How was your Thanksgiving and Black Friday? Here I am at the salon, trying a new hairdo in preparation for the holiday. Usually my stylist uses a curling iron but this time she tried rollers.

Turkey Day arrives, and I get my main dish ready to put in the oven.

  

Several hours later, it’s done. Maybe it didn’t brown as well as I’d like on the sides, but the thermometer tells me the inside is cooked.

Our table is set. We’re having a quiet holiday this year, which means we can relax and enjoy each other’s company in private. The guys watch sports on TV until it’s time to eat. We’re having traditional fare of roast turkey with gravy, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, broccoli cheese casserole, and jellied cranberry sauce. No stuffing; our kids don’t like it. Pumpkin pie from Costco and homemade brownies for dessert.

Our stomachs are satisfied and our blood is suffused with sufficient fat and sugar content for the rest of the month. We go to bed in anticipation of the shopping frenzy on Friday.

In the morning, we head to Sawgrass Mills Mall. We find parking in a relatively unpopulated area that we favor and stride toward the doors. Sales beckon, and we emerge a few hours later carrying packages. I bought a new pair of NYDJ black jeans at Nordstrom Rack for half the price of what I’d pay for them in the department stores. Worn out, we went home for a nap.

Today we may go to a park or do spot shopping but we’re not looking for anything in particular. I’ve already bought some of my holiday gifts and would rather go back to the stores on a regular weekday. Tonight we’ll take a break from turkey leftovers and dine out at a favorite restaurant.

Tomorrow is my birthday. That means brunch and a happy day spent with family, the best gift in the world.

What’s your plan for the rest of the weekend? Any new recipes to share?