A week before Thanksgiving, my mother bought the turkey, frozen. Then she froze it some more. Then she let it thaw and cleaned it – and I mean really cleaned it, because nobody wanted a ‘dirty bird.’ She salt-and-peppered the turkey, buttered, paprika-ed, and nominally stuffed it.
My interactions with my family members are all one-to-one. We don’t all get together for Thanksgiving dinner. But I can sit and tell any one of them about a conversation that I just had with the other one, and they’re all curious and interested and respectful.
When we are filming, it often feels like we’re flying blind. As an actor, you have no idea if your choices are right or if they work. Some scenes feel like a complete Hail Mary. Imagine you’re blindfolded and cook a massive Thanksgiving feast with only new recipes – without getting to taste any of them along the way.
I keep saying this – and I keep putting it off because I get busy – but I keep saying one year I’m gonna tape our Thanksgiving dinner or, like, our Christmas dinner and maybe put it on my website just for people to see how funny it really is, how much fun it really, really is.
My tradition, as an adult, is to have an open-door policy on Thanksgiving. I always host, and I welcome absolutely anyone into my home. I think it’s really special. If people are going through hard times or not getting along well with their family, they flock to my house. And I’ll have my tree up!
The fall season brings Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday season. Sharing meals with family and friends are a key element of this joyful time of the year. We are faced with an abundance of food, and can easily gain extra pounds as a result.
Across Central Virginia, the traditions of Thanksgiving bring us closer together with those we love. We gather with family and close friends, we share memories and laughter, and we give thanks for the profound blessing of living in the United States.
