What Does Thanksgiving Mean To Me?

Saturday was our family Thanksgiving celebration.  It got me thinking about Thanksgiving and what it means and has meant to me in the past. 

It took a lot to try to remember what Thanksgiving was like for me as a child at home.  After all it was a zillion years ago...and a lot of my childhood memories somehow seem to be blocked for me.  I used to call my sister, Shirley, to find out how things were back then.  But she died several years ago, so I lost my source.  Sad to say the rest of my family doesn't seem willing to communicate with me.  But I remember Mom got up long before us and must have prepared a lot of the food.  The pies would be sitting on the buffet and the turkey roasting in the oven long before we (the children) woke up.  Our morning was spent watching tv....yes we did have one...black and white...small oval screen.  

When I grew up and married I remembered how frightened I was the first time I cooked a turkey.  You see, I had never planned on being a housewife..I never took Home Ec in school because I was going to live in the big city and have a career....there was no way that I was staying in Ohio and being a farm wife!  Well, I did go to the big city for a while...New York City....but a job led me to Toledo Oh where I met and married my first husband.  So I had no idea how to fix a turkey.  I did find a cookbook and did my best.   I set the oven, rinsed the turkey, rubbed butter and salt on it, and put it in the oven.  While it was roasting, I fixed the other things we ate.  Later as I was carving the turkey, can you imagine how surprised I was to find that plastic bag with the neck and other body parts in it...still in the turkey!  But did I stop to think what Thanksgiving meant to me?  No, I was busy putting on Thanksgiving.

So now things have changed.  I no longer get to cook the turkey.  Instead, my daughter's fiance does a fine job.  This year we had quite an assortment of food.  I contributed deviled eggs and although I made plenty...they were gone in the flash of an eye!  My son arrived late and I could hear him in the kitchen saying with disappointment.."but where are the deviled eggs that Mom brought?"  (so making a note to myself...make extra eggs next time!)  After eating we just sat around and visited.  It was a great way to spend the afternoon.

Thursday (the real Thanksgiving Day) will be here soon.  I have contemplated how I will spend the day.  I won't be cooking a dinner, nor will I be sitting down with anyone to eat one.  Today I thought about it at the grocery store and decided that it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a turkey dinner...so I bought a Mary Callender's frozen dinner...stuffing, turkey and mashed potatoes...and I bought a pumpkin pie for dessert.  If nothing comes up, I'll be eating that on my TV tray...maybe watching my first Christmas movie.   My family will be getting ready to hit the stores for the pre-black Friday sales...then the real black Friday sales...that isn't for me.

I guess that Thanksgiving is a time for being thankful for the things we have, our experiences, our family and friends, and just to be alive.  It is also a time for remembering...old times, places, dear ones who are departed, and for getting ready for the holiday season. 

What does Thanksgiving mean to you?  How do you celebrate it?

It's been a while...

It's been a while since I last wrote a blog.  I just read my last one and am happy to post that I am much, much better.  It has been three months since my total knee replacement surgery and I still am in therapy but not for long since medicare does set limits to how many therapy sessions one can have.  Two week ago I wasn't making any progress in therapy so we switched my therapy to water therapy.  The pool is small but it is delightfully warm.  It is a salt water pool so there is not that annoying chlorine smell to put up with.  Has it helped?  Perhaps a little.  It relaxes me and the therapist can then bend my knee but still not enough to meet her goal.  I will be happy when the stiffness is gone but I am mostly pain free now.  

After my last blog I realized one day that the pain pills were not for me.  I had been taking two every four hours.  It was no wonder that I was out of it!  So I just decided one Friday morning that I would not take another pain pill.  My daughter had warned me that I would have withdrawal and I sure did.  It took two weeks for it to clear my system but it was worth it.  Next time I will consult my doctor and get something to help get off pain pills.  (Hopefully there won't be a next time).  

I don't return to see the surgeon until February so I am hoping to have made lots of progress by then.   

On another note....I have decided to start writing again.  I have always wanted to write a book...but I am not going to start out with that....maybe some essays, blogging, and some short stories....but we will see.  Right now I am reading a book titled "Everyday Writing" by Laurie Rozakis.  It is a great motivation tool.  

School is going great and I have increased my daily hours to six.  It makes for a long day, but it is enjoyable and entertaining.  I love the children and they encourage me to believe in a future for our country. 

Enough for tonight.  Sleep well.