Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

[southernlady]

As I sit here watching the Macy’s Day Parade, making sure my timing for dinner is just right, I’ve been getting a bit teary eyed, missing my Mother. I’m missing her a bit more today than normal.

We’d start cooking early in the morning, while watching the parade and then a football game. She would experiment some years on the main dish. I remember one year we had roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Another year it was lamb and mint jelly. But the sides almost never changed. And even when there were only 2-3 of us, she cooked like she was cooking for a dozen. So of course, I went home with enough leftovers for a week plus.

We also sang Christmas carols together. Our favorite was O Holy Night. Actually I got them to play the musical version at her funeral in May knowing it was her favorite. As a result, I can’t sing that one anymore without crying.

But I miss her today, more than most holidays cause we made Thanksgiving ours.

 

[Larra]

Happy Thanksgiving, southernlady, and thank you for all you do for all of us for all these years.

 

[hilary1617]

Happy Thanksgiving Liz (and All)! I'm sorry that today reminds you of the loss of your wonderful Mother, but glad you have such wonderful memories to reflect upon. I'm grateful to you for giving us this wonderful forum.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Yes! I’m grateful, too! Especially for hilary1617 of course!

My Second-Goofiest-Aunt called from her assisted living facility to wish me and mine a happy T-Day. She and my Godmother—poor thing must have drawn the short straw to get THAT job—and she’s now in assisted living are the only two remaining siblings of the ten born (eight surviving) to my grandparents.

It was a short call but took me RIGHT BACK to tablecloths over the plywood sheets over the sawhorses that ran from the kitchen door through the dining area, and through the living room and created the table big enough for the THIRTY-THREE (yes, 33) of us to sit down to dinner simultaneously! I was the oldest girl cousin. In their fireplace, my grandparents had one of these EXTREMELY dangerous open flame heaters and a son and a son-in-law who were firemen and were assigned to keep approximately (because of deaths and adoptions) 13 kids away from the only source of warmth in that area of the house.







A cacophony of kids’ voices, dads—who were generally NOT primary childcare folks, but the moms were in the kitchen—my Goofiest Aunt insisting we all smile for the camera, competing “music” from noisy toy instrument gifts purchased by adult brothers and sisters getting even with each other for ancient wrongdoings.

By the way, this was ONE OF THE THREE Thanksgiving Dinners we had to squeeze into one afternoon-evening. We also had to hit my mother’s side of the family, which involved divorced and remarried grandparents. (Always awkward because THAT grandfather, whom we adored, was a sexist pig who divorced my grandmother to marry her little sister*. So we didn’t get to talk about what happened at Grandma’s house when we were at Granddaddy’s house.)

But today, BY CHOICE, it’s the two of us, alone and happy, foraging through leftovers and eating too many chocolates. MiniSue did Thanksgiving yesterday because her very good friend is a hospital RN and scheduled to work today. My sister is doing Thanksgiving TOMORROW at her son’s…he’s a firefighter and working today. We were invited to both events, but had really good excuses! So that‘s making us happy!

I hope all-of-y’all are happy, too!


* There was a time when I threatened to write a trilogy of his life…his birth name was Francisco (Frank in English, but “Pancho” is the Spanish nickname.)
First Volume: Panchito (Frankie)
Last Volume: Don Francisco (don is an honorific title, like “sir.”)
Middle Volume—when he was HORRID: Pinche Pancho

[From dictionary.com:
WHAT DOES PINCHE MEAN?
In many Spanish dialects, pinche is a strong swear word variously meaning “goddamned,” “shitty,” or “fucking,” among other senses.]

 

[Spiky Bugger]

PS…the “especially for hilary1617 “ part is because EVEN WITH ALL THE THINGS ALWAYS ON HER PLATE, she VERY QUIETLY goes out of her way to help others and never takes credit for it.

I though it was worth mentioning today.

 

[southernlady]

My Second-Goofiest-Aunt called from her assisted living facility to wish me and mine a happy T-Day. She and my Godmother—poor thing must have drawn the short straw to get THAT job—and she’s now in assisted living are the only two remaining siblings of the ten born (eight surviving) to my grandparents.

At least you still have some of that generation left. There is no one left on Mothers side in that generation, I’m the oldest. I do have an uncle on my Daddy’s side, he’s 88, but I’ve lost touch. I’ve tried to reach out but it hasn’t happened. Last time I talked to him was at a brother’s funeral a few years ago.

 

[JackieOnLine]

I’ve been getting a bit teary eyed, missing my Mother. I’m missing her a bit more today than normal.

with me it's Christmas, every year it makes me miss my Mom even though she's been gone forever now.

EVEN WITH ALL THE THINGS ALWAYS ON HER PLATE, she VERY QUIETLY goes out of her way to help others and never takes credit for it.

I though it was worth mentioning today.

it really was, she is one heck of a person.

and, Sue? I just love your posts. I sometimes have to read them more than once, but I always love them.


I went to the Salvation Army dinner and served stuffing for a couple hours - had some dinner and they gave me leftovers to take home, too. so that was nice. we served a lot of people.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

OF COURSE you helped feed others on Thanksgiving, JackieOnLine ! That’s so you.

You are so good about reading everyone’s posts, too! Thanks for the gift of your time!

 

[hilary1617]

All of you are amazing and inspire me.

 

[southernlady]

OF COURSE you helped feed others on Thanksgiving, JackieOnLine ! That’s so you.

You are so good about reading everyone’s posts, too! Thanks for the gift of your time!

She amazes me too.