Thanksgiving Memories

When I was young, we always went to my grandparents' (my mom's parents) for the holiday. It was a typical holiday in that there were aunts, uncles, and cousins there, and we all sat at a table that was just a little too small for all of us. Eventually as other cousins were born, we had the proverbial "kids" table and the "adults" table and that helped. Of course since I was the oldest grandchild, I usually got to sit at the "adults" table. Wow, I was definitely privileged!

As we walked into their house, the aromas of the turkey, dressing, pies, and everything else would just fill us up. To this day when I smell turkey cooking, I get melancholy, thinking of my grandma. Grandma outdid herself.

She would make at least 10 pies and what wasn't eaten on that day would go home with everyone. At the end of the day when we left, each family had a big banana box with pies, leftover turkey, dressing, rolls, and......

This is the good part....

If grandma found a "good" stewing chicken at the meat market, she would make wedding soup, and she made a TON of it!

So....if there was a good stewing chicken within a 30 mile radius (I never could get the definition of "good" out of her), then each family would also take home wedding soup!

For those of you who have never had homemade wedding soup, OH WOW...you don't know what you're missing! I'll share the recipe sometime.

Thanksgiving was quite a feast, and it was always fun seeing the rest of the family.

One year when I was in high school, Thanksgiving ended up being at our house somehow. I wish I could recall the circumstances, but I just can't. I guess I should ask my mom. I woke up early that morning and heard her out in the kitchen, talking to the turkey. Yes, I said TALKING to the turkey. She called him "Tom" and I heard her telling "him" to bend his wings and to keep his legs open so she could get the stuffing inside. I knew it was in my best interest to just stay out of the kitchen and let her do her thing. In fact, I'm sure my dad heard her, as well as my brother and we all must have had the same idea, because as soon as we heard her finally get the turkey IN the oven, we all got up.

She did a great job with it because everything tasted wonderful!

There were a few times after Ted and I were married that we hosted Thanksgiving, and by then mom had gone back to nursing and was working that day. HOWEVER, she would show up at our house on her way to work and around 5:30 AM we would start working on the turkey together. I felt so bad for her, having to do all that, then go to work, but she insisted. After work, she would come over and get to eat and see everyone, but still it made for a long, tiring day for her.

I'll share a few more memories soon.