a solitary holiday

This is the first Thanksgiving I've spent without gathering with family or friends since I was studying in Germany. (The Germans were fascinated and a little repulsed by the visual imagery of this very American holiday, wondering if people really did cook turkeys--why not a goose?--and pumpkin pies--they viewed pumpkin as a savory dish.)

Anyway, it's 100% not safe to gather, and also I've been fighting some kind of bug. Not covid-19, I don't think. My test came back negative, I've had no fever, no dry cough. I'm guessing it's a sinus infection or cold, so for the past 10 days I've stayed home as much as I can, resting, drinking beet juice, watching reality TV and and chugging 7-11's cheap and effective "night time sleep aid."

On Wednesday I felt better--finally!--so I cleaned the house and showered and sanitized the kitchen, put on a mask, and cooked up mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberries, for a hand-off later with my sis. My niece chefed up homemade pumpkin pie, with from-scratch sugar pumpkin and her own homemade sweetened condensed milk. Maybe the best pumpkin pie I've ever had. 

Thankful for small and delicious kindnesses in 2020. 

I'm also keeping in mind that we dwell on stolen land. Give, if you can.