what comes back to me) I created a vegan version of everyone's favorite green bean casserole, which was very salty but otherwise edible. I also made a sachet for the cider, of cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice and-- this is new-- fresh grated nutmeg. And floated orange slices on the top of the warming brew. It got ignored until desert, when Katie remembered it, then it went pretty quickly.

I ate more than I should have, strayed from my no-milk diet (cream in the broccoli soup, sour cream and dill dip, and of course WHIPPED CREAM.) and had a wonderful snuggly time with my neices. My nephews ignored me and played football or video games, except for the oldest one (he's 22 now!) who talked about wrecking his last car, and how to find my house when he's going from the Patapsco Flea Market to Cycle World. My mother and sister came to my sister-in-law's house. My mother in law had three wonderful sisters before my husband, and these women have expanded into the large family that I always wanted.

Today will be quiet, and perhaps I get to spend some time writing today before the Thanksgiving Redux at Mother's house...she loves leftovers, and today will be cooking Thanksgiving in order to support that. Stephanie sent a container of turkey and stuffing home with us, which Hawk tore into before ten pm. Amazing. Which reminds me! Today, I must go to the grocery (which will be empty- everyone will be at Hechts or Macy's or WalMart or Ross or Target, because it's Black Friday and I will be alone seeking food instead of retail products) for apples. I am making an apple pie for tonight, and have been assigned apple pie for next year at Stephanie's already.

It got cold and rainy last night. My joints ache, all of them. I guess I was more active yesterday than I thought I was. Saturday, we may all be getting together again for Cookie Baking at Stephaine's, which I may or may not be up to. I'm trying to take this healing process slowly, but it's so very hard to pace myself.