It's been a hectic few days and I must admit, I'm enjoying the quiet of this day as I sit in my home alone with my feet on a footstool I inherited from my grandparents home, listening to the radio and writing. We hosted Thanksgiving yesterday for, I believe, the third year. You'll see why we do this at the end of the blog.
Preparations began on Wednesday when son and granddaughter came over and put a turkey in the over around 8:00 a.m. This was son's first attempt at baking a turkey and with a few basic instructions from his dad, he did a superb job! Having taken the day off, I did a little last minute shopping for table cloths and butter, etc. Daughter-in-law joined us around noon and we began setting the tables. I don't have Thanksgiving dishes, but I do have two different patterns of Christmas dishes and some snowflake dishes, so we mix them up. Glasses consist of some with snowflakes, some with a fall-colored design of brown, yellow and orange, and some with some holly and ivy. There are also three different silverware patterns, including a set of green handled beauties that came with a set of the Christmas dinnerware. And the table cloths? Four different ones, of course, with a pretty brown table runner I made for daughter's wedding. It's a Martha Stewart moment mixing and matching what's in the hutch and it comes out looking fairly presentable with the addition of a turkey, a pumpkin and a candle with a fall-colored thing-a-majig that surrounds the candle base as center pieces. Hubby returned from work and baked up some rolls, of which we enjoyed a sampling before heading to bed.
Thanksgiving morning hubby and I got up at 5:00 and began fixing the dinner. He placed a turkey and ham in the oven while I cleaned the living room and the bathroom and hauled a few items to the basement. My sister and her two daughters from the western part of the state, arrived around 10:00 a.m. As they were bringing in items I realized I'd not baked a cake in celebration of hubby's sister's 50th birthday. They live out of state, so we were unable to get together and celebrate until now. So off to Walmart* I went with my sister and nieces. While we were gone, my parents and a brother and his family arrived. By noon, everyone was here and anxiously awaiting the feast. We had told people that dinner would be served at 1:00, but to come early, and we're glad they did.
Before eating, everyone wrote down something they were thankful for on a piece of paper and I placed those on the plates. In keeping with the Facebook theme of writing something you were thankful for on each day of November, we began with November 1 and went through November 25, each of us reading an item, including ones for the littlest members of the family. As you would expect, we are all thankful for different things including: Mommy and Daddy, Internet and electricity, family gatherings, boyfriends, God, firemen and changing seasons. One brother and sister were glad the other had made it to the dinner. They happened to be sitting next to each other when writing their notes. Coincidence? I think not!
And then the eating began. In addition to the meats, there were the traditional mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, rolls, cranberry/apple butter and creamy cranberry salad. A corny, spicy macaroni and cheese was a new addition and joined by a Watergate salad and a tasty mixed vegetable salad. The dessert table was crowded with lemon bars, cranberry/apple crunch, pumpkin jelly rolls, pumpkin/chocolate brownies, crackers with strawberry/jalapeno cream cheese dip, peppernuts (!!!!), pumpkin/cranberry bread and pies: pumpkin, pecan, chocolate pecan, and cherry. And let's not forget that cool and creamy whipped topping! Moans and groans were still being heard as everyone headed for home.
Getting ready for Thanksgiving was a lot of work but so worth it when you look at these faces. We got to spend the day with all of them. There were little girls turning in circles, getting dizzy and laughing and squealing. People sharing photos. Baby talk. Memories of Grandma Grace inevitably dropping food on her blouse. Dulcimer music. Family and friends. It was a Happy Thanksgiving and they are the reason.
The Sly Family Thanksgiving
November 25, 2010
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