If you're in the U.S., it's that week again. I know a lot of people dread it because it means a lot of prep work for one day, or because they have to deal with family issues, or travel problems. I'm lucky, and I know it, so I'm really thankful.
The first Thanksgiving that my hubby and I were together, my almost-mother-in-law informed me Thanksgiving dinner was officially mine. I had a bit of a freak-out, I'll admit. I'd always helped with dinner when I was old enough as a kid, but had never pulled it off myself at that point. But I managed it then and have had the responsibility of it since and love it. While my aunt was still alive, she always joined us for holiday dinners (and other family dinners during the year); since she's been gone, it's just been the four of us, and I'm okay with that I still do lots of prep (today is the start of the baking of bread for the stuffing), so we have plenty of leftovers to send home with the boys and for me not to have to cook for days--after spending days in the kitchen, I need a break. Haha.
Growing up, we had a considerably larger group for Thanksgiving dinner. I'm the oldest of six kids, so we had a houseful on a normal day. On a holiday? Usually, we had at least one set of grandparents, maybe my aunt, maybe some other aunts, uncles, cousins. Occasionally, we would go to one of the grandparents' homes instead, but that wasn't the norm. The menu was pretty similar to ours--turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, candied sweet potatoes (yuck), cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Our norm is turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn pudding, cranberry sauce, but dessert varies from year to year. I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie, something about the texture of it for me doesn't work, so this year I'm making a spiced pumpkin cheesecake, last year it was an apple walnut cake with caramel sauce, who knows what next year will be? And I'm really thankful we have those things for our holiday. It always makes me happy to look at our table and see my three guys, hubs and the boys, and know we're all safe and fed and together.
Before I get to my bread making, I have a quick snippet for you this week from Hunting Medusa.
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Andi couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong. She’d worked into the night after the vacuum salesman’s appearance, until she couldn’t see straight to continue with her beading. Then she’d sunk into the bubble bath long enough to be nearly asleep. Today, she’d repeated everything but the bubble bath. Plus she’d driven into town to ship the big order she’d finished early.
Now she sat in the dark beside the front window, watching the forest. Waiting. Trying to convince herself nothing was coming. No one.
When the phone rang, she jumped about two feet in the air, barely keeping in a shriek. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, forcing herself to laugh weakly as she picked up the receiver. “Hello, Aunt Lydia.” She didn’t need caller I.D. to know when one of her cousins or aunts was on the phone.
“I didn’t mean to startle you, my dear,” came the quavering voice. “I just wanted to touch base with you. It’s been ages since I’ve seen you.”
Her slightly psychic great-aunt must have spoken to Andi’s mother. “I know. I’ve been busy working.” She thought of the small stack of boxed beaded bracelets sitting on her desk upstairs for another customer whose order wasn’t even due for a month and a half.
“You’re aware you could do that here, too, right?”
Andi smiled in the darkness. “I know. I’m not feeling much like company right now.”
“You don’t have to visit your parents, you know.”
Her laugh escaped before she could stop it. “That isn’t very nice of you, Aunt Lydia.”
“Maybe I’m getting selfish in my old age.” Her great-aunt chuckled. “But I’d like to see you.”
“Maybe in a few months.”
The older woman sighed. “All right. But I wanted you to know I was thinking of you. I love you.”
Andi felt her eyes sting a little. “I love you too.”
“Your mother knows she wasn’t there for you eight years ago, Andrea. Perhaps it’s time to let her be there for you now.”
Andi’s eyes dried. “I need to go, Aunt Lydia.”
“Of course, dear. I hope you’ll come soon.”
She looked back at the window and murmured, “Maybe. I’ve got to go, Aunt Lydia.”
Something had moved outside.
Something too tall to be one of the does that frequented the clearing each evening, though not tall enough for the bull moose who came occasionally. Just the right size for a sneaky Harvester posing as a vacuum salesman.
She thumbed off the phone and sat up straighter, her other hand coming to rest on the dagger across her knees. For a long moment, she didn’t see anything. Then a dark shape slid between the trees, a few yards nearer to the house.
Her heart hammered against her ribs and she curled her fingers around the dagger hilt. That was no animal. At least not of the wild variety. No, this was a two-legged animal, and she had the terrible feeling this one really was a Harvester, no matter what her mother had said yesterday.
Let him try, she thought, setting the phone back on its base. He’d find this Medusa wasn’t going down quietly. She only wished she were PMSing so she could take him out without too much effort. Or mess. If only he’d waited just a few more days to make his move…
She stifled a hysterical giggle at that last thought, glad she’d listened to her instincts this evening.
The shape disappeared again in the dark trees, and she held her breath. Then he reappeared for a few seconds, much closer to the house this time. Her pulse pounded in her ears. He was determined. And now out of her line of vision.
A loud, sharp beep indicated her alarm system had shut down, and was accompanied by the sound of every appliance in the house also turning off. He’d killed her power at the junction box outside.
Bastard.
Andi got to her feet, then tried to decide which door he’d come in. She heard the soft sound of a footfall on the back porch. She crossed into the kitchen, not needing to feel her way around the furniture, and positioned herself beside the refrigerator. He wouldn’t make it far into the house, and then he was hers.
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Are you celebrating Thanksgiving this week, too? I'd love to hear about your plans if you are. Will you cook, or is someone else doing that this year? What's your favorite Thanksgiving food?
Until next week, happy reading!
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