thanksgiving

Thanksgiving came early this year in exchange for more time until Christmas. With less time before this holiday I crammed in as much socializing as I could through the week. Last Sunday on my way out of church neighbors invited me to a bar to watch the Eagles game. I joined them to watch and to take pictures with the cheerleaders who happened to be there that day. Swoop was also there but we missed the chance to meet him. The autographs I did get made it to the shelves.

Monday was chilly but less cold than Sunday. I tidied up throughout the day then walked over to neighbors' for dinner, lasagna and pumpkin cake. Tuesday was even warmer so we went for a long walk around town. That night I attended the boro council meeting with a neighbor for my formal appointment to the shade tree commission then stopped for drinks with friends on the walk home.

I used the Wednesday sun to recover with another walk with the dogs. I had tentative plans to go on a hiking date with a guy who turned into a ghost and flew away. I was happy to have the time with the dogs instead. That night I met with a group of friends for more beer at a brewpub with a cover band. Afterwards I made mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, and chickpea curry to bring to Thanksgiving dinner. Our host provided kale, corn, cranberry sauce, and sweet potatoes, which I had with a porter.

Thursday morning I met a friend for a dog walk around her neighborhood. She had heard a local shake shop was serving up treats so we circled by there. They gifted us rice bowls and made smoothies for the dogs, which they had for breakfast. For their Thanksgiving dinner I brought a can of puppy pate to mix into their kibble. I chatted up the shop owners while we waited, and they told us they also run a tavern in town. We parted ways after that, then the dogs and I took a bath before heading to our dinner. We ate and watched Drumline then made it home by 11.

Friday morning the neighbor who cooked for me on Monday invited me back to pick through their leftovers. I did and used the opportunity to return the tupperware he sent me home with on Monday refilled with my leftover chickpeas. I stopped by the mall to people watch and spent the rest of the day horizontal. Saturday morning I went for a dog walk with a neighbor then headed out to shop the farmer's market, which I found was closed for the day. I changed course to an indoor market instead then picked up a tree from a local farm. I paid with card but asked the cashier to break a twenty for tip for the guy who helped carry the tree, for bread I picked up from a bakery on the way home, and for the plate Sunday morning. I propped the tree in the stand then took the dogs out for another long walk. We found a sunny spot to sit for a few hours where Dany chewed a bone and Teemo yelled at every passerby while I tried matching with everybody visiting home on Tinder. I went back out for a bottle of wine from a nearby winery then stopped for a round with friends at the tavern run by the shake purveyors, where I found my profile had already been terminated for alleged violation of terms of service, that classic technological barrier to love. I spent the rest of the night lighting the tree and watching Christmas movies.

It rained most of the day yesterday, though less than forecast. The reverend was out for the day so we had a Lenape speaker visit the church, who shared some of her family's stories and traditions. She started with their creation story, which began when water took over the earth. As the water rose the animals decided something had to be done so muskrat went to the bottom of the ocean to scoop dirt onto a turtle's back, the mound of which became Turtle Island, the American continents. A wolf was sent out but didn't return, which signaled enough dirt had been gathered so muskrat's work was done. On the island sprouted a cedar, from which came the first man and woman. I met new friends after the service during coffee time then spent the rainy afternoon on the couch with the dogs. Another friend stopped by to join us then we crashed early soon after he left.