Everything was different about Thanksgiving this year, from the aroma of the food to the number of cooks in the kitchen;  from multiple filled dining tables to a single Table for Two.

As with so many families, we have high-risk members that we'd like to keep.  And of course we all hope to avoid the blitzkrieg on our healthcare system.  So the sole traveler in our ranks was son Beau.  Honda delivered him southwest from Raleigh rather than north to my niece's home in Virginia.

Since it was just the two of us, our menu experienced a "slight" transconfiguration.  LOML chose Beef Stroganoff instead of turkey or ham;  French Silk rather than our family's traditional Chocolate and Chess pies.  We scratched the standard sweet potato soufflé, squash casserole, creamed potatoes, stuffed celery, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce and probably 2-3 other sides. Baked peaches and peas did the trick for us.

Did we miss spending time with family over a big meal?  Of course!
Yet, there were things to appreciate about this particular Thanksgiving...
Hours spent in the kitchen melted to one or two.
The grind and gridlock of highway driving was replaced by sleeping in.
And this son & his mom enjoyed an extended, uninterrupted conversation about his plans for the future. 
🤗
In spite of the fact that today stands in stark contrast to all Thanksgivings past, I think it will forever rank among my favorites.

P.S.  Happy Birthday, Dad!