Thanksgiving 2010

Good Morning,

The big meal was three days ago and the remnants of it still remain as refrigerator storage containers of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, yams, ambrosia salad, cranberries and a plethora of other food dishes, enough to have the meal all over again.  Then of course there are the desserts waiting in the wings, like pumpkin chiffon pie, sour cream raisin pie, Oreo balls and the granddaddy of them all “The Cherpumple” cake, which we managed to consume but only half.

Saturday I made my turkey noodle soup (7-quarts) and that evening had everyone back over for the occasion.  Around here it has become a tradition of sorts and it somehow just seems right with the onset of winter to have a good soup.  Mine always turns out more like a stew with too little broth.  The extra large noodles I use may have something to do with that as well.

I for one, happen to like leftovers as the seasonings have had time to work their magic on the recipe.  So I now look forward to a series of “mini-meals” this next week with most including potato bread, turkey and ham sandwiches.

I like Thanksgiving the best of the holidays and I believe it is because it is still considered a family holiday and an opportunity to recognize the things we are thankful for.  While the efforts persist, it still hasn’t been commercialized like the others.  I guess they leave that for the day after, “Black Friday” as the official launch to Christmas and the opportunity to stampede a stranger into the floor of the retail outlets that are competing for the almighty dollar.

This year we had all of the children and their families here, which I really enjoyed.  I think it is important that we have this time to at least catch up on one another before we return to the day-to-day of our lives when the focus shifts to providing and surviving.  It is easy to get lost in our own little circle of life and as the days fly by and we lose connection to our roots.

I am thankful for the relationships I have with my children and while each one is unique, none is more important than the other, for each one is precious to me.  Maybe that is what makes each one special, just for the differences we all share.  I am also thankful for the 34-year relationship I have had with Jeanie.  We have seen a lot of Thanksgivings come and go and each one offers up memories of times spent together.

Well, the Christmas lights are now up and soon we will slide into the holiday, another new year and ride that next trip around the sun, before we know it.

Love, Dad

P.S. Thank you Dedra for the photo.