Thanksgiving & Family

It's just before Thanksgiving and I'm feeling so nostalgic.  Believe it or not, I wish the kids hadn't grown up so fast.  All the banishment to rooms, forced corner-standing and chair-sitting, wooden-spoon threats, spilled milk, yoyo's in the house, unbridled chaos, having to yell "absolutely NOT" on an almost daily basis....even with all that, I'd gladly do it all again.

I am most thankful for the blessings God has given me in the form of family.  Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to reflect on family memories, old and new.  When I was growing up, our Thanksgiving mornings were spent in front of the television watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade while Mom put the finishing touches on the dishes she was taking to the family get-together.  Our extended family met at my grandparents' farm house for a noon (or early afternoon) celebration.  The twelve grandkids ate at the kitchen table (fun...because there was almost no adult intervention).  The adults ate at the dining room table (they seemed to have as much fun as we kids did).  The dining was loud in both rooms: laughter & conversations.  Kids' table, a little more lively.  Once one of my older cousins broke the bottom out of the pickle jar by trying to stab the floating mustard seeds with a fork.  I think our grampa rushed in to scold us.  At evening we all went roller skating at a rink reserved just for us on Thanksgiving.  The highlight of the day!!

We now meet at my parents' (the farmer and the farmer's wife).  One year I was recording Gone with the Wind on my VCR while I was making date pudding for our dinner.  I am the quintessential over-achiever...so I was whipping heavy cream with my electric mixer.  Every time I used the mixer, squiggly horizontal lines appeared on the tv and were recorded.  So for years whenever we watched our recording of GWTW, we laughed about the mixer.

Today I'm preparing my contribution to the family pitch-in.  I'm making a great big salad and homemade dressing, spice cookies and .....some other stuff, too...it just hasn't come to me yet.

Happy Thanksgiving.  There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for!!