21 years ago, It was the first Thanksgiving John and I were together. We were living in a tiny apartment in Alpena, the upstairs in an old house that had been converted to a two-flat. The kitchen was small, and cramped with the table and two chairs in it but cozy and toasty warm with the oven on. John had found frozen duck at the grocery store, and we had decided that a turkey would be much too much for just the two of us, so he decided he would make duck ala orange for me for Thanksgiving. The first sign that we had embarked on an adventure was when he realized, on Thanksgiving morning, that we had no orange liqueur. And off we went to find some. On Thanksgiving morning. In a town that had a population of about 1000 people, if everyone was home. Cointreau, Grand Marnier, some offbrand -- it didnt matter; he had said he was going to make duck ala orange for me, and he was bygod going to make duck ala orange for me. We finally found it at a gas station convenience store. Did you know that Grand Marnier makes miniatures? They do. Or did, at any rate. Just enough for the recipe. So we wended home again and he commenced chopping and stirring and simmering and blending and mixing and stuffing and ... well, cooking up a storm. I was sitting in the kitchen at the table watching the show, and we were talking and laughing and so happy to be together. Then he asked where there was another saucepan, and I realized that he had managed to use Every. Single. Pot. Pan. Mixing Bowl. And. Utensil. We. Had. This, it should be noted, was not a scanty amount of kitchen gear; we both liked cooking and had combined two very well-equipped kitchens worth of stuff when we got together. (It should also be noted that since we both liked cooking, but neither of us particularly liked doing the dishes, that we had agreed that when one cooked, the other would do the dishes. It generally worked out fairly evenly.) I looked at the mass of dirty dishes in the sink, on the stove, and on the counters and table; more than there ever were at the big family dinners for 25, and there were eight or ten of us doing those dishes afterwards. And I put my head down on the table and I laughed until I cried. The duck was delicious, he helped with the dishes, and it was a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for my life. It hasnt been what I expected. It hasnt been what I dreamed of. But it has been full of good people and good times and good stories, and I am reminded over and over that I have so very much. Happy Thanksgiving.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 23:36:08 +0000
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