Published: 28 Aug 2025
Chapter 14 – Plenty to be Thankful For
When my parents came home the following evening, I’d already fixed supper for them again, but this one was much simpler than the one I’d prepared the previous evening. This time I used ingredients that I found in the cupboards, freezer, or things that were left over from my previous shopping trip, so it was less complicated. Supper consisted of rigatoni and meatballs, garlic bread, and another green salad with black olives, tomato wedges, croutons, and some grated Parmesan cheese, coated with a vinegar and olive oil dressing.
Once again, Mom sniffed out what I’d done as soon as she walked through the door. I swear she’s got a nose like a bloodhound. “It smells like you made supper again,” she stated while flashing me a broad smile.
“You and Dad have time to freshen up while I put things on the table,” I explained, and then I told them what we were having to eat.
“I hope it’s followed by more of the raspberry cheesecake?” Dad added.
“Yes, we’ll have frozen yogurt raspberry cheesecake and more fresh raspberries for dessert,” I confirmed.
When my parents came back after freshening up, we sat down to eat. Each place had its own salad waiting for them, and then we passed around the large bowl with rigatoni, another bowl with meatballs, and a platter with garlic bread. As soon as we’d filled our plates, we began to eat.
“It is so nice to come home to a wonderful meal, rather than having to fix it myself after a long day at work,” Mom stated.
“And I know there’s a dessert waiting for me after I’ve finished eating the main course,” Dad followed.
“I’m glad you enjoy it,” I replied simply. “Tomorrow night the McCaskills will be here and Pa’s already said that he wants to take us out to eat.”
“This has been a wonderful few days for me so far,” Mom stated. “Your father took us all out to eat Friday night, and then you fixed supper for us last night and tonight, and Aaron will be taking us out to eat tomorrow. It’s been almost like a vacation for me, since I didn’t have to do anything those nights, and even though I’ll be preparing the big Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, at least I don’t have to work at my job. Doris will also be here to help, so it won’t be so bad. I want to thank you and your father for how you’ve made the past few days easier for me, and I’ll also thank Aaron and Doris before they leave.”
After we finished the main course, I brought in the dessert, much to my dad’s delight. “There was enough frozen yogurt remaining for me to give each of us a nice scoop, and enough fresh raspberries to surround it, like I did last night.”
As soon as I’d given each of them their bowl, I sat down to enjoy my dessert as well, and when we finished, I sent Mom and Dad into the living room to watch TV while I did the dishes. When I was done with that task, I went in to join them and discovered they were already watching “The Curse of Oak Island” on the History channel, so I sat down to watch it with them.
“You’ve found some treasure,” Dad stated after I took my seat, “so, do you think these guys will ever find anything of value?”
“I’m sure there was treasure hidden on the island at some point, since it seems that someone went to a great deal of trouble to make sure it wouldn’t be easy to locate. However, since this all started at the end of the 18th century, there’s been plenty of time for someone to find the treasure and just not say anything.”
“Why wouldn’t they say anything?” Mom asked.
“For many reasons. They probably didn’t want anyone else to know because they were afraid others might try to steal it.”
“But wouldn’t others be able to figure if out if the person that found the treasure suddenly seemed to have a lot of money or valuables?” Dad followed.
“They might have been smart and only spent a little at a time, and if the treasure wasn’t money, then they might have chosen to sell or barter with those items one at a time.”
“Is that what you’re doing with your treasure,” Mom asked.
“Exactly! We’ll only sell a few coins at a time, like Pops and Gramps did when they found treasure.”
“They found treasure too?” Mom mused.
“Yes, but I probably shouldn’t have mentioned it. Please don’t say anything to Devin or his family that you know.”
“We won’t, but what treasure did they find?” Dad asked.
“It was in the late 1800s when Pops heard about the legend of the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine, so he attempted to learn all he could about it. When he thought he had all the information he needed, he went looking for it, but he didn’t do it as himself.”
“What do you mean?”
“Since the Superstition Mountains, where he suspected the mine was located, possessed many dangers, he decided to transition into a black bear to search for it. After inspecting every cave, nook, and cranny he came to, he found one of the storage locations where Jacob Waltz, the Dutchman, had hidden some of his treasure. From that point on, he began transporting the gold dust, gold bars, and gold coins out of that location, but he would only sell them or use them a little at a time, and only as someone else.”
“You mean by using his ability,” Dad stated.
“Yes. He would transition into different “prospectors” when he sold or used the gold, and that way no one would suspect any of those people had a lot of gold. And if anyone tried to follow him, he would hide where they couldn’t see him and transition into a bear to scare them off.”
“He’s lucky they didn’t shoot him.”
“He could always find out about them by transition into a bird or another animal that they wouldn’t suspect, and I guess he even transitioned into a raccoon to mess with their weapons while they were sleeping.”
“Damn, that ability you guys possess really came in handy for him.”
“Yes, it certainly did, and when Gramps was old enough to help him, they searched out other hiding areas Waltz used and found the mine as well. They hid their wealth from others, but eventually put theirs in different banks to earn interest, and later they invested it in stocks and made a killing. When Pa graduated from college with a degree in finance, he started managing all of their accounts, which were held under multiple names.”
“Damn, I’m surprised they could get away with doing that.”
“They were all real people associated with the family. It was like this, and they used their ability to do this as well, and after they had their son, they would have their wife fake another pregnancy long after the first son was born, basically a change of life baby for the mother. One of them would transition into her for doctor’s appointment, even adding the fetus to make it look real, and then their wife would give birth to another son. One of them would transition into a baby that she would take and have examined, and that way she could get a birth certificate and be able to apply for a social security card for the baby.”
“Why would they have her fake having another child?”
“Because the child’s identity would be what they’d use for their next identity when they got older.”
“And wouldn’t people wonder where that son was when he was growing up?”
“No, he’d be home schooled and would work on the farm, and once in a while one of them would transition into him to go to social functions, like church socials or the county fair so others would see him.”
“And you and Devin will do that as well?” Mom wondered.
“Yes, so when we get really old, we’ll be able to transition into another identity, which in this case will be a much younger son.”
“But they don’t really have a farm for you to work on,” Dad pointed out.”
“That’s true, and it’s why they had to come up with a different plan. What they’re doing now is saying their son is working for them in one of the family businesses.”
“One of the family businesses?” Mom questioned. “You mean they have more than one?”
“Yes, they have different businesses. Gramps and Pops own and operate two of them, McCaskill Environmental and Wildlife Consulting Group, which we learned about when we went off with them the first time, and Hidden Treasure Coin Dealers.”
“And that’s the company that will be helping you sell your treasure, right?” Dad asked.
“Yes, that’s correct, and maybe even the other things that were in those bags as well. And Pa has his own accounting business, Aaron McCaskill, C.P.A. He helps companies keep their books, gives tax advice, and does their taxes for them. He also works with individuals with various financial concerns, such as investments, and he does their income taxes as well.”
“So, that will be your fallback options when you get older?”
“Yes, but we may transition into our younger identity to get a degree so we can continue doing what we’re hoping to do now, or we may try a completely different profession. It depends on what the world is like by then.”
“I see, but that’s a very complicated ruse, so I’m surprised they haven’t been caught. By the way, how old are Gramps and Pops?”
“Pops was born in 1840 and Gramps was born in 1940. Pa was born in 1975.”
“Pops was born in 1840? Then he must have had a couple of other identities since then.”
“I believe he took a new identity sometime around 1920, since Gramps was born in 1940, and then he had another around 1980.”
Then he would have only been 60 when he did that!”
“You forget, when he transitioned in 1980, he took the identity of Gramps younger brother, and he would have supposedly been born between 1950 and 1960. It means he would have been transitioning into the identity of a 20 or 30-year-old when he transitioned in 1980, and the same thing would have been true when he transitioned in 1920. Back then it would have been difficult to tell exactly when he was born, but he fought in the Civil War during his first life, and he also fought in World War II during his second life.”
“Couldn’t he have faked having a physical problem to get a deferment?”
“Yes, he probably could have, but during the Civil War he felt it was important to hold the union together and he was against slavery as well. And during World War II, he not only felt it was important to defeat fascism, but I think he was prompted by a surge of patriotism after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.”
“Pops sounds like quite a guy and he was lucky to make it through those two wars unscathed.”
“Not totally unscathed, and it was actually an accident he had while serving in the army after the Civil War that he came into contact with the Navajo medicine man that made him a good skinwalker. The same shaman also helped me learn how to be a good skinwalker. I think Pops might have also been injured during World War II, but his ability helps him adapt certain wounds into something less serious.”
“What do you mean?” Mom asked.
“Well, if he had a wound that might have led to an amputation, such as a badly damaged bone, he could heal the bone himself and make it appear that the bullet had missed the bone. He would have still been injured, and possibly even lost the use of an arm or a leg for a while, but he would have survived.”
“I don’t know how they keep track of all those things.”
“They are very careful, have good memories, and keep very good records, if they are required.”
Since we’d been talking about Devin’s family, we hadn’t been watching “The Curse of Oak Island” on TV, so we were surprised to discover the show had ended and it was now after 10:00. Seeing my parents had to work the next day, they decided to head up to bed, but I chose to stay up a little longer. I opted to watch cable news to see what was going on in the world, and then I turned in shortly after 11:00.
When I woke up the next morning, I fixed myself a quick breakfast, and when I finished eating, I decided to do some laundry before we returned to Fort Collins. I went up to my room and collected all my dirty clothes so I wouldn’t have to do laundry when we got back to the house. That’s because we’d be having company shortly after we arrived there.
Lonny, Clint, and Preston will be joining us to celebrate a second Thanksgiving on Friday, and Lonny and Clint will also be going to the football game with us on Saturday. After they leave, Devin and I will use Sunday to spend time with each other, as well as to get ready for classes to resume again on Monday.
I was still working on my laundry when Devin, Ma, and Pa arrived, which was well before my parents got home from work. It gave us a chance to visit for a while, and the first thing I wanted to know was how Devin was doing.
“How are you feeling? Have you been having any problems while you were at the cabin?”
“Not at all. I feel fine and I’m ready to return to classes. I’m also looking forward to our friends showing up tomorrow night.”
“I am as well,” I concurred. “Did you talk to Gramps and Pops about how they’re doing with our treasure?”
“Actually, Dad filled me in about a few things, because Gramps and Pops have been telling him about what they’ve been doing. They’re apparently making progress with cataloguing the various items and have made some interesting discoveries.”
“Really? Come on, spill the tea.”
“Well, Gramps told me they found an 1850 Liberty Head double eagle that they rated as ‘fine’. He said it’s one of the very first collectible Liberty Head double eagle coins ever made. They also discovered an 1859-O Liberty Head double eagle, the O stands for the New Orleans Mint, and Gramps says not very many of those were ever minted. It had been wrapped up in a separate cloth to protect it, and they rated it as ‘extremely fine’.”
“So, someone must have known that was very rare.”
“Apparently, they did. Gramps also said there were two 1861 double eagles, and one was 1861-S, the S stands for the San Francisco mint, was rated as fine. The other one was an 1861-O and they rated that one as very good.” The last coin they told me about was an 1861-S Coronet Head double eagle with a ‘Paquet Reverse’, and that just means that Paquet was the engraver that designed the reverse side of the coin. They rated that one as ‘extremely fine’ as well, and they said it was wrapped up in the same cloth as the 1859 O.
“That’s great, but exactly how much are they worth?”
“Gramps says the 1850 double eagle could be worth $10,000 to $15,000, and the 1859-O double eagle could be worth $35,000 to $40,000. The 1861-S could be worth $10,000 to $15,000, and the 1861-O could be worth $15,000 to $20,000. The 1861-S Coronet Head double eagle with the Paquet Reverse could be worth $70,000 to $80,000. That’s just five of the sixty-one double eagle gold pieces that were in the bags and doesn’t include the other double eagles or the other coins that were in the bags.”
“Wow, that’s fantastic.”
“Yes, it is, and they feel we can get $140,000 to $180,000 or more for just those five coins! They’re going to wait until they evaluate more of the coins first, but they might have some of the coins that they feel are most valuable professionally rated. They’re planning on having PCGS or NGS each rate two or three coins, but they don’t want to give either firm too many to rate or they might get suspicious about where they came from.”
“I see, but why would they have those coins professionally rated, since they can do it themselves?”
“Because with a professional rating from those companies, the coins will be worth even more to a collector.”
“Ah, I see. So, how much do they think the combined value of all the coins will be worth?”
“Gramps and Pops are estimating that the coins alone could bring in as much as a million dollars, and that’s not adding in the value of the pristine antiques and jewelry that were also in the bags. Those things could potentially add up to another half million or more.”
“Whoa, this news certainly gives us a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.”
“Yes, it does.”
Later, after my mom and dad arrived home from work, they said hello to Ma and Pa and chatted briefly, and then they went to freshen up so we could go out to eat. We all loaded into Pa’s SUV, and I climbed in the very back with Devin, since he had assured me the area that had had been operated on had healed enough that I didn’t have to worry about doing any damage,
Pa drove us to the same restaurant that we usually went to and we had a wonderful time with good food and great conversation, and we also did a little planning for various upcoming events as well. Our moms decided who was going to do what for the Thanksgiving meal, and they also made plans about which stores they’d go to during their shopping trip on Black Friday. Our dads chatted about which college football games they were most interested in watching, since there were times when multiple games would be playing simultaneously on different stations.
Devin and I discussed what we had to do for our Thanksgiving meal. “I was thinking our second Thanksgiving meal should be similar to what we’ll be eating tomorrow, except we’ll have a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey.”
“Our moms will be making the stuffing inside the turkey, and we won’t be able to do that, so are we going to bother with having stuffing?”
“Yes, we’ll just use Stove Top Stuffing, but we’ll spruce it up a bit. First of all, we’ll use chicken broth instead of water, and we’ll fry up some ground Italian sausage to add to it, as well as some sauteed onions and celery. I’m going to ask Mom if she’ll let me borrow her rosemary, sage, and thyme, and then I’ll return them when we come home before Christmas. We’ll also have a jar of turkey gravy to put on the mashed potatoes and the turkey, and we’ll also be able to add it on top of the stuffing if desired.”
“Damn, you’re turning into one hell of a cook.”
“Thanks. We’ll also be spending time with our friends at the football game on Saturday, and we’ll invite them back to the house after the game for either hot or cold turkey sandwiches and leftovers.”
“Ok, that sounds awesome.”
We also talked about what we had to do to get ready for the hospital visit and about training the fraternity brothers that were going to take over for us. We also discussed the various project and/or papers that would be coming due in our various classes before the Christmas break, as well as planning for finals week.
“Damn, I hope we didn’t bite off more than we can handle this year,” Devin said looking concerned.
“We’ll just have to buckle down and plan our time,” I replied, “but I don’t think I’ve ever heard you use that expression before.”
“It’s because I spent time with Gramps and Pops and they used it a few times when we were together.”
When the meal ended, we went back to the house and chatted some more, but not for very long. Our moms went to bed first, since they’d be getting up early to start working on the meal, and our dads went up to join them a short time later. Devin and I stayed up the longest and chatted about how Gramps and Pops were going to dispose of all the treasure and turn it into cash for us, and how Pa would suggest different investments for us to consider.
On Thanksgiving morning, Mom and Ma got up early in order to prepare the turkey and put it in the oven, and then they took a short break before they started on the other dishes to go with it. Dad and Pa got up next, and when Devin and I woke up shortly after that, our moms took time out to fix breakfast for all of us. They even sat down briefly to eat with us, but they left the table long before the rest of us.
When we finished eating, I asked Mom and Ma a question. “Is there anything I can do to help, like wash the dishes?”
“We’ve been washing the things we used to make the meal nearly as soon as we were finished with them, so all that’s left are the dishes we used for breakfast.”
“Then I’ll do those, because you and Ma have done enough already.”
“No, your job will be to entertain Devin and to make sure he doesn’t do anything that might prolong the healing process. You two should go in and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and the football games with your dads until it’s time to eat the big meal, and that won’t be until 2:00 or 2:30.”
Since we had their blessing, Devin and I did what they suggested and went into the living room to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade with our dads. Ma and Mom would alternate taking turns and join us for a while, and shortly after the parade ended, the pre-game show for the NFL football games started. Since Devin and I weren’t interested in that, we went out to see if we could help our moms. This time they said we could set the table for the big meal, and after we finished doing that, we decided to go see what our dads were doing.
As we expected, the game was nearly ready to get underway. “Who’s playing?” I asked.
“The first game is the Chicago Bears at the Detroit Lions,” Dad responded.
“Ok, thanks,” I replied, and then I looked at Devin. He didn’t seem interested in watching this game either, so we went up to my room to talk.
Once again, we discussed the details that Gramps and Pops had given Devin about the coins, and then we talked some more about what we still had to buy for our Thanksgiving meal after we got to Fort Collins. After that, we grabbed my laptop to see what toys were on sale at the stores in Fort Collins, because we’d soon be doing a lot of shopping to get ready for our visit to the children’s ward at the hospital.
“We’ll have to contact the fraternity brothers that are going to do this with us and then take it over next year,” Devin pointed out, “so we can show them the ropes. We’ll also have to go over to the campus newspaper office with them, to see how much they’ve collected as well.”
We discussed that and other things until we were called down to feast on the Thanksgiving meal with the rest of our families, and of course, Mom and Ma had timed the meal so we were eating during halftime of the first game.
Mom and Ma had fixed all of the typical Thanksgiving fare, plus a few additional items. In addition to the turkey and dressing (stuffing), we had a traditional salad, a green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce. There was also cornbread, macaroni and cheese, candied yams, and mashed potatoes and gravy, so no one was going to go hungry and there would be plenty of leftovers for later.
In between the meal and dessert, Devin and I went in to spend some time with our dads, which meant we’d be watching the second half of the football games with them. To our surprise, we found it exciting, so I guess it means football is football, at least now that we’d gotten to know a lot more about the game while we’ve been at CSU. We stuck around until the half ended, and as soon as Mom discovered the game was over, she called us out to have dessert.
“In addition to the two pumpkin pies that Ma had made, she also prepared an apple pie, so we can have either one. We can also have a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to top it off.”
“Can we have a half slice of both?” Dad followed.
“Have one now and the other one later, after we have leftovers,” Mom answered.
We all made our choices and ate our dessert, and when we finished, Devin and I went up to my room again, rather than watching the next game with our dads. When we got there, I made another comment to Devin.
“We’ll plan on having everything that we had today when we have Thanksgiving with our friends, except for the macaroni and cheese. We should also buy a frozen pumpkin pie, and maybe an apple pie too, along with a half-gallon of vanilla ice cream and a large can of whip cream, as well as the other things we talked about earlier.”
“Yeah, that sounds good. I’m sure you’ve already got a list started somewhere, so just add those items to it,” he commented while flashing me a coy grin.
Later that evening, we snacked on the leftovers, and after we finished a slice of pie, Devin and I said goodnight to our parents.
“We’re going to get up early and drive back to Fort Collins in the morning, because we’ve got a lot to do in order to get ready for our friends to show up. And Mom, don’t forget that Lonny and Clint will be coming here for Christmas, so you might want to buy something for them as well.”
“What should I get them?” she countered, so Devin and I gave her a few suggestions.
Our moms said they be going to bed shortly as well, so they’d be rested up for the rigors of shopping on Black Friday. Our dads, however, said they were going to stay up and watch the end of the third football game before they turned in.
Since Devin and I hadn’t made love since he’d had his operation, we decided Thanksgiving would be a great time to do it again and give us one more thing to be thankful for. However, I insisted that we take it easy and not get too rambunctious, because I didn’t want to do anything that was too physical or aggressive until after his next doctor’s appointment.
“I keep telling you, I’m completely healed,” he objected.
“Like I’ve said before, until you get your medical degree, I’ll wait until your doctor confirms your assessment.”
“Does that mean you’re not going to allow me to drive on the way back to Fort Collins as well?”
“Yes, it does, because I love you so much that I want to make certain that you’re completely healed before you do that as well.”
“Since you’re doing this out of love, I won’t argue with you… this time,” he added with a grin.
After we made slow, and very sensual love, we took a shower before we got back into bed, cuddled, and fell asleep.
When my alarm went off, we got up, got dressed quickly, and then we made sure that we packed everything into our duffle bags and weren’t leaving anything behind. We then carried our duffle bags downstairs and said good morning to our dads, and then they informed us that our moms had already left to fight the Black Friday crowds. Since we weren’t planning on taking the time to fix something to eat here, we didn’t bother to ask our dads if our moms had fixed breakfast for them before they left. We felt our dads could fend for themselves, since I knew Pa was capable of fixing a meal, or they could always go out to get something to eat instead.
“We’ll say goodbye to both of you for now, but we’ll be back in a few weeks for Christmas. Enjoy the college football games, and I hope neither of you are losing the majority of the bets you’re making on the games.’
“Aaron’s teams won two of the three games yesterday, but I’ll get even with him today,” Dad replied, and then we said a final goodbye before we carried our duffle bags outside.
After we tossed them in the back of the SUV, we set out for Fort Collins. We were planning on stopping at the diner on the way to Fort Collins for breakfast, and that way I’d get a short break from driving as well. We hadn’t gone very far before we both began to laugh, because our stomachs began rumbling quite loudly to let us know that they weren’t happy with our decision to wait until we got to the diner to fill them.
In an effort to drown out their objections, Devin turned on the radio, and the station that we’d been listening to on the way to Jamesville for Thanksgiving was still playing Christmas music. Maybe the staff had all taken the day off so they could go shopping as well, but the music served as a distraction until we reached the diner.
To our surprise, the place was really crowded and the waitresses were scurrying around like rats in a maze, busily taking orders and delivering food and beverages to the various customers. Seeing all of the booths and tables were already taken, we ended up sitting at the counter instead. This didn’t bother us, though, because we just wanted to get something to eat and stop the rumbling in our bellies, but we didn’t expect this. We’d never driven back to Fort Collins on Black Friday before and were thankful that we’d never returned this early in previous years.
Eventually, one of the waitresses found enough time to take care of us. “I apologize that it took so long for me to get to you, but you can see that we’re quite busy.”
“Is it always like this on Black Friday.”
“Yes, it is. Their wives must all leave early to go shopping, so all of their husbands end up here for breakfast. What’ll you have?”
We both ordered huge meals, adding side orders of bacon and sausage patties as well, and then we sat back and waited. As soon as the food was delivered, we attacked it like wolves that hadn’t made a kill in months. We were so busy devouring everything in front of us that we didn’t notice when the other patrons finished up and left. It took us quite a few minutes for us to devour everything that we ordered, and then we paid the tab and headed out to the SUV.
Once we were back on the road, we settled in and listened to the Christmas music as we made our way to Fort Collins. It was shortly after 1:00 when we crossed the city line, so I drove directly to the grocery store so we could pick up the perishables and other items for our Thanksgiving meal. As soon as we had everything we needed, I drove to the house, parked in the driveway, and then I retrieved both of our duffle bags out of the back.
While I was doing that, Devin grabbed some of the plastic grocery bags from the rear seat and followed me to the front door. When I got there, I set the duffle bags down long enough so I could unlock the door. Once it was open, I stepped aside and let Devin enter first, and then I picked up the duffle bags and carried them inside. Devin then used his hip to close the door, so I kept going and carried the duffel bags upstairs, since we were expecting company later and I didn’t want to leave them in the foyer.
After I dropped them off in our room, I made up the bed in one of the other bedrooms for Lonny and Clint to use when they arrived. Once I finished doing that, I went downstairs and headed out to the kitchen. Devin was there when I arrived.
“I already brought in the other bags and put the groceries away,” he explained when I saw him.
“Thank you. I was making the bed in the room that Lonny and Clint will be using tonight.”
“Yeah, if Clint doesn’t want to sleep with us again, so he can be close to his idol, the superhero,” Devin countered and I wondered how we were going to handle that if he asked to sleep with us again.
“We’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it,” I finally stated.
I then began to take care of one of the tasks I needed to complete first and started peeling a dozen or so potatoes that I’d be using to make the mashed potatoes. After I finished peeling each potato, I would hand it to Devin so he could cut it into quarters and place them in the pot I’d be using to boil them.
“Do you want me to add water so you’ll be ready to boil them as soon as you finish peeling the rest of the potatoes?”
“Not yet, because I want to wait so the mashed potatoes will be warm when we serve them. Just place a lid on the pot for now and set it on one of the back burners without any heat until I’m ready for it.”
As soon as we finished that task, we started preparing the other dishes that we were going to serve, and then Devin helped me set the table for later. After that, we set out the serving bowls and other items we’d be using on the kitchen counter, and that’s when I noticed it was nearly 4:00, so I set the oven at 350 degrees (177 C) to preheat.
I then took the turkey breast out of the freezer, because it was going to take nearly two hours for the turkey breast to cook and I’d told the others that we’d eat at 6:00. I grabbed one of the baking pans that I’d set on the counter earlier, sprayed it with cooking oil, and then I set the turkey breast in the pan. When the oven reached the appropriate temperature, I placed the turkey breast in the oven on the middle shelf.
While I was doing that, I asked Devin to open the can of cranberry sauce, emptied it into an appropriate size serving dish, and then set it in the fridge to cool. We then worked on the other items we were going to serve. Hopefully, it will all turn out well and be ready when our guests arrive.
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