I am one of four children and it is a very rare occasion when we are all together. This year it will be twice since my nephew’s Bar Mitzvah was last month. Somehow my mother was able to arrange that we will all be together this year on Thanksgiving. It’s been quite a few years since we celebrated any holiday at my parents’ house. I work as a Cantor on Rosh Hashana, so we never go then. On Sukkot we build our own Sukkah and want the kids to have that experience, so my parents come to us for at least one meal. We might get together with my parents on Hanukkah, but rarely with all of my siblings. Passover is very complicated and we usually have my parents at our house for one seder. So when my Mother said we would all be together, it was a real surprise.
First order of business, where to house this meal as it will be quite large. Time for some math. We are five and with my in-laws who are coming as well, we are seven. My parents make nine. My sister makes ten. My younger brother the first and his family is five plus his in-laws makes seven. That makes seventeen so far. My younger brother the second and his three kids makes twenty-one. Finally my mom’s brother and sister-in-law makes twenty-three. TWENTY THREE!
My mother’s thought was to rent a room at our Synagogue and cater the meal. NOT! Thank God mkm and my sister-in-law were able to convince my mother to do it at the house and we are all contributing to the food. We are bringing the sweet potatoes and the cranberry sauce. Both are either made or in the oven right now.
But wait, there’s more!
After dinner we will be driving up to Mount Snow VT to spend Shabbat with friends of ours who own a house up there.
It looks to be a fun weekend; I just hope we make it through tonight with all the cooking and laundry to be done.
To all my friends I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving.
Enjoy!