Some thankfulness just ‘cuz

I’m taking a break from cooking with my mom because “we don’t have enough food.”

For the record, we are cooking for “16 people.” (The 18 guardian angels who will also be present will not be eating much.) Of those sixteen people, three are under age six and will eat as much as half an adult. The food we don’t have enough of consists of:

2 turkeys (13 and 15 pounds)
ham (a little one)
gravy
mashed potatoes
stuffing
yams
butternut squash
corn
peas
antipasto (we’re Italian, so we must have this)
Italian bread
cranberry sauce
3 pies
nuts, fruit, chocolates

I would assure you that none of these are single-size servings. That, in fact, any of the above other than the cranberry sauce could make a meal in and of itself. And I’m probably forgetting something because I don’t want to sneak into the kitchen to grab the list while my mom is cooking, or she’ll know I’m posting this.

We have already discussed several times, “Do you think there will be enough of X?” / “That’s enough–I’d even make less.” / “No, we’d better make a bit more.”

Later tonight, with the refrigerator door unable to shut and all our guests leaving laden with food for a week, there will be another discussion: “Oh, we have too many leftovers.”

I am grateful to be in a land where an overburden of food is a problem and not a dream. I am grateful to be an Italian in a household where food is love, and I can tell my family I love them by making the stuffed mushrooms or the squash, and they will know exactly what I’m saying. I’m thankful to God for such a big family even if it means my Patient Husband is busy assembling an extra table right now while fielding off two kids who are pretending to be Grandma’s cats. I’m grateful to be in a household of seven guardian angels even if they won’t pitch in to eat any of the leftovers (nor even the first-run food) because although that limits the ways I can say “I love you” to them, I think they know it anyhow.

I meant to give a few little examples of things those seven guardians have done in my household lately, but right now I need to go back and cook too much food, so maybe tomorrow.

I wish you a peaceful and pleasant Thanksgiving. Say hi to your guardian from all of us at the Philangelus household.