Inching Ever Closer

...to the end of NaBloPoMo. As of this post, I'll be 7/10ths of the way done with my daily posting obligations. For now, at least, I think it's an experiment that will end with the conclusion that posting qua posting is maybe not the best way to go.

It doesn't make sense, to me at least, to be prolific if I sacrifice quality for volume. I'd rather have less content but have each post say more.

In fairness, it's possible that I've been uninspired because I've been overwhelmed. I've worked ten days straight now, and I'm worn out.

Thank goodness Thanksgiving is right around the corner!

With respect to family-face-time at the holidays, we've gotten into the habit of dividing our time between Thanksgiving in New York with my family (specifically, Thanksgiving dinner with my mother's side, and the ensuing weekend with my dad's side), and Christmas in Tulsa with my in-laws. It works out well. Not raised to celebrate Christmas, I'm happy to forsake the City for biscuits, red meat, and relaxation. Christmas in Tulsa is a good time.

Thanksgiving is a changeable thing these days. It used to be a big gathering; now it's just my grandmother, mom, her beau, and my sibs, their spouses, my husband, and I. Even though we total nine people, that's a pretty modest crowd compared to years past.

In any event, while our ranks are somewhat diminished, there is an up side to the holiday. It's becoming more collaborative. Since my grandmother no longer has a full working kitchen of her own, my mother has stepped up and does the majority of the cooking. But, more each year, my sister, brother, and I supplement the staples with our own contributions.

This year, I'm bringing a chocolate peanut butter pie (bought at the Green Market yesterday; who has time to bake when you're working without cease?) and green veggies -- brussel sprouts, to be precise. My husband is bringing a family recipe: cranberry fluff, which tastes incredibly good, albeit somewhat Midwestern for our table. It'll be a few years before we have the space and means to prepare a turkey, brisket, and the rest of the fixin's, but it's nice to be able to say that we're contributing meaningfully. Add to that my sister's apple pie and brownies, and my brother's (fine, my brother's girlfriend's) vegetarian dish, and it looks like we're ready for some grade-A gluttony.

If I don't post tomorrow, it'll be because I'm still coasting off a postprandial high.