Itʻs Thanksgiving weekend as I write this and although the actual day has passed and in the history books, my table is still decorated in fall colors. In case you havenʻt figured it out already, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year — perhaps this is because I generally donʻt have any musical responsibilities on this day. Since I will be leaving for California on Christmas Day, I may not put up any Christmas decorations this year. Weʻll just have to wait and see.

I do, however, feel a tremendous responsibility for the Thanksgiving food, a relatively new task since my husband Carl died in 2014. As many of you know, for years Carl was 100% in charge of the cooking while I did the decorations, but now that heʻs gone, itʻs my job to make sure that the turkey doesnʻt burn and all the dishes are not ruined!

Iʻm sure that Carl is watching with some apprehension my cooking because after all: The Queen doesnʻt cook! (Do you know that there was probably an interval of 15 years that I never even darkened the door of a grocery store?! My husband did all the meal planning, grocery shopping and food preparation! I was so lucky.)

Here are the photos from this yearʻs celebrations (Apologies to those who already viewed these photos on Facebook!)

I had three new guests this year since my long-time friends Frank and Sue Haas, and our former assistant choirmaster, Allen Bauchle, were away with relatives on the East Coast. Someone remarked that every year, my table decorations are just a little bit different, so I went on a quest to find photos of past Thanksgiving feasts. Hereʻs what I found on my cell phone:

A Crosier tradition was followed this year when two dishes got left in the kitchen and were forgotten until it was time for everyone to go home! Carl used to tell me that when he was growing up, one dish or another always got forgotten during the holiday meals. Oh well, at least people got to take some home! At our holiday meals, EVERYONE goes home with leftovers!

A few weeks ago the following was part of the All Saints liturgy at Nuuanu Congregational Church, and I saved it, thinking it would be perfect for Thanksgiving.

Friends, we are invited to a table where everyone we ever loved and who ever loved us sits and feasts together. In our own lives, we sit at tables where there are empty chairs where the people we love and miss, people who no longer stop by for dinner, or come in for the holidays sit. We grieve those empty chairs, but know that our separation is only temporary.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!