To put the following moment in context, you have to understand that my otherwise exemplary mother is quite wacked when it comes to food, and – case in point – volunteered for the famous 7-year low fat study where she was allowed no more than 23 fat grams a day. I’m guessing this audience understands exactly how little fat that is – every day, for seven years, with regular physicals and food journals and all that a rigorous study entails. She has fed my dad a low-fat vegetarian diet for probably the last thirty years or more. She once told me (in vino veritas) that she considered divorcing him when he grew stout in early middle age. I guess she had never looked very closely at his mother, brother or sister….

Thursday afternoon I am standing in the kitchen preparing to use the hand mixer to reduce some boiled sweet potatoes and cream to a consistency my dad can swallow. I take a stick of butter from the bag I have brought with me and ask my mother how much she thinks I should add to the half dozen medium-sized potatoes.

“The whole thing,” she says, without turning a hair.

Surreal. I think that’s the only word for our Thanksgiving – totally surreal.

I kinda miss being home (nyc) and at my homeboys dinner but this is nice as hell. Not sure how I would be emotionally if my parents were here this time but i actually missed them (for a change). I’m just destressing, drinking a lot, watching south park/trash reality tv and acting like a happy 8 year old. Awesomesauce.

Long issues with her, but some how because I had a cold (which sucks at a holiday anyway), I was denied food, seriously. She cooked a HUGE thanksgiving meal (which is weird since it’s just her and mum since I’m at home sick) and then said, since I couldn’t be there…I shouldn’t get any of the food.

So I ate a sandwitch and tried to forget it was a holiday, and the one holiday I actually allowed myself not to care I was eating five starches in one sitting.

*shrugs* Maybe for Christmas I’ll buy her a gift card for her favorite restrant…and then manage to make both myself and my mother unable to go at any time (yes, I am bitter).

And Quiwi and Krystal, the Fat Bandits and Large bodies are not there as an insult, but as diversity amongst the heartless. Not to mention, their ‘fat’ is a defense, which is kinda cool. It’s not saying all fat characters are evil, just look at Pence (who IS overweight, though not as large as a Large Body).

Anywho, I was working on Thanksgiving (hotels never close)
So, a friend and I made Thanksgiving dinner just the two of us!
Neither of us really knew what we were doing, so it was really funny to watch us try to roast a turkey breast!

She is pretty body positive, so it was great to just cook things and not apologize for using butter in every recipe, or pretend I “forgot” to take it out.
Also, taking seconds (mashed sweet potatos! yum!) without feeling eyes on you is a fabulous feeling…

It was a great bonding experience, and probably the least stressful and hence, happiest Thanksgiving ever! :)

I’m sorry your holiday was so awful, too! I support your decision to ditch the fam for Xmas! That goes for everyone, actually.