Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Next to Christmas, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There is so much tradition and so many memories associated with it! Once I wrote a poem about it in the shape of a pumpkin and I'd copy it here for you except that it's deep inside the bowels of one of my memory boxes. And though I love you, dear reader, I'm not going searching for it. Instead, I'm going to tell you about some of my Thanksgiving memories and traditions!

All the way from childhood and up until last year, I've spent Thanksgiving at my grandparent's house. My dad's family, to be precise. My aunts and uncles and cousins and extended family were all there. Grandma Jayne, who is only the best cook in the whole wide world, would spend the whole week making us a feast! And all her planning she wrote on a list which was (as still is) then paper-clipped to the Thanksgiving lists of past years. Yes, it could probably be a book. Such a large family required two whole turkeys and all the other Thanksgiving goodness: mounds stuffing, home-canned sweet corn, hot green beans, cheese and bacon covered potatoes and of course, pumpkin pie. There was also always some kind of cranberry something.

While the food cooked and our mouths watered, my siblings, cousins and I would hide away in the basement, anxiously awaiting the call for dinner. When it came, we went up to the dining room and usually took turns reading from a poem or some compiled Bible verses before we all held hands and prayed. And then the chaos began. There was almost a table in every room! Everyone had their own place card with a turkey or a leaf or a pumpkin accompanying their name on it. We kids sat in the kitchen when we were young and then graduated to the basement table later. The grown ups congregated in the dining room. Once we found our places, the bustle moved to the long food table. Aunts helping little ones, dads trying to get out of the way, boy cousin taking a large helping of potatoes, everyone laughing and talking. There were so many people that I don't think it ever got quiet, even when everyone had retrieved their food and sat at their assigned seat to enjoy the feast!

After dinner, the moms would sit around the dining room table with their pie and coffee and talk about mom stuff. The dads went to the living room to watch the football game. We cousins always tried to organize some kind of game which was usually hide and seek. And then, family by family, everyone sleepily left carrying a plastic bag full of plastic containers that held the feast leftovers. The next day, we all received a large container of turkey and noodles that Grandma made! Yes, that is a lot of food.

I'll confess that last year I had some trouble. For the first time in my life, I didn't go to my Grandma and Grandpa's for Thanksgiving. I went to Carl's family Thanksgiving. It made sense because all of his siblings come to town then. And though it was fun spending time with them and eating all the delicious food and playing with my nieces and nephew, I was still very homesick. This year however, I'm so terribly excited! I finally get to meet my new nephew and do the same things we did last year! Can you tell I'm a traditions person? :)

This morning, we're eating this delicious Blueberry Breakfast Cake and then Dearest Carl and I are heading over to his family's for the action! It's going to be fun! :) And just for fun, I'm adding below a song that always makes me think of Thanksgiving. Don't ask me why.

What does your Thanksgiving look like?

You are loved so stay happy!