It seems to be a fitting time to revive Ginger Mouse. Almost to the day seven years ago I wrote the post Counterpoints, and waxed romantically about the geologic record contained in our soon-to-be stone countertops and the scores of pie crusts and chapatis to be rolled on them. Well, today is Thanksgiving and I made a few pies to celebrate. Here is how it actually went:
Day 1
Me: I’m going to make two pies and a vegetarian entree to bring to your family’s Thanksgiving.
Andy (Incredulously): Are you sure you have time for that?
Me (Assumes super doctor-mom persona): Totally. That’s nothing! I already wrote out a schedule so I can do a little bit each day.
Andy (Looking at list artfully written on nice paper with a nice pen): Oh, okay!
Day 2
Me (Searching for stone counter slabs under the reams of first grade worksheets, drawings, junk mail, and assorted odds and ends): Here’s a free square foot! If I move all of the papers on this side of the counter to the other side I may even get two square feet!
Me (mixing pie crust while on a work call in the midst of my “day off”): CRASH! BANG! Argh, I just spilled flour all over the floor! I hope no one at work heard that!
Me (finally off the phone): AHHHHH, I love how flour feels so velvety and then completely transforms when I mix in the butter…I could do this forever- OMG I’m late to pick up the girls at school!
Day 3
Me: Oooh, pretty apples. Pretty sparkly apples which will become pretty, sparkly pie. I love pie.
Pretty, sparkly apples
Day 4
Me (Wednesday, no school, working an evening shift): Okay, girls, I’m going to be cooking, so I’m still here but I’ll need you to play independently for a bit while Daddy’s at work.
Me, the girls (A few hours of sheer mayhem): …
Veggies are pretty too
Me (Pie number one baked, revised less-complicated but still labor intensive entree mostly complete, children have been replaced by wild animals): Well, I’ve put in a day’s work. Time to get ready for my actual work shift!
Day 5, Thanksgiving
Me (Groaning after a late night at work and ridiculously few hours of sleep, running to-do list in head, super doctor-mom persona completely deflated): UGGGGHHH
Me (Rolling out one more pie crust with furrowed brow): Who invented this idea of Thanksgiving anyway??!!
Even the earth isn’t uniformly round so it’s okay that my pie crust looks like this
Family (High tension, constant bickering): …
Me: I really need to go running now. I think you all will thank me for doing it.
Me (Outside): I cannot resist running in a sunny field! Ahhh, everything is so beautiful today. I feel so much better.
Later:
Me: Okay! Everything is done! It’s a beautiful day! Look at this food that we’re going to eat! I love cooking! Family, we have so much to be thankful for!
We have to drive how many miles before we eat this?!
Family: Sighs with relief that Mama is herself again. Gathers around the table to eat pie-crust cookies. Smiles all around.
Spirals and circles
So, everyone, amidst the chaos of food and family I hope you all had even just a moment to shed your personal equivalent of a super doctor-mom persona, take a deep breath, and run through a sunny field. If not, tomorrow is a good day to try it out. Happy Thanksgiving.
Ginger Mouse 