When my mom suggested that we host Thanksgiving dinner at our half-built home, I have to admit that the idea seemed a little far-fetched. Although it’s looking more and more like a house every day, we still don’t have the basic amenities that most would determine necessary for such a feast.
Oven? Nope.
Running water? Not yet.
Bathroom facilities? Again, no.
But thanks to a lifetime of backpacking adventures, we are a family used to squatting behind a tree to pee and cooking dinner over propane camp stoves, and so the more I thought about it — the more I realized what a fun memory it would be. To look back, even one year from now, when (hopefully, theoretically) we do have a full kitchen and say, “hey — remember that time we hosted Thanksgiving before these walls were insulated?”.
And so, in the spirit of creating a fun memory and doing things differently, I agreed.
We got our electric meter on the Monday before Thanksgiving, giving us just enough time to wire in a few lightbulbs and string up the twinkle lights that my mom brought over for added ambiance. We kept the whole place cozy and warm enough with our propane fire pit and a borrowed propane furnace from a neighbor. We covered a folding table with a nice tablecloth, borrowed cutlery from our furnished rental, and bought dishes from the local Goodwill. All of the sides were pre-prepared (mom: roasted carrots and beets, gravy, coconut shrimp, salmon; Neighbor Dave: charcuterie fixings; me: potatoes, pie from the local market, sourdough stuffing). We used the grill to re-heat things and make the main dish (beef tenderloin). Our beer fridge and wine cooler? Simple: the great outdoors.
We sipped on cranberry ginger margaritas (recipe below), non-alcoholic beer (Dr. Dad), wine (me, mom, Neighbor Dave), and did a side-by-side taste testing of two different ports (winner, per usual: Taylor Fladgate). We swapped stories, rehashed memories, laughed, had seconds, and all while I kept coming back to one thought—
These moments, they’re what make a house a home.
I have a plan, when the walls are insulated and sheet-rocked and painted, to create a gallery wall of the timeline of the build — a storybook of what it took to make five acres of raw land into a home. There will be a picture of the land, the concrete pour, the solar installation, and definitely — a few of these:
Weekly Round-Up!
What I drank:
I worked a 24-hour call shift on Thanksgiving, so I wasn’t in charge of much for our Black Friday dinner, but I did contribute sourdough stuffing (purchased from the local market), mashed potatoes (leftover from our work potluck), and the fixings for these Fireside Cranberry Cider Margaritas. I found the recipe from Half-Baked Harvest (Tieghan’s creations are my go-to when I want something a little *fancier* than normal). In the interest of simplicity, I opted out of the gingered rim. I also chose a Blanco tequila instead of Mezcal as I don’t like smoky flavors. They were still a 10/10 and something I’ll definitely repeat at Christmastime (that is, unless I find a different festive alternative).
What I watched:
Both of my parents were air traffic controllers, my mom was a pilot, my uncle is a pilot, and now my brother is one, too. In the pre-9/11 era, my dad used to take my brother and I to work with him. We’d run around the control tower of Denver International Airport “helping” direct air traffic. He’d also make airport-wide scavenger hunts for us, so that we could get comfortable navigating the train system and different concourses. I’ve always loved flying, and (as my dear ol’ Dr. Dad says), the clarity at 35K that comes with it. I’ll rarely opt into airplane Wi-Fi or entertainment, and instead pass the time reading, writing, or staring out the window — trying to identify peaks, towns, and rivers as we float over. With that, I suppose you could say that I have a bit of aviation in my veins.
Last week, I shared a different video from Gnarly Bay productions. While searching for that one, I came across this. Fight or Flight tells the story of Denise Joi, who is one of four pilots for Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the only woman to ever hold this job. Flying around mountains staring at wildlife and dropping fish into high alpine lakes? Not sure it gets more dreamy than that. Enjoy!
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See you on the next one. :)
Laura
Watching this video now!
Two of the gnarly bay folk were my neighbors in Topanga!