Thanksgiving used to be my favorite holiday of all. I would start cooking Wednesday night--pies, stuffing, sweet potatoes, fried onions--all the delicious things! I cooked from scratch mostly. Thursday morning, the children and I would watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning while finishing up all the sides and putting the turkey in. The turkey would be BIG. I preferred an 18 pounder so we could have lots and lots of leftovers. Turkey sandwiches for days! So yummy.
Last year, all of the children were home plus Child 1's fiance. It was amazing. The day after, we went to Black Friday sales and stocked up on wedding supplies for Child 1's spring wedding and we decorated for Christmas. It was lovely, and it was the last time that will ever happen. Because first Covid hit and we didn't have a big wedding, although we did use all the tulle and pearls and candles we bought, so that was good! And then Child 3 decided she wanted to grow up AND LEAVE ME AND GO TO COLLEGE!!! Ugh! So this Thanksgiving Husband and I were alone in China. We had dinner with friends and didn't go Black Friday shopping at all because that is not a thing here. And I didn't cook. And we didn't watch the parade and I didn't eat Doritos and French onion dip while making stuffing.
And now it is time to decorate for Christmas and I literally can't. Literally. Because our things have still not arrived even though we packed out in June and I have zero Christmas decorations. I keep dreaming that I am decorating for Christmas and then I wake up and remember that I can't because I have nothing to decorate with. OK, I have a "not zero number" of Christmas decorations, which is one. This one that I bought today at the saddest Christmas market ever:
I know. It's not bad and it was made by underprivileged children, but if you were ever wondering whether Christmas bazaars in China are as good as the ones in India, they are not. Even with the food poisoning we got at the first German School Christmas Mela in New Delhi, that bazaar was better by miles! Although the food poisoning was seriously not fun. The next year we just didn't eat the food and only shopped which solved the problem. But at this one in Beijing, it was mostly food I can't eat and too expensive jewelry. So I bought one thing and came home and put out my only Christmas decoration.
So that pretty much sums up the 2020 Holiday season. The children aren't coming home for Christmas because there are no flights because of Covid, and I am spending all my free time playing Animal Crossing and crying, sometimes at the same time. And you know what would be better than a brownie? If people would actually social distance and wear masks so we can get rid of Covid in the US so I can see my children! And so that people can celebrate next year with loved ones who are still alive because their neighbors cared enough to mask up.
And confidential to the children, please subscribe to my blog and comment that you have read it. If you do, I will blog more. If you don't care, then I don't either.
