TheBanyanTree: Happy Thanksgiving

[Margaret R. Kramer]

It’s going to be a warm one today – maybe break a temperature record.  The
sun is out this morning, illuminating the wonderful shades of browns
associated with November, so we might get near 60 degrees.  No rain or snow
is in sight and that’s the down side, we really need some moisture.  The
ground is not quite frozen yet and trees and shrubs would certainly be
thankful for a drink.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, well, I guess I like all of the
holidays, but Thanksgiving is a really good one.  Even though some of us
will spend a good chunk of the day in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up,
it’s a holiday that is very low key and relaxing.  The traditions don’t seem
to be as encased in stone compared to Christmas.  There is a good flow to
the day.  What’s better than eating a big meal and watching football?  And
now there are THREE games to enjoy, so Thanksgiving is not only wall-to-wall
eating, but wall-to-wall pigskin, too.

My extended family is splintered and scattered.  My parents and grandparents
are all gone, so the people who gave us the reason to gather on Thanksgiving
are gone.  My brother and sister have moved on to celebrate the holidays in
their own way.  Ray’s family is in Milwaukee and I think it would be a major
disruption in the force of that family if any of them came to St Paul on a
holiday to visit their dad.  They’re still tightly tied to their mother’s
apron strings.  It will be interesting to see what will happen if she dies
before Ray and how that will affect his children’s family gathering
traditions.

I know it’s tough to be a stepchild, I’ve been one, and it takes a lot of
effort to move beyond “blood is thicker than water,” but it can work if
everyone enjoys the holiday for what it is and leave the junk at home.

So our gathering is a small one – Ray and I will enjoy Thanksgiving as a
married couple and also prepare the first big holiday meal in our new home
for the first time, my son and his girlfriend, Susan, and of course, the two
grandsons will attend.  Now, get this, Susan’s parents didn’t invite her
over for Thanksgiving because they have their Department 56 village set up
and they didn’t trust the boys not to wreck it.  Now these boys are 5 and 7
and well beyond being overly curious about stuff like that, but her mother
is kind of weird.  She has this “come here, get away” attitude towards her
children, which I’ve never figured out.  I guess our family isn’t the only
dysfunctional one around.

My day is well planned.  I’ll hit the gym later this morning.  When I get
home, I’ll start getting intimate with the turkey and all the fixings.  I’ll
set the table with our best dishes and glassware.  We have a “dinner” type
Thanksgiving, so that gives me time to enjoy the day rather than get up at
the crack of dawn and spend the whole day in the kitchen.

Our newspaper has an “Oh, You Turkey” coloring contest.  It features a
newspaper page sized turkey for kids to color and then enter in a contest.
I’ll get the boys busy on that while we get the final preparations going for
the feast.  We’ll watch football until we eat and then I’ll turn off the TV
and add a little jazz for our dining pleasure.

Since it’s going to be very warm this year, we’ll get the outdoors fire
going and roast some marshmallows.  We might as well have a little sugar to
counteract the turkey as well as enjoy a beautiful November evening.

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at comcast.net

Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be
careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude.
~E.P. Powell