The season of feasts is over.  We started with Thanksgiving.  Turkey stuffed with everything from apples and onions, lemons and herbs to sausage and bread.  Sauces and gravies made from the liver and neck and heart and gizzard.  Noodles and potatoes, cranberries and creamed corn. . .you get the idea.  Families gather together, toast and dine together.

Then there are the office parties, the gifts of cookies and hams and cheeses and chocolate as Christmas approaches.  Our family enjoys two feasts at Christmas - if you don't count the breakfasts of egg casseroles and pizza and fruit and coffee cakes.  We have another full turkey dinner on Christmas Eve followed by beef and stuffed mushrooms and twice baked potatoes on Christmas.

New Year's Eve with friends was Japanese this year.  New Year's Day was yet another day of feasting and watching football.  The Big 10 embarrassed themselves this weekend while we gnawed on scallops wrapped in bacon, chicken, chips, cheeses and a smattering of vegetables dunked generously in ranch dressing.  That was before dinner. 

Pork roast, kraut, pork gravy, potatoes and black-eyed peas for dinner.  Have I mentioned the drinks?  Irish whiskey in the coffee for Christmas breakfast, cases of red wine, Guinness, lagers, ales and IPAs.  Scotch in the evening.  Hard cider with New Year's dinner. 

All of this is nothing that a few hundred miles of walking can't clear from my system.  But the point of it is sharing time together.  We feast together in thanks and celebration.  And I love every minute of it. 

I'm not waiting until Easter either. 

Last week I decided to start the New Year with a lesser feast.  A Sunday meal to enjoy with family.  An opportunity to slow down and gather everyone for time together.  It was great fun.  Libby helped make the monster meatballs.  Kids moved in and out of the kitchen during the afternoon.  Vivaldi played over the kitchen speakers and we sat down to a meal together.  A lesser feast of equal value.