Mosaics' Blog

Well, Thanksgiving is almost upon us and for the first time in my life I'm dreading it. It's my favorite holiday, one in which I've almost always spent with my parents, brothers and sisters, and their children. For the last 15 +/- years they've all come to my house for the holiday. Our numbers have dwindled somewhat because of children growing up, going to college, getting married and my oldest brother moved to FL so they haven't been able to make the trip the last two years.

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My husband's family, his parents, two sisters and their husbands and children have, for the past 2-3 years, rented a house in California and spent the holiday there. They've asked us each time and we've declined because we (or maybe I) reserve that holiday for my family.

This year, because of the dwindling numbers and our guilt from neglecting to spend Thanksgiving with my husband's family, we told them we'd go out to California with them. I can't tell you how much I regret agreeing to that.

First of all, I really don't like to fly. It's not like I have a phobia or anything - I will fly, but only if it's absolutely necessary. I especially don't like or want to fly during the most traveled week of the year, which is Thanksgiving week. I've been hearing on the news that flights are at 90% capacity. We're taking our little dog, Pearlie, and it will be hectic. I do not like hectic. If our flight is delayed, I'll be worrying about her needing to go potty.

Secondly, this will be the last Thanksgiving in which our children will be living at home regularly. Our daughter plans to move to Hawaii this December and our son will be going to a university in the fall of 2008. From now on, they'll just be home to visit rather than "living" here. Also, we're working on a deal to buy a new house with some acreage, so if that goes through, this is the last year in this house, the one that my children grew up in and the one that we've always had Thanksgiving dinner in. Neither of my children are able to come to California with us because of their work and school schedules. So they'll be here and I'll be there.

Thirdly, I'll be spending my holiday in a strange town, in a strange house, without my pantry full of gluten-free foods, and I'll be the only one in the house with celiac disease. My MIL has celiac disease and she was supposed to be there, but her father in England is very ill and had to go into the hospital, so she is there. She was sort of in charge of the meal and bringing/buying some gluten-free foods for us. I'm going to have my hands full and cannot carry a bunch of food with me while traveling.

How does one cook a T-giving meal in a rented house, much less a gluten-free T-giving meal? When I'm at home, I start cooking a week or two before the holiday. Me and my fellow gluten-free family members lack for nothing. My meal is completely gluten-free and the non celiacs enjoy it as much as the celiacs. We have stuffing/dressing, pies, cakes, cookies, rolls, etc. and we know that it is all safe to eat.

So I thought that since my MIL can't make it, that we'd end up buying a readymade meal from a local restaurant or grocery store. That is a problem in itself because I'd have to quiz the cooks on every ingredient to see what I could eat. But my FIL called and said he'll be doing the grocery shopping to get the turkey, etc. the day before we arrive. That means he is planning on us cooking the dinner there, which means I'll probably be very limited in what I can eat. I'm hoping to find a local store, maybe a Whole Foods, where I can at least buy a gluten-free pumpkin pie.

I'm a homebody. I want to be in my own home for Thanksgiving.