Thanksgiving Memories

Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week? Wow! Where has the time gone? The older I get, the more I feel time is just flying by. I reminisce more than I used to and Thanksgiving always brings fond memories to the forefront of my mind.

We always spent Thanksgiving at home when I was growing up. There was no "over the river and thru the woods to Grandmother's house we go" when I was a kid. Instead, we invited family to our house, which I rather enjoyed. My maternal grandparents, step-grandparents and uncle were always there, and occasionally another uncle and his wife would come or someone would bring a guest. We would clean the house until it was sparkling and then my parents would begin to cook a day or two in advance.

Thanksgiving morning was always spent watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. To this day I truly enjoy the parade. Even if I'm too busy to actually watch it, I know it's on and it represents a special time in my life.

Family would arrive while everything was being prepared and they'd sit in the family room and watch TV and munch on summer sausage, cheese, beer cheese and crackers. By the time dinner was ready, it would be around 1pm or so in the afternoon. We'd all gather in the kitchen and my step-dad would say the blessing before the meal.

Our Thanksgiving banquet was something to behold! Honestly, I don't think I've ever tasted better food in my entire life. Do all kids feel that way about their mom's and grandmother's cooking? I obviously did and still do! We served traditional fair - turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potato casserole, green beans, dressed eggs, jell-o salad, tuna salad, a pickle and beet relish tray (a must for us southerners), yeast rolls (Those things would absolutely melt in your mouth!), and of course lots of sweet tea (Is there another kind?). For dessert my mom usually made pecan and pumpkin pies and perhaps a Derby pie (If you don't have this recipe, you NEED it!). My step-grandmother usually brought butterscotch and key lime pies too. Our family loves sweets, so we had to have a variety.

We ate until we were sufficiently stuffed and then still managed to eat a little more. After we ate, the men would retire to the family room to watch football and nap while the ladies cleared the table and cleaned the dishes. Now that doesn't seem very fair to me, but at the time, that's the way it happened year after year. The rest of the afternoon was spent watching football and just conversing with one another.

Along about 5 or 6pm, we'd get the food back out for "Round 2." We'd heat up the leftovers and have another plate of food. I LOVED Thanksgiving leftovers, especially turkey and Miracle Whip sandwiches! My aunt, uncle and cousins would come to the house and we'd eat and then draw names for Christmas. I looked forward to this for weeks! Drawing names was so much fun.

Thanksgiving was truly the kick-off of the holiday season for me. I guess that's one of the reasons I love it more than any other holiday. It's a time to reflect upon all the things for which we are thankful, reminisce about the past, and to think ahead to Christmas and the joy the season brings.

Now that I'm married and have children of my own, Thanksgiving means even more to me. We move a lot and circumstances don't always allow us to be with our families, so we spend it with good friends instead. We have a big meal, serving favorites from our individual pasts, turn on the parade and later watch football. I want our boys to have fond memories of this special holiday. Next week on Thanksgiving Day we're gathering at my in-laws since we only live a couple of hours away, therefore "over the river and thru the woods to Grandmother's house we go" really applies this year.

May you and yours have a most blessed Thanksgiving, remembering to pause and give thanks, enjoying time with loved ones, and making cherished memories for years to come.