Thanksgiving Adjusted for COVID-19

[dado potato]

CDC recommends that Americans stay home and NOT invite family or anybody for Thanksgiving Dinner.

I am starting this thread for comments about our observances of Thanksgiving during the current pandemic.

Our plan is to prepare a Thanksgiving Dinner for 2. We are friends with a couple across town, whose mobility is compromised. So we have arranged to roast a 13-pound turkey and take half of it, plus some trimmings ready-to-eat, over to their house.

[Yppej]

I will be celebrating with the other member of my household. I will not be getting together with my elderly parents even though they live nearby.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I might go to outdoor things, because there is no way to stop them, old people and their love for tradition, there is also stuff I might just boycott. But nothing indoors regardless. Noone of course asked me "hey are you ok with a large gathering?". No they just went ahead regardless. And they can't be reasoned with. And if they are extroverts they are even worse, like they are addicted to large gatherings somehow.

I think the guidance IS unrealistic though, I don't advocate large gatherings, but most countries allow some kind of bubbles (Canada, the UK), but the health authorities are always condemning people who live alone, to sit alone, eat some packaged turkey, weep, pop another antidepressant, look at listings of tele-shrinks. I mean really on and on and on about households, for 6 months we weren't supposed to see anyone we didn't live with, as if it was 1950 and EVERYONE lived with a spouse, 2.5 kids and a dog.

[iris lilies]

We were going to go to Hermann, but because it’s raining we may stay in town over Thanksgiving. And then go to Hermann Thursday afternoon or Friday morning for a few days.

[pinkytoe]

Just DH and I making a feast. So sad we can't spend it with our grand-twins but vow to be there next year.

[bae]

I'm planning on doing duty shifts over the holiday, so the folks with families here can have the time off.

I am *not* having dinner with my girlfriend, though she only lives a couple of islands away. Travelling on the ferry over this week, with all the hordes descending upon both of our islands, seems foolish for many reasons.

[jp1]

We were going to have my sister and her wife come up from San Diego for the weekend so that we could be together and also for them to see our new place. (they have a motorhome so they can do the trip safely) They've been very cautious as we have. But they have decided not to come because the numbers in San Diego are through the roof and they've had a couple of covid close calls (The most recent when their gardener called SIL Friday to ask how to go about getting tested, one day after he'd been at their house doing work.) Gardener tested negative but sister and SIL are still nervous. So we've pushed the visit back to Christmas with a plan of all four of us to specifically have as little contact with anyone for the two weeks leading up to it.

Since it's just going to be us on Thursday we've decided to leave the turkey in the freezer until Christmas and are instead going to have lobster for Thanksgiving.

[bae]

Lobster. Genius!!!!

[SteveinMN]

We will be preparing and delivering Thanksgiving dinners for nine people -- in three different households. And we won't be eating with any of them. DD/DSiL/grandkids, DSiL's mother (diagnosed positive for COVID-19), and our next-door neighbors who frequently lack the energy after their cancer treatments to make dinner. Then we'll go home and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner in comfort in our PJs. :)

[Tradd]

I’ll be driving up to WI Thanksgiving afternoon in advance of my cavern/intro to cave diving class Friday through Sunday. I may work a bit on Thursday morning. Depends on how caught up
I get tomorrow. So boss won’t have any of my stuff hanging around on Friday and Monday will be better for me.

[Teacher Terry]

Just my husband and I. We are in full isolation mode with the virus skyrocketing. Glad that we did a few things this summer when the numbers were low here. Now it’s scary.

[Simplemind]

We are still going back and forth over having my son and his girlfriend over and eating outside since it is supposed to be dry. If we change our minds we will just have my son come over with containers and I'll pack it up for him to take back to their place.

[mschrisgo2]

Skipping dinner at my daughter’s house- with grandson, his wife and toddler who also live there. All 4 adults in that house work in “essential” businesses, so they have tons of potential exposure. I have a good friend close by, who is in process with chemo, and I take her to her medical appts, as well as do her grocery shopping and pharmacy runs. She and I will have Thanksgiving dinner together.

[rosarugosa]

My DH volunteered to work 8 hours tomorrow, so I will be home alone for most of the day, which suits me just fine. My Mom is going to join DSis and her new boyfriend for dinner. They both work and DSis recently got together for lunch in a restaurant with 6 retired nurses she hadn't seen in years, "I didn't want to be an a$$hole and not go." Um, OK, you are all nurses and should know better. I love my sister so much, but I think she often makes poor choices.

[Rogar]

I'm celebrating with relatives and friends out of town at alternate dates when we can eat outdoors, so will be home alone. I've always enjoyed a traditional dinner and fall off the vegan bandwagon for a day, but since it's just me the menu will be different. Jello with fruit and nuts, tofurkey stuffed with wild rice, roasted vegetables, and vegan key lime cheesecake.

[razz]

Whatever your choice of celebrating Thanksgiving, may your enjoy it in peace!

[catherine]

All the Burlington-area members of my family would normally be going to my son's house for Thanksgiving, but we decided not to do that this year, so he and his wife and two kids will be spending Thanksgiving alone. My son and daughter/SIL will have dinner at our house. My son has tested negative since coming back from Nashville and has been up here since his test result came in, and my son/DIL frequently come up here, and they're homebodies who don't hang out in groups, so we're not worried about them.

So count me among the 61% who CNN said have changed Thanksgiving plans because of COVID.

[JaneV2.0]

Thanksgiving always was the holiday I could do without, and I've done so (thankfully) for years. I'll be making a pizza. :cool:

And as I watched the news and saw the horrifying animation of planes in flight for the holidays--looking like a large swarm of bees--I resigned myself to hunkering even farther into my burrow. And this morning, headlines announced that Washington had surpassed records for COVID infections and deaths. Pass the chili seeds.

[happystuff]

We will be preparing and delivering Thanksgiving dinners for nine people -- in three different households. And we won't be eating with any of them. DD/DSiL/grandkids, DSiL's mother (diagnosed positive for COVID-19), and our next-door neighbors who frequently lack the energy after their cancer treatments to make dinner. Then we'll go home and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner in comfort in our PJs. :)

That is so nice!!

[happystuff]

In-house dinner and some food to the neighbor next door.

[frugal-one]

Thanksgiving always was the holiday I could do without, and I've done so (thankfully) for years. I'll be making a pizza. :cool:

And as I watched the news and saw the horrifying animation of planes in flight for the holidays--looking like a large swarm of bees--I resigned myself to hunkering even farther into my burrow. And this morning, headlines announced that Washington had surpassed records for COVID infections and deaths. Pass the chili seeds.

Same here. Newspaper headlines today... Record 104 deaths in one day here.... Didn't read to see infections. Happy to stay home.

[beckyliz]

It will be DH, DD (21) and me for dinner tomorrow. I'll make a brunch and then a lasagne for later in the day. I bought an apple pie from a local lady who makes FABULOUS pies. DS is going with his GF to her family. I totally expected it, but it kind of made me sad, too. I adore her and I understand this is the way of sons and almost DILs (and COVID).

[ewomack]

This is the first "canceled" Thanksgiving in my family's history. It feels a little strange, but since my mother is very high risk, nothing else really makes sense. Like someone else above, I also don't eat a lot of meat, but today was always an exception. I also bought a Tofurkey roast, but we'll see if I have the ambition to actually make it. Otherwise, just the wife and me at home doing whatever we want to do.

[dado potato]

To better days!

I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. -- Maya Angelou

[nswef]

This was our first zoom Thanksgiving. Not everyone was there, but we got to SEE them!! It was great. The biggest problem is taking turns talking...never our strong suit. I am capable of hearing and responding to at least 3 different table conversations at once, having been raised with talkers. We adapted! I'm ready to do more Zoom get togethers.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Well I ended up doing two OUTDOOR gatherings: one Thursday and one Friday, one was me and bf and 4 others but all very seriously distanced (we even took turns getting food). One me and bf and two others (already in a bubble) distanced (taking turns getting food).

[happystuff]

This was our first zoom Thanksgiving. Not everyone was there, but we got to SEE them!! It was great. The biggest problem is taking turns talking...never our strong suit. I am capable of hearing and responding to at least 3 different table conversations at once, having been raised with talkers. We adapted! I'm ready to do more Zoom get togethers.

LOL. We have the same "issues" with my family.

Had a nice immediate family only Thanksgiving. Even got everyone around the table for the meal (unusual due to schedules the last few years!) and a couple hours of Texas Hold 'em Poker! It was great fun - especially since everyone bet from the same penny jar and the winnings all ended up back in the jar. LOL.

[happystuff]

I succeeded in buying nothing - :D And now need to think of stocking stuffers for extended family that can but purchased and mailed in time for Christmas :|(