Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

T-Day Minus Three!

Fact: As surprising as it may sound, there is no historical event of turkey being served in the three-day feast. The Thanksgiving menu of the modern world is entirely different from the first Thanksgiving. It is believed that the Pilgrims and Native Americans enjoyed other food items like lobster, seal, and swan.

Mary proclaimed “Decorations Done”

Mary was still out cold when I arose and faced the day.  Scout, The Wonder Dog, and I braved the morning chill and went forward to water the lawn.   We inspected the new garden, and then I saw Scout in his “pointing pose.”  He was as rigid as steel, with his nose pointing at a strawberry plant and the tail at 90 degrees, slowly waving in the breeze.   The first fruit had been spotted.

Mary did not see this little jewel this morning!

Mary came to life at about 7:30 AM, and we had our morning coffee.   The coffee was terrific, but I sent Mary back to bed; another day of recovery was needed. I told her of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving menu. I should NOT have done that!

Swan?  Seal?  Lobster?   Wow, we need to try that!

Later that morning, as we were preparing our action plan for Thanksgiving, Mary sent me to the store to get two pounds of Swan and four pounds of Seal. Needless to say, the butcher looked bewildered at my request.  He sent me to the OC Zoo and yelled, “Good Luck!” as I exited the store.

Sorry, Mr. Swan!

At the Zoo, the Swan had a different idea about Thanksgiving.  I quickly exited the Zoo leaving a trail of feathers and pieces of my jeans behind me; they are mean little buggers! Now they tell me: While geese are noisier aggressors, swans intimidate with their sheer size, and have a fearsome reputation for inflicting damage on anything they consider a threat to their mate or young.

Did You Know? Often served at feasts, the roast swan was a favored dish in the courts of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, particularly when skinned and redressed in its feathers and served with a yellow pepper sauce; others preferred to stuff the bird with a series of increasingly smaller birds, in the style of a turducken. Swans have been the property of the Crown since around the twelfth century, but Edward IV’s Act Concerning Swans in 1482 clearly defined that ownership. To this day, Queen Elizabeth II participates in the yearly Swan Upping, in which the royal Swan Master counts and marks swans on the Thames, and the kidnapping and eating of swans can be considered a treasonous crime. Great Britain’s royals are still allowed to eat swan, as are the fellows of St. John’s College of Cambridge, but to the best of our knowledge, they no longer do.

When I returned home, I went inside and changed from my embarrassing visit to the Zoo.  I then went to the computer and somehow ended up on this image I remember from my childhood; we are talking 65+ years ago. Below is a picture of the original sheet music to Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer, and I remember the picture like it was yesterday.  I played the piano and accordion, and this was a Christmastime favorite.

I just threw it away when I went through the piano bench about three years ago!

Did You Know? Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, is a fictional reindeer created by Robert L. May in 1939. Rudolph is usually depicted as the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus’s reindeer, using his luminous red nose to lead the reindeer team and guide Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. Though he initially receives ridicule for his nose as a fawn, the brightness of his nose is so powerful that it illuminates the team’s path through harsh winter weather. Ronald D. Lankford, Jr. described Rudolph’s story as “the fantasy story made to order for American children: each child has the need to express and receive approval for their individuality and/or unique qualities. Rudolph’s story embodies the American Dream for the child, written largely because of the cultural significance of Christmas.

I loved this picture of Mary taken when we were out to dinner a while back; she always has an infectious smile!

My Little Mary!

At 11:00 AM, Irene popped by and picked me up.  She brought the Silver Streak back that she had been driving since her car was in the shop.  We turned around, and I went back to Long Beach to get her car back.  Then I drove back home; all the vehicles were in their proper location. I was the freeway flier!

On the way home, I stopped in Downtown Orange at Renata’s Italian Restaurant and picked up veal piccata for Mary, and I got the angel-hair seafood plate.  I could NOT pass up the bruschetta!  The chef was on duty and offered me a glass of wine while I waited; it’s nice to be known!  I only drink wine on days that end with a “y.”

The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later, you’re hungry again.

I like to chat with others while waiting for my Italian food-to-go order, but I was the only one there! It helps to pasta time.

Mary got up, had her lunch, and returned to being horizontal.  She wants this gone by Thursday!  I worked in the He-Shed and went to Home Depot to get the hardware I needed for the gazebo lighting.  When I returned, Mary was sitting up, folding the laundry.  You can’t keep a tough person down!

The sunset was looking good when I returned from Home Depot.

It was dark at 5:30 PM.

We had some news!  Vicky and Jim are joining us for Thanksgiving; it will be an excellent addition to the soiree!  Now we will have pierogis for Bob, enchiladas for Vicky, and I will get ham for myself!  Tomorrow, I will go shopping as soon as I wake up!

About Paul

Just an old retired guy trying to finish out my last years on this planet. I lost my best friend and wife in early 2020. I was blessed again by reconnecting with Dr. Mary Côté, a long-time friend. Mary and I got married July 28th, 2021, and are enjoying life together and plan to spend the rest of our lives being a blessing to our friends and family.
This entry was posted in Just Us, Working Around House. Bookmark the permalink.