Talking Turkey on Turkey Day

A multiple sclerosis Thanksgiving post

“Over the meadow and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go…”  Lydia Maria Child

In my world the song goes something like this-

“Over the bridge and around the city to my cousin’s house we go…”

And by “we,” I mean multiple sclerosis and I.

Yes, I am traveling this turkey day and am looking forward to it.  I’m going to my cousin’s house where he and his lovely girlfriend host a bunch of us crazy deSousa’s.

Unfortunately, as our family grows, not every member will be able to join us.  And this past year we had to say goodbye to our patriarch and so the holiday will include some sadness and memories.

But still, we are a loud, fun, wild lot.

And we span every age decade from only a few months old to somewhere in the eighties.  I’m relieved to report that I fall in the middle age wise which is a good place to be.  I’m young at heart but old enough to get away with being crotchety and persnickety.

Of course, multiple sclerosis is coming with me.  This damn beast is way too clingy- it insists on coming with me everywhere!

Since it will be a long day, my MS meds are coming with me as well.   There are the achy body meds, the moody mood swing meds, the obnoxious bladder meds, the “I really need an energy boost” meds- also known as legal speed and the “I’m so freaking tired but can’t fall asleep” meds.   They will all be in attendance.

But MS or not, meds are not enough to bring to a holiday party; unless they are good meds of course.

What to bring to a family holiday dinner gets a little tricky for me due to an innocent little incident that happened several Thanksgivings ago.  Flash back over 15 years when I made a gorgeous apple pie for this same holiday.

I had made it before and it was delicious.  And I really made it too- no heating up a Mrs. Smith’s for me.  I peeled, cored and sliced apples and made a yummy crumb topping.  I might have cheated on the crust but still, this was a good pie, baked with love.

Problem was, on the two hour drive on that super cold day I put my pie in the trunk of my car which allowed the topping to freeze and then harden to rock hard proportions.  The topping was so hard that my cousin refused to serve it, afraid that one of his guests might sue him if they broke their teeth on it.

Dental bills are expensive.

I said he was overreacting and he pointed out that he couldn’t even cut into my pie to serve it.  To prove his point, he even tried cutting it with a chain saw, to no avail.

Since that day, he has refused to allow me to cook anything, even boxed macaroni and cheese which I have mastered.  Apparently, that is not an appropriate Thanksgiving side dish although I will be sitting with a six year old at this dinner who would disagree.

So what does one super exhausted relative bring to a holiday celebration where they are not allowed to cook?  I am bringing a box of chocolates and a bottle of Portuguese wine.  (Who am I kidding?  The wine is for me.  Come to think of it, the chocolate is too.)

What would you bring my friends?

Here’s what I decided.  I am also bringing a Star Wars floor puzzle and a holiday version of the Memory game- hopefully, if I remember to pack it.

I know these are not the normal Thanksgiving accompaniments but I thought it over and decided perhaps the best gift I can give my hosts is to stay out of their way in the kitchen.  My MS, glass of wine and I can find a quiet corner where I can keep busy by visiting all the relatives, holding the new baby in the family and hanging out with the young ones by completing a puzzle and playing some friendly yet serious Memory competitions- holiday style.

Maybe these gifts will help keep the young ones out of the kitchen and hence, I think I am bringing the best gift of all.  Not just my charm and sweetness but my ability to sit and stay out of the way.  MS and I have gotten very good at that.

As long as I have my meds!

As you know my friends my blogs are tongue in cheek.  And while the pie story is true and my cousin is serious about my not cooking due to the pie story, I am really excited to see him, his lovely girlfriend who is an amazing cook, and the rest of my family.  And in this holiday of celebrating being grateful I am grateful for them and for lots of other things too; God, all my family, all my friends, living where I do, the Rolling Stones, classic rock in general, the Boston Bruins and many, many other things. 

I am also super, super grateful to you my readers and wanted to give you a gift of thanks as well this holiday.  Since I can’t even begin to think about bringing each of you pies that may or may not break your teeth, I thought I would close with some bad holiday jokes for you to share with your family. 

Advice-they may work better if you share them after your family has entered into a turkey/potato/dessert coma-like state and are only half paying attention anyway.

Why did they let the turkey join the band?  Because he had drumsticks

Why can’t you take a turkey to church?  Because they use FOWL language

If the pilgrims were alive today, what would they be famous for?  Their age

What kind of music did the pilgrims like?  Plymouth rock

What do you get if you cross a turkey with an evil spirit?  A poultrygeist

What is a pumpkins favorite sport?  Squash

What happened when the turkey got into a fight?  He got the stuffing knocked out of him

What smells best at Thanksgiving dinner?  Your nose

Which side of the turkey has the most feathers?  The outside

What did the turkey say before it was roasted? Wow, I’m stuffed

And if these stuffy (stuffy-get it?) jokes don’t help you through the holiday then you can amaze your family with this factual but little known Pilgrim trivia that everyone should know but doesn’t.  The Pilgrims did not land in Plymouth first.  They stopped in Provincetown, MA and hung out there for a bit before venturing on to Plymouth which they could see across the bay.

Don’t believe me?  What do you think the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown is for???  Like modern day settlers, everyone likes to visit Provincetown but only hearty souls grow up there!

Happy Thanksgiving my friends!

Jokes courtesy of jokes4us.com and ibtimes.com

Provincetown photos by Provincetown settler Kristin Perry

Picture of my cousin with the chainsaw courtesy of the train wreck that is my old photo album

Other images in order of appearance-

Image courtesy of vectorolie at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of supakitmod at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of jk1991 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of AKARAKINGDOMS at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of debspoons at FreeDigitalPhotos.net