Gift of RA

It’s very interesting to look back at Thanksgiving both in my childhood and when I was an adult and married, moving around the country.  Thanksgiving today is in the same house, just looks a lot different from childhood.    We are going to a restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner, experience has taught me cooking a whole turkey for the two of us is a bit much.  We bought a turkey breast one year – not quite the same.  Eddie and I usually came here for Christmas, only a couple of times were we able to do Thanksgiving as well.  Changes bring new traditions and new ways to think about some holidays.  I also notice getting older makes a big difference, not quite the enthusiasm to travel now that it is harder and more balderdash.

We watched the Macy’s thanksgiving Day Parade, that was before they had balloons and commercials for Broadway.  We had breakfast watching it, it was always a fun time.  Every year Dad would say he was going to get a color tv by next year – it took quite a while, but then we were watching the parade in color.

It is noon right now and Mom would have had the turkey in the oven for a while by now.  She would make the stuffing in the morning and then stuff the turkey just before cooking.  The smell would be so good, I wanted to eat it right them.  Earlier in the week Mom made cranberry orange relish and cranberry sauce.  I have always loved the relish, just cranberries, sugar and an orange ground up together and sat to marinate for a few days.  Cranberry sauce not so much.  We usually had mashed potatoes and peas, plus there was a tray of olives, pickles, celery and carrots.

Mom would set the table with the white lace table cloth and use her mothers blue and white Royal Doulton china and Mom’s goblets.   We used the selling silver flat ware and some of Grandmother Paull’s  special dishes for the cranberry, olive, pickles, celery and carrots.  One thing our parents taught the three of us girls was how to eat with proper table manners and be comfortable with sterling silver and fine china.  Over the years I have been very grateful for that, I have been in many different situations using all kinds of cutlery and dinnerware.  Because of Mom and Dad, I have been comfortable with all of them.

Dinner was usually around 3 p.m., a big delicious dinner that was special every time.  When I think of Thanksgiving, I picture the table and our Thanksgiving meal here.  Then after a couple or three hours, we would have tea, sliced turkey and then pumpkin pie.  We didn’t do a whole lot for the day, some of us read, helped Mom, played Double Solitaire.  We relaxed and rested from a busy time and by Monday we were ready to start our regular life again.

Over the years we have been married, Eddie and I have had people over to our house, gone to other’s house, had it by ourselves and also traveled.  Eddie usually was given every year a turkey – not a nice 8 pounder – around 16 to 20 pounds.  They would also do it for christmas.  I cooked the turkey the way Mom did and used her stuffing recipe.  I don’t know if she used Fannie Farmer, a grandmother’s recipe or just made up her own.  To me, that is the way stuffing should taste.  I would baste it every half hour as well.  Mom used to say it was just an excuse to admire the turkey.  I do remember one turkey I forgot to take the  packet with the neck and giblets out – tasted fine and I never forgot where they were.

With a big turkey, I had to make things with the leftovers and put them in the freezer – turkey every night can be a bit much.  I made turkey soup and froze some of it for later.  We had sandwiches or warmed up turkey (I had the gravy and stuffing) with potato and vegetables.  If we had people for dinner, I would make sure they left with turkey and all the trimmings.

Today is gorgeous sunny day – cold because there isn’t a cloud in the sky and the wind is from the north.  We have had Thanksgiving with snow, rain, wind and all kinds of weather.  I remember Mom and Dad postponing  Thanksgiving because it snowed and it wasn’t possible for Candy drive down.  She came when the roads cleared and they enjoyed a belated Thanksgiving.  One year it snowed on Monday and Eddie had to stay up north for 3 days before he could get home on Wednesday afternoon.  Mom and I missed him but were glad he didn’t try to drive home.

The worst Thanksgiving I ever spent was in Australia.  I was working and it was just another day.  I made the mistake of thinking about what Mom and Dad would be doing and it really upset me.  I couldn’t really explain to the women at the shop because they didn’t know about Thanksgiving.  I was glad that day was over and done.  Eddie and I cooked a chicken for the day – it was good to be with someone who understood the day and how I was feeling.

Thanksgiving has been special and I am so glad it has not been commercial the way other holidays have been.  It keeps it true meaning of being thankful and grateful for all we have, the people in our lives and the gifts and blessing we have.  I hope it continues that way for a long time.

Time to dress and get ready to leave, dinner is at 3:30.

This entry was posted on November 26, 2015 at 12:46 pm and is filed under Musings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.