A Chic Paris Lockdown – Part 2: Day 24 – Easy & Thankful
November 26, 2020
Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! I have a lot to be grateful for – and I am especially thankful for you delightful readers. Talking with you through the comments and Instagram messages is a wonderful addition to my day.
Day 24 in Fiona Ferris’s book, 30 Chic Days At Home, is titled “Go with the flow.” Fiona encourages us to take it easy on ourselves and follow our interests a bit – whether our interest is getting the closet in order or taking a nap. Yes, we do live in the real world and we do have responsibilities to maintain but sometimes it’s okay to take a break.
Today is a good day to take a break and enjoy counting all of our many blessings. (Being able to sit here typing on my laptop (with safety, electricity, heat, and indoor running hot and cold water) definitely puts my life in the top-tier of luxury for most of the world’s population.) It’s been a topsy-turvy year and I’m happy to have made it to November of 2020!
My Thanksgiving plans are pretty simple. The children are at school today. France does not have a Thanksgiving holiday even though they have embraced the “Black Friday Promotions” (Sales). My husband is on an unexpectedly delayed travel in the US – there was a delay in processing his CoVid-19 test that is required to board a flight to France. Our Thanksgiving “dinner” will be whenever he is able to return.
Thanksgiving dinner will be pretty low-key. I love the Normal Rockwell sketch of the large family all seated at the table and grandma bringing in the big turkey. All children seem to be (at that instant) sitting in their chairs and not visibly pinching or poking each other (or complaining about the food, yet.) Nicely, there is no cell phone or electronic gadget visible at the table (becasue they hadn’t been invented yet.) As much as I love the nostalgic image, the reality in my house is that the children would be pinching or poking each other and tryng to sneak their gadgets to the table and I and my husband would be both the cooking and the major part of the clean-up crew. That sounds a bit stressfull and tiring for me right now.
Our plan at the moment is to purchase a rotisserie chicken, make some cornbread (Martha White Sweet Cornbread mix), steam some broccoli and bring in a delicious baguette from our favorite boulangerie down the street. I will make a pecan pie and some whipped cream for dessert. The fact that all four of us will be around the table together is reason for celebration and thanksgiving in itself. Phone calls to family and friends in the US and around the world will also add to the happiness.
I wish everyone a lovely and peaceful day!
4 Comments
Janet
Love the description of an upcoming slow (?) celebration.
Julien M.
The Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays can feel a little high maintenance some years. I’m slowly building an approach that allows me to enjoy all the good things of the holiday season without feeling exhausted or overwhelmed by the middle/end of them. I’m using some tips from Fiona’s book, A Chic and Simple Christmas, to keep my “joie de vivre” (and sanity) for this holiday season 2020.
Lara
I am enjoying reading your daily posts and am learning so much about life in Paris. Your photographs are so beautiful and show a world so foreign to mine – it is as if you are living in a movie set, like Audrey Hepburn’s character in ‘Charade’. I am sweltering here in the subtropics of east coast Australia where it’s late spring and humidity is typically over 80% and temperatures in the high 20s (deg.C) each day. We are so fortunate that recent second waves in two large cities (Melbourne and Adelaide) have been brought under control after lengthy lockdowns and government investigations. Being an island nation, our government was able to close our borders early and force a national lockdown in mid-March, so most of our population of 26 million have experienced only that one lockdown. Sadly, many deaths occurred and many covid survivors have long term health effects. But we all know it could have been much much worse. Thank you for your beautiful daily writings. Know that you have a grateful recipient here in Australia. Best wishes to you and your family.
Julien M.
Hi, Lara – I’m so glad you are enjoying the blog! Your warm weather on the east coast of Australia sounds so exotic. (Especially after today, when, here in Paris, I kept my gloved hands in my coat pockets to keep them warm!) I’m so glad that things are looking up for Australia. It’s been a frightening year, hasn’t it? Best wishes to you and your loved ones for a happy holiday season and a joyful and healthy 2021!