Happy Thanksgiving… if you can’t eat together, shop together?

So, this was a strange Thanksgiving… and why wouldn’t it be? It has been a strange year. Thanks COVID!!
There are a lot of things I have hated about COVID and what is has done to people, families, children… But I have to admit something. We did not get together with family for Thanksgiving... and as much as I miss my family, and I might have a different opinion if I wasn’t going to be seeing them next week, I didn’t hate today. Is that weird? (So we really did skip Thanksgiving this year, no joke.)
 
Since my mom died I have usually been the one to host thanksgiving. Nicole hosts Christmas. It works out well. I do enjoy hosting Thanksgiving, but there is also this part of me that finds it incredibly exhausting. There is so much to prep, so much food to make, and I always try to make the tables all fancy and stuff, like my mom used to do. And then there is the clean up!
 
Truthfully… these past few months have been exhausting. So, when COVID said stay home and don’t do Thanksgiving... I didn’t cry. I know that it totally sucks for others, and for that I am sorry. But for me, today was a nice break. We hung out at home. I did some outdoor decorating, worked on some other projects, and just kind of relaxed. 

One of my latest projects, made for my sister!

Now like I said, I am going to see my family at my son’s wedding next weekend… and the mess COVID has caused on that is inexplicable… I will let you know how that goes… if it goes. So that might be contributing to my feelings of content today. (That seems strange too with all the uncertainty around the wedding... maybe that is part of what COVID is helping us learn... how to deal with the unexpected.)
Truthfully... I am kind of looking forward to tomorrow too. Tomorrow is shopping day!

​I was never a big “day after Thanksgiving” shopper, except when my parent’s lived in Wausau, Wisconsin. We would go and stay at their house over Thanksgiving. They were out there for like four years or something. It was too long. But we made the most of our time when we were together. I remember mom and I would get up at like 4:30 am so we could be to the stores at like 5:00 am. I don’t think it was even so we could buy any huge, super marked down, amazing thing, but rather the stores used to give out like goodie bags. Yep! That is what we got out of bed for at the crack of dawn, some free shit! I am pretty sure none of it was anything good either! More likely we probably just did it to say we did it, not so much about the free shit. Plus, I am pretty sure we left my three very young children at home with my dad. He was fine to hang with them for a while… but not too long. Therefore, starting early meant more shopping time.

A quick pic with Santa during one of mine and my sisters last shopping trips.

I think I am going to go shopping tomorrow. I mean why not? Apparently, it is safer to go shopping than hang out with your family… So… lookout stores, here I come. I mean... IF YOU CAN'T EAT TOGETHER, SHOP TOGETHER?? (Socially distanced of course.)
 
Now don’t get me wrong, I am not an anti-masker or anything. But this stuff has gotten a little crazy. I know none of it is easy though, and I truly believe folks are doing the best they can to keep us all safe. So anyway… I am going to bring back my mom's and my tradition and go shopping tomorrow… She will be with me in spirit! (NOT going at 5:00 am though!)
 
I am so thankful for those times with my mom and the memories I have of all the crazy things we use to do together! My sister and I do the same sort of things together now. It’s how we keep her memory alive. It is what keeps us going when things get COVID crazy.

When the car is full it is time to go home, right Cole?

I hope you have memories and people you are thankful for too. And if you need to start some… well we do have a shop in Buffalo where you can find some cool old crap… nostalgic kinda stuff. If you are not busy, and within range… maybe go check it out. Or maybe bake some cookies or something… Oh man… the cookie stories I could tell. Maybe later. Until then:
 
HAPPY THANKSGIVING FRIENDS!

P.S. My shirt says "Mother Junker!" Not what you might have been thinking! I found it at the Rusty Rabbitiques in Farmington. That was one of our sister adventures we went on this summer! You can read about it on our Facebook page.