Thanksgiving

Sprint Official 22"00 11/18

Thanksgiving was always at my grandmothers' house. We cooked all day. My mom, her sister, my aunts from Guthrie, Blackwell and Enid came in during the day before. Cooking actually started the day before, pies, thawing the turkey, and cookies. Grandmother made Waldorf salad, five cup salad, green bean casserole and banana pudding. We also had brown and serve rolls, dressing, sweet potatoes with marshmallow topping, mashed potatoes, giblet gravy, candied carrots and black olives. I don't think we ever missed any of those luscious concoctions. Oh, we may have added things as the years went on. Once I was old enough, I made bread and my sister made pies, Eventually I added a sweet potato casserole without marshmallows. I almost forgot, Jello salad and eventually "the pink stuff".

My dads' favorite was the banana pudding which he ate on a full-size dinner plate fully covered. My youngest uncle was a great fan of the "pink stuff". I was thoroughly delighted when my dad admitted that he really disliked sweet potatoes, until he had some of my pecan topped casserole. My favorite was pecan pie and, or course, the black olives.

Mom made spiced apple cider. I remember helping her make the spice filled linen packets that were dropped in the apple juice and simmered for hours. The only other drink I remember that was different from daily drinks was eggnog. I never had homemade eggnog until I was married and was living in Panama. I was gifted a recipe from the wife of my employer who toad me it was a plantation recipe handed down in her family got generations. I had to reduce the ingredients by three/fourths to make a reasonable quantity. It was very tasty! In fact, I haven't had any homemade since then, either.

Now that my grandmother, mother, brother, all but one of the aunts are gone, Thanksgiving is a very different affair. This year, I managed to reserve the fellowship hall at my church that has a full kitchen. We will be able to prepare things there before we eat. I am expecting between 20 and 30 people, all together. My sisters will be absent, as will their children. If they were all here, we would number about 40. It will be bitter-sweet, with so many gone and so many choosing not to be together.

I wish them all well and that they have a lovely day with whoever they spend the day with.