How many?

We own eleven chairs that can be put around a table. My table has multiple leaves. One of my good friends has post polio syndrome and uses a wheelchair, so my Thanksgiving table is limited to twelve. I don't think I own more plates than that anyway.

The way I do Thanksgiving each year is this. I cook one of each part of the meal, that is one dessert (a pear pie), one turkey, one starch (mashed potatoes, which Kurt will do), one vegetable (succotash this time), one bread (cheese/black pepper biscuits this year). Everyone else will most likely bring something, but if they don't, we still have a complete meal.

I usually know by now how many people are coming. There were going to be seven of us this year, all people whose families are elsewhere, but I'm hearing rumors it's grown. And I'm not sure by how many.

But we will all fit in my narrow dining room and share a meal with transplanted family. It's not the same as going to my in-laws like we did for so many years, but it's the best we can do. Sometimes, the best we can do turns out to be pretty darn good.

Happy Thanksgiving.

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