Thanksgiving Nourishment: It's not all about the food.
It's December now and many folks are focused on the holiday hustle and bustle, but I've still got Thanksgiving on my mind. I think it goes by too fast. The moment the clock strikes midnight, we move away from gratitude and on to Black Friday, then to Cyber Monday, then Giving Tuesday and now it's officially the Holiday Season. If you've moved on, that's ok - but I'm holding on to Thanksgiving just a teensie bit longer.
Over the past few years, Thanksgiving has been a time of big life transitions for me. I got married the weekend before Thanksgiving. Spending Turkey Day in Seagrove Beach for the past 5 years, was the impetus for my parents to sell our home of 28 years and moved to Highway 30a full-time. Therefore it's become a holiday filled with gratitude, reflection and excitement for new adventures. This year was no different.
My Pack
My husband and I decided to be "practical" and use the time-off to complete some much needed house work. It is the first time I've been in charge of the food, entirely, and the first time we've shared the holiday just between us. On Thursday, we went for a good hike at Ruffner Mountain. It was nice to slow down and spend the day together.
Bottle and Bone Boudicken
After the hike, we enjoyed a unique Thanksgiving Feast! Since it was just the two of us, we (I) opted out of cooking a huge turkey. Instead, we got a delicious creation by Bottle & Bone of chicken breast stuffed with boudin. It did not disappoint! The rest of the fixin's were more traditional: pinto beans, green bean casserole, corn bread, sautéed greens and my favorite wine, Joel Gott Cabernet. . MMMMM....delish!
The Boudicken. ------>
Despite thoroughly enjoying the downtime with my husband, I woke up Friday morning really missing my family. Bill pointed out that most of the work required power tools and therefore, I would be of little use to him with home repairs. So I hit the road (mostly guilt-free) for Highway 30a! I had the best road trip; enjoying all my favorite music on my super old iPod that magically started working again last week. Shameless car dancing, singing and bopping down I65 may have been my favorite part of the trip. No doubt I looked like one of those dashboard bobble-heads. Here's a taste of the playlist:
Red Road, Chris Robinson
And She Was, Talking Heads
Jolene, Dolly Parton
Bron-Y-Aur-Stomp, Led Zeppelin
Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin
Hurts So Bad, Susan Tedeschi
Don't Do It, The Band
...and lots of Golden Oldies :)
Spending those few days with my family was fantastic. When we all get together, there is no shortage of food, fun and activities. Here are a few pics from the trip:
Mom, sister, me & some fun toys!
The Beach Crew (minus Bill) Dan, Claire & The Chester (my parents best beach buds), mom & dad, Chrissy & Ryan at Great Southern Cafe.
This.View.
In Integrative Nutrition, there is a concept called Primary Foods. These are the non-food elements of your life that nourish you: family, relationships, career...etc. When these aspects are imbalanced it translates to feeling undernourished which creates dietary imbalances and pesky food cravings. The entire chain of events was just what I needed to rebalance my own Primary Foods. The nostalgia the music created, the freedom of a solo road trip, time with family - Each aspect played a roll in helping me feel whole and nourished. I want to encourage you to consider your own primary foods. Keep things slow and mindful through December to notice what aspects of your life need a little TLC and rebalancing.
Wishing you balance and nourishment,
Emilie