I'm Not Making a Turkey This Year

or ever again

What are you doing for Thanksgiving?

Turkey day is four days away, and everyone I know is posting tips on thawing birds and baking pies and all that holiday goodness. I remember those days of making a big feast for my husband and our two boys, but now we’re empty nesters. Our oldest son lives with his girlfriend, and they go to her family’s house for the holiday. She has a huge family and it’s a big deal for them, so he can’t miss it. Our youngest son lives 14 hours away, so he’s saving his visit for Christmas.

A turkey created out of a week's supply of transplant medications. It was created years ago by a transplant patient and shared widely among thousands of patients for several years.

It’s not worth the effort to make a whole turkey for two people. We thought about going out to dinner, but everywhere we looked, they are serving a buffet. Due to being immunosuppressed, I am not allowed to eat at buffets. My doctors forbid it. The one time I violated their orders, I became deathly ill. Never again.

In the past, we have gone to the Detroit Lions home game on Thanksgiving Day, but they are a really good team this year and tickets are insanely expensive. I will probably roast a chicken or a pot roast instead of turkey, and we can watch the game while lounging on the sofa in our pajamas.

That might be the best option. No traffic, no arguing with family members, no dry turkey (who actually likes turkey?) and we don’t have to share the pie with anyone else.

What are your plans for Turkey Day? Are there any empty nesters out there who want to share your holiday survival techniques? Tell me all your stories!

PS: Don’t give your dogs table scraps. No gravy, dressing. None of it. Emergency vets see a wave of pets with pancreatitis during the holiday season because they get fed sweet and fatty foods that are abundant this time of year. Just don’t do it. Stay strong, don’t fall for the puppy dog eyes, and save yourself $1,000.