For about 15 years in a row while I was growing up, every Thanksgiving my Dad would load us in the car and drive 12 hours. We'd spend the weekend with cousins, aunts, uncles, & grandparents. On Sunday we'd drive back home 12 hours.
This year I'm doing it for the first time (but it won't become a habit). By the time my Dad was my age, we weren't doing it anymore.
"Whatever beer I'm drinking, is better than the one I'm not." DMLW
I have a range of T day experiences -
Meal with Family - staying home and travelling both by car and plane, no trainto them.
Meal with Friends
by myself - not even going out
worst - working.
Oddball
Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves?
Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here?
Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
From Kelly's Heroes (1970)
Are you sure you're not hurt ?
No. Just some parts wake up faster than others.
Broke parts take a little longer, though.
From Electric Horseman (1979)
Back in the Day my grandparents had one of them there fancy newfanlged Polaroid cameras (remember those nifty things with timers and flashcubes?). Grandpa took a picture of the family posed sitting at the feast table with the roast turkey proudly on display in the center of of table. Grandpa forgot, however, that he had taken a photo of my cousins' Great Dane 'Mitzi' lying down several months earlier and neglected to remove the photo from the camera. The new photo somehow ended up with a bizarre double exposure image which made it look like the family was seated around the table prepared to feast upon a ghostly dog. Needless to say, this photo became a family folklore staple and used to get taken out every year at family gatherings as someone recounted the tale of how we ate dog for Thanksgiving one year.
This year will be a Turkeyday story... we are hosting my parents AND my in-laws at our house. Thankfully they are not overnight guests since both live close, but I will have my favorite bottle of whiskey stashed for when I need to "medicate" and to keep people from stealing it.
My brother, his wife and his three kids will also be there (overnight guests). Also, our neighbors, originally from India, are joining us since they don't have family convenient. This will actually be her first traditional American Thanksgiving. Let's hope it doesn't include my family's usual level of dysfunction on display.
"Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."
- Herman Göring at the Nuremburg trials (thoughts on democracy)
Great story, Maister. Ah, family folklore...
One of my favorite Thanksgiving memories is from the year that my grandmother was in the hospital. I think it was for cataract surgery - nothing serious. In those days, family tradition called for driving to my grandmother's NYC apartment for Thanksgiving, and my aunt, uncle, and cousins would join us. My grandmother was always in charge of the operation. She would make the turkey and most of the side dishes; my aunt was allowed to bring her sweet potato casserole and famous cheesecake. The day would always end with the men watching football on TV in the living room, while the women cleaned up... and often my uncle would take a nap on the bed with all the coats before driving home.
The year that Grandma was in the hospital, there was a big question mark about what to do. Eventually it was agreed that we'd go to Grandma's as always even though she wasn't there. I invited my then-boyfriend to join us, something that my grandmother probably would not have approved. My grandmother gave my sister and I instructions over the phone about preparing the turkey, removing the innards stuffed inside, etc.When my aunt arrived, she took over in the kitchen. I remember my boyfriend going into the kitchen, ostensibly to "help." He must have tried to baste the turkey, making a huge mess. My aunt chased him out of the kitchen, waving the turkey baster in her hand. It was pretty funny. Amazingly, we managed to pull everything off without my grandmother for the first time.
The only constant in my family (aside from the copious amounts of food and alcohol) is listening to Alice's Restaurant every year. It has become a Thanksgiving ritual.
Isn't that part of every T-giving story? I know it generally was.Originally posted by Suburb Repairman
This year will be a Turkeyday story... Let's hope it doesn't include my family's usual level of dysfunction on display.
Another 'ritual' for a couple years who be several of us watching a football game and my uncle would be betting people on every play: Bet you a quarter it's a pass play; or bet you a nickel they don't get 5 yards on this play; or bet you a dime there's a penalty, etc. I would run to Dad and ask him for all the change in his pocket to bet with his brother.
"Whatever beer I'm drinking, is better than the one I'm not." DMLW
Not a story per se, but I'm curious - does anyone else ever take pictures of the prepared Thanksgiving table without people sitting around it? Mrs. Maister takes a picture right before everyone is called to the table each year.
I guess I can understand the impulse of wanting to document/record the fruits of one's hard work, but confess I've never heard of anyone else doing this.
For years now I have hosted at my house. You brothers and brother in laws that did not cook and I was the only one that could and did a very good job. So I have waited for years for all of them to grow up and get married and learn to cook. Last year my son in law asked when they could host, My response, you are on next year so they are cooking this Sunday. Actually on Thanksgiving day my brother and his wife are cooking so we are going there. How awesome is that! I do enjoy cooking the meal but what a relief to get to enjoy somewhere else.
It is all a matter of perspective!!!
After perusing this thread and recollecting a bit, I guess I am looking forward to T-day this year. It promises to be a far less family-dysfunctional day than previous years (certain family members wont be there that were problems in years past). I think Junior is old enough where he's beginning to appreciate the day on some level. I foresee the day's activities going something like this
1. watch Macy's parade on tv with Junior
2. occasionally be asked to 'taste test' various items being prepared
3. watch a bit of the Westminster dog show (I wonder if Junior will like it this year?)
4. football on tv as family arrives.
5. FEAST
6. sit uncomfortably stuffed and semi-comatose in front of tv as wimmen folk do dishes (I know I am an awful human being)
7. when discomfort begins to subside eat pumpkin and apple pie for dessert. (make some sort of desultory effort to collect a few plates and show I'm 'pitching in')
8. more tv and social interaction with family
9. play game (maybe charades)
10. after family departs around 7-ish say "I don't know how it's possible but I think I'm actually hungry again. Let's have turkey sandwiches for dinner"
11. put junior to bed
12. watch a movie
When my mother was alive we used to go to my aunt's house and have the festivities over there since my aunt uses a wheelchair and her house is accessible. My mother did most of the cooking until I got old enough to help her and gradually I began to take it over. Since she's been gone and I now live on the East Coast we do different things depending on what's going on.
-Sometimes have a joint dinner with friends, places rotate
-Have a small dinner at home with RT and maybe a couple of guests
-Last year when I was managing the homeless shelter I cooked T-Day dinner for the 40 men living there and RT helped me
-This year it will be just RT, the BF, and me. We've decided to just roast a turkey breast rather than a whole bird to save ourselves from turkey overload for a week
"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" Jeremiah 22:16
Off-topic:
When I lived in Colorado KBCO would play it.
Several Cyburbian would belong on Group W bench.
Oddball
Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves?
Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here?
Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
From Kelly's Heroes (1970)
Are you sure you're not hurt ?
No. Just some parts wake up faster than others.
Broke parts take a little longer, though.
From Electric Horseman (1979)
Growing up, Thanksgiving Day involved driving the 1 hour to my maternal grandparents' house where the extended family all gathered. The day centered around the Lion's game. The feast was strategically planned to begin at halftime of the game, then we would watch the rest of the game. After the game, and the cleanup, the cousins would play outside. As we got older, we would have mini-football games with the uncles. The day typically ended with some card playing. I really miss those days at my grandparent's house. I'm not close to any of my cousins anymore. They are some of the fondest memories of my childhhood.
When my grandparents could no longer host, my mom and her 2 sisters would take turns hosting. But as the grandkids (my generation) started getting older, the gatherings became much smaller and often would not occur at all.
After I met my now wife, I became a part of their tradition for a few years. Her family and their mom's parents would drive down to the Evansville, IN area for the T-Day weekend. That tradition pretty much came to a halt when my wife's parents got a divorce shortly after we got married.
When we bought our place in West Michgan, we decided that Thanksgiving was going to be the one holiday that we would not travel. So the tradition began that my FIL would come over and deep fry a turkey. Others would attend, depending on their availabilty - my parents, my BILs and SIL. We would eat and drink all day and into the early eveining. We usually ended the day watching movies. Last year, my wife and a friend partook in Black Thursday festivities. I enjoyed those days greatly.
Now we don't have our own place, but we've basically shifted our tradition of the last 6 years to my parent's house, where we are staying at the moment. This year, it will be the same cast of characters, just at my parent's house.
I really love Thanksgiving.
"I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany"
I think I photographed the Christmas Day spread last year... mainly to rib my mother-in-law about how much food she prepares for a group of 4 (i.e., enough for 10, at least
Father-rapers?Off-topic:
A Holiday Classic
When I lived in Colorado KBCO would play it.
Several Cyburbian would belong on Group W bench.
Until my mid-thirties, Thanksgiving dinner rotated each year between my parents' and an aunt and uncle's home, both in the Orlando area, and an aunt and uncle's in Tampa (my dad's brothers and their wives and kids). One aunt's bachelor brother was always there and he was a really odd duck; their parents had left them a trust that would fully support them while they were in college. As a result, this guy never quit going to college; even in his 60's he was still earning more degrees! Sometimes our aunt and uncle and their kids from VA would show up, and one aunt's aunt from Tallahassee, plus spouses and kids of my generation as they were added to the family. The only change until then in this routine was one Thanksgiving when I was in my 20's and most of the extended family went on a week-long cruise over Thanksgiving week, and that was really fun.
Eventually, it just got too big (the aunt and uncle in Tampa had a tiny kitchen, and they were having to take some dishes to the neighbors' and borrow their ovens to cook!), and the parents' generation was getting up in years and some of them were downsizing, and several had passed, so we split up with my generation taking over the hosting for their branch of the family tree. My branch got stuck with including my brother's in-laws and they are not easy people to be around. Then the day after Thanksgiving, Mom would come to my place, and we'd put up my tree and make a turkey breast so I'd have leftovers, then we'd go put up her tree. Since I moved 400 miles away 4 years ago, and Mom died 2 years ago, we do our own thing up here in the panhandle, and my brother and his wife spend the day with their kids and the obnoxious in-laws.
I make pretty much the same menu my mom made, even down to using the same slotted spoon she always used to make gravy. The handle fell off years ago but she kept using it, and when it became my job to make gravy, I used it. When she downsized 4 years ago, I took the opportunity to snatch the spoon.
This year: watch the Macy's parade, sip a little sparkling wine, have a mid-afternoon feast, and if we're lucky, get some sun by the pool while the turkey's in the oven.
Before I moved West, our family Thanksgiving tradition was my mom and I would prepare the meal together. I looked forward to it, especially when I was in college because it was time I got to spend with just my Mom and me.
Now I prepare the Thanksgiving dinner largely on my own. We get a turkey from the Hutterite colony, I cook it up with cornbread dressing, green bean casserole, bread and shoo-fly pie. My wife makes pumpkin bread. In the evening my son and I watch "Road to Punkin Chunkin" and "Punkin Chunkin." Of course this year we don't have cable, so we might have to stream last year's episode on the laptop.
"I am very good at reading women, but I get into trouble for using the Braille method."
~ Otterpop ~
Luckily, all my close extended relatives (grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, in addition to my parents, brothers/SILs, and nephews) all live in the Chicago metropolitan area, and always have, so we've never had to travel farther than an hour to get to Thanksgiving to see everyone. My family switches off every other year between celebrating Thanksgiving with my mom's side and my dad's side. In addition to that, we switch off who hosts it. On my mom's side, it is held at either my parents' house or my aunt & uncle's house. My grandma and other uncle used to be in the rotation, but both have been taken out since it is too much for one person to handle by themselves, and they both live in apartments/condos. On my dad's side, it used switch off between my parents' house and my aunt & uncle's house, but now that my aunt died, we only have it at my parents' house.
This year, Thanksgiving will be with my mom's side of the family at my aunt & uncle's house. In addition, some additional extended relatives from my mom's side will be coming over to our house on Saturday, so we will have another family get-together. This is because one of our few family members who lives in another state (my mom's cousin) is coming in from New Jersey this year.
Thanksgiving has historically been one of the most easy-going, drama-free holidays. Everyone that hosts Thanksgiving always does a great job in preparing the feast and hosting the party, everyone eats, drinks, and is merry. People catch up on life, since usually it's been awhile since the last big family get-together. And then everyone goes into a Turkey coma, often in front of the TV watching football. Back when my brothers, cousins, and I were little, we would often play football outside or do something else fun afterwards. But lately, it's been watching football. About the most dramatic/interesting Thanksgiving story I can recall is the time my dog took the turkey carcass out of the garbage can.
I hated last year when I had to go into work at 10pm right after Thanksgiving to work at Walmart until 7am on Black Friday. It was pretty exhausting.
Otherwise, Thanksgivings are always usually pretty good.
"Life's a journey, not a destination"
-Steven Tyler
The first year that my wife & I were married, Thanksgiving dinner was at our house. Both my parents and the FIL were invited and accepted. My parents arrived first and we waited for her father...and waited...and waited. Couldn't reach him by phone and thought he must have had car trouble. Finally my wife called his neighbor and asked them to check in on him. He had died during the night. It's been almost 30 years now and that's still the worst Thanksgiving. We're going to have dinner and football at my son & daughter-in-law's house celebrating my grandson's 1st Thanksgiving. Sure hope they don't have the same experience that we had.
“Death comes when memories of the past exceed the vision for the future.”
When I was young, Thanksgiving would begin with dad getting us downtown to watch the Hudson's Thanksgiving Day parade. It is now known as America's Thanksgiving Day Parade. He would drive to somewhere in the Cass Corridor, park, and get a stepladder to drag along with his 3 little ones to Woodward Avenue. We would then go home and watch Lion's football.
As a teen/young adult I would go to the parade with friends. It got to the point where the parade was taking hours and it was less fun so that began to wain (sp?). As I got older it became more about going to the football game.
Currently Detroit is a great place for Thanksgiving. The parade realized that not too many pther stations will pick up a secondary parade that takes hours so they got in gear and now its a reasonable length. Folks get downtown early, tailgate, watch the parade, tailgate some more, then go to the Lion's game. You can even cap it off with a turkey buffet at a glitzy vegas sized casino, all within walking distance.
We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes - Fr Gabriel Richard 1805
Off-topic:
A Holiday Classic
When I lived in Colorado KBCO would play it.
Several Cyburbian would belong on Group W bench.Not them, more like "And creating a nuisance." OR "....HAVE YOU REHABILITATED YOURSELF?"Father-rapers?
Oddball
Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves?
Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here?
Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
From Kelly's Heroes (1970)
Are you sure you're not hurt ?
No. Just some parts wake up faster than others.
Broke parts take a little longer, though.
From Electric Horseman (1979)
In my extended family are two "dog ate the turkey" stories and one where the fully laden table, a drop-leaf style, was tripped by a toddler tooling underneath which brought the whole feast crashing to the floor.
Good thing it wasn't a pussycat.
Bear
Occupy Cyburbia!
Many years ago a friend got one of the new electric carving knives that had two alternately reciprocating blades.
He was proud of it but ill informed. After slicing away on the big bird as he stood over the fully seated table, he quipped, "And look, it's so safe it won't cut your finger", whereupon he turned it to his thumb and applied just enough pressure to send a little geyser of his blood onto the dinner.
Wow, that is a Jeff Foxworthy moment if ever there was. Too bad he didn't say "hey fellas, watch this"
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