Thanksgiving Plan Of Attack

For more than 25 years the family has divided up the hosting of the holidays.  Our house is always in charge of Christmas, and all I have to do for Thanksgiving is prepare two dishes and show up.   However, this year is changing slightly.  Last week when I emailed my sister-in-law about the plans, I got this response:

How would you feel if we bring dinner to your house? 

Umm....sure.  The issue is that her house is just too small now that the kids are old enough to have significant others. The past few years we've gathered in the fellowship hall of her church, but that option wasn't available this year.  I talked to Hubby Tony about it, and he agreed.

When I found out I was hosting Thanksgiving I started thinking about the table.  I only have two tablecloths (white and ecru) long enough to cover the dining room table when the leaves are pulled out.  Since I always have the crowd at Christmas, my napkins and accessories are predominantly red and green, which aren't appropriate for a fall holiday.  However, the next day I remembered the rustic woven tablecloth Tony brought home from a business trip to South America in the mid-1980s.  The cream-colored cloth has stripes of brown, yellow, white, and red running down the length.  It's not long enough to cover the large-sized table, but it will look nice on top of the ecru tablecloth.  The family is too big to all fit around the dining room table, so we also need a card table in a corner of the dining room.  That table will get a square white cloth.

I spent last Wednesday morning visiting several thrift stores, looking for napkins.  Some of them are larger than others, but I don't think anyone will notice since Thanksgiving is all about the food. I may do without a centerpiece, or fill a large bowl with apples.  I haven't decided.  Yesterday I polished the silver with Betsy's tip, and discovered an everyday slotted spoon that's been missing since Christmas.  Today I'll pull out the china, do the last-minute cleaning, and prepare my dishes.  (I'm tempted to set the table, but I'm afraid the cats would think it's a great place to take a nap.)

We're not sure exactly how many people will be here.  My nephew's wife is pregnant and due any day, and a great niece has been having some health issues that may keep her and her mom away.  We're nothing if not flexible, though.  No matter what happens, it will be a GREAT Thanksgiving!