Yesterday I picked up an audio book from the library. As I received the plastic bag with Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime, I said to the librarian, “Have a good holiday!” He looked at me askance and said, “Yeah, right.” As he walked away, I snorted in laughter quietly to myself. That exchange was a good example of how we are feeling as a nation this week. The most beloved gathering of the year for many of us has unraveled.
I cancelled the 16 pound bird last week we had reserved, because there would be no gathering, no food exchange, wah. Yesterday I went to buy our turkey just for the three of us. I could choose from five 17 pounders (8 K) or one half turkey, weighing 10 pounds. You read that right. I’d never heard of one, never seen one either until last night! It looks surgically serrated at the precise center of the bird; leaving us one drumstick, one wing, and one side of the turkey breast. How the heck do you cook half a turkey? I’m about to find out.
Yes, we are sad to break tradition but a Thanksgiving party of 3 is worth it to stop the spread of Covid-19 in the US. We can be extra thankful we have a roof over our head, our wonderful half turkey and our health.
I am thankful to have a space to write and readers like you with whom I can share ideas and a laugh. My post last year was about the famous quote of Ben Franklin about the nobility of turkeys. Click on the word Franklin to read it.
Happy Thanksgiving! ¡Olé! –Rebecca
Fake Flamenco 
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Thank you, Althira! Happy t-day to you too.
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Thanks a lot Rebecca
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Yes, it’s tough isn’t it? No Eid, no Diwali, no Thanksgiving, no Christmas, no Hanukkah, no Reyes. But it’ll be worth it if we can get to these celebrations next year with our families alive and well. Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy that half turkey!
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Thanks, Margaret. So many holidays, we’re missing family and friends. But I’d rather miss them than spread the virus. Next year the celebrations will be all the more joyful.
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I quite agree. We’re actually allowed to see at least some of the family, but have decided not to. Safer that way.
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Sounds very wise. How was your Thanksgiving?
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Hope you and your family of three have enjoyed your half-turkey Thanksgiving dinner 🙂
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Thank you Rosaliene! We did, although it was odd to have the reduced number of participants. We made up for that with two Zoom meetings. How was your Thanksgiving?
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Very quiet, just me and my two sons.
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Sounds very nice. What is your favorite side dish?
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The librarian was certainly a party-pooper, haha. It’s understandable that these times aren’t the greatest, but still…any case, it’s good you let it go and are enjoying Thanksgiving the best you can, given the circumstances. Wishing you a safe and fulfilling holiday season!
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Thanks, Rebecca! Safe and peaceful holidays to you too!
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I hope you enjoyed a lovely thanksgiving with your family Rebecca. Un saludo de España,
F
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Thank you, Francisco! Did your wife cook any traditional Thanksgiving dishes yesterday?
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Actually she used to when we lived in the states, she’s a wonderful chef and her Thanksgiving dinners were fab but here we don’t do that so we had fish and had a virtual dinner with her mother who still lives in the states…I hope you enjoyed your dinner with your family and loved ones. Here they only allow six people at gatherings. I don’t know how many you are allowed there…
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Fish sounds delicious, and a virtual dinner with her mother sounds very nice. We are not allowed to have gatherings indoors at this time in Wisconsin. So we three did a mini Thanksgiving and two Zoom meetings.
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That sounds nice too Rebecca, we do what we can and we know this will pass and there will be more holidays to share. All the best and a lovely weekend 😊
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A wonderful weekend to you two as well. Saludos desde Madison, Rebecca
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It’s sort of comforting to know we are all in it together, with friends and strangers both.
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So true. And a day to be thankful for many blessings.
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I´ve often made a half a turkey or just a large turkey breast. I don´t eat meat and sometimes it is just hubby and me for Christmas. It always turns out well and hubby is happy to have some turkey. I make a lovely stuffed aubergine or something similar for me. It´s all good. I´m sure yours was as well. We don´t need to be together to know we all love each other. xo
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Sounds like a lovely Thanksgiving meal, vegetarian and non. Your last sentence is very wise and well said. Thanks, Darlene!
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Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones.
“Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year because it reminds us to give thanks and to count our blessings. Suddenly, so many things become so little when we realize how blessed and lucky we are.”
– Joyce Giraud
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“Born a Crime” was one of the greatest audio book experiences I’ve ever had! I hope you enjoyed (or are still enjoying) it. I’ve never heard of a half turkey before, but I certainly wish I had as this year we prepared two 5 lb turkeys for a household of 6 and only got through half of the first! Turkey sandwiches for weeks, I suppose… I hope your thanksgiving was delicious and pleasant despite the lack of a gathering!
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Yes, the audio book is so lively and informative. I had read the memoir, but wanted to review for book group this month. Hearing Trevor read is so great because you get to hear him speaking the African languages he knows which is an additional level of cultural information. As for thanksgiving 1/2 turkey, it worked out quite well. The butcher cut it in half. I cooked it cut side down and the skin browned nicely. I figure 1 pound per person or less if there are a lot of sides.
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I am glad you decided to be happy with half turkey than keeping the tradition and inviting more. We all have celebrated festivals with restrictions but as you said we are happy to have good food and shelter and of course “internet” to share our moments with others.
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Thanks, Rupali. Yes, our simplified meal and internet connection with family and friends made for a satisfying celebration. Did you celebrate Diwale?
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Yes we did. Thanks and of course internet came to our rescue 🙂
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Lol a month later and I am now only reading this post! Hehehe! A half turkey? Did it turn out good? I hope your holiday was awesome despite covid ruining it!
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Hee hee, glad you read it. It was hilarious to see half a bird. It turned out! I wasn’t sure if it would bake properly, but it did. We had a yummy dinner, leftovers the next day and turkey soup! We enjoyed our Zoom chats with family and the friends we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving with since we moved to Madison (more than 15 years!)
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