Bivalve Revenge Averted

I was a little worried last that my good luck with eating oysters had finally caught up with me.  They are scavengers after all, eating garbage off the bottom of the ocean floor.

I seriously thought I had food poisoning after my fourth trip to the bathroom in the space of an hour.  It would not be a good time to be incapacitated.  There were so many things to do even today leading up to Thursday’s feast.

I found myself saying, “Please God, spare me!”  I went to bed not knowing how the night would go, whether I would be coherent enough to make it to the bathroom.  But I slept soundly and woke up hungry and not in the least sick.  Whew!

So today I’m feeling rather lucky not to be running to the bathroom or sneezing or coughing or doing any of the other undesirable things that this season often brings.

The big bird is resting in a water bath flavored by salt, herbs, smashed garlic cloves, lemon peel, and brown sugar.  I have made my last trip to the grocery store.  I’ve cut up the rye bread for the fennel-wild mushroom stuffing. 

I’m on my way into the city to pick up Dan, who will be here to help pick up his sister Rachel, who arrives from San Francisco in the middle of the night.  Jake is resting up in preparation for greeting some of his very favorite humans.

I feel so fortunate to be healthy as I look forward to a family reunion and a mountain of food shared with family and friends.