Thanksgiving Chatter: This End

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

If you just want the list of questions to copy and answer, they'll be quick to grab from yesterday's post.  You can answer in the comments or on your own blog and just leave your link as a comment here.

While you're waiting on the pies and such to cook today, you know. ;-)

Anyway, I'm about to hit the kitchen but thought I'd post my answers quick-like:


1) Are you going over the river and through the woods for Thanksgiving dinner,  or will you be dining in your own dining room?  Or are you one of the noble folks who will be serving meals to people who have neither a grandma's house nor a dining room?

I'm fixing dinner and the local members of the family...minus our married daughter and her hubby...will eat it.  The Princess and her Prince are eating dinner w/his folks, but will join us for pie and the annual viewing of 'Miracle on 34th Street' later in the evening.  I'm planning to put a large chunk of our 15-lb turkey straight into the freezer for turkey divan later on.

2) What is one thing that you are thankful for that the folks who will be around your table might think is silly?

We have a kitty who is not terribly generous with her affection, but I can get some cuddle time with her most days.  It probably IS silly, but I'm grateful for the purr God put in kitties, undoubtedly for its therapeutic  effect on humans.

3) Do you have a set menu every year, one that varies not, or are you someone who likes to try new dishes for the holiday?

We are very traditional; I could probably do our Thanksgiving dinner in my sleep now.  The menu varies not. Someone would be devastated if his/her particular favorite item was missing from the table...although some years (such as this one) in the interest of keeping it simple, I will substitute brown 'n' serves for my grandmother's yeast rolls and refrigerated pie crust for the floury mess of the scratch version.  Usually the only person disappointed by those alteration is me.

4) Will a parade be any part of your Thanksgiving?

Years ago I asked the kids to tear up the bread for the dressing while they watched the Macy's parade; now it's part of the tradition.  The Artist has even said that he will be here in time for breakfast (refrigerated orange rolls, another tradition) and the parade.   Gotta love anything that entices an out-of-the-nester to hang out with us.

5) A couple of years ago, I read an internet post by folks who immigrated to the US from England, who asked their neighbors what they were supposed to do on Thanksgiving.  As they told the story, everyone instructed them to 'eat turkey and watch football.'    How would you answer their question?

I would have said that Thanksgiving is a time to share with friends and/or family; a day to fix a meal of special food and enjoy it with people who are near and dear to you as you reflect on the blessings that God has so graciously given ...and then promptly invited them for dinner.

The word 'football' would not even have entered into the conversation...

6)  Will there be anything on your Thanksgiving table that would seem odd or unusual to folks who do not know your traditions?

Last year, I posted to Facebook a photo of the whole family around the table just before we said the blessing.  That photo started off a whole little discussion about how odd it was that we all had large glasses of milk evident.  Now, that is not a Thanksgiving deal at our house...we drink milk All. The. Time.  But there were folks who were amazed that we drink milk with dinner.  Apparently that is relegated to breakfast only in many houses.  So, yeah, I guess the milk in the glasses qualifies.

7) How do you prefer to express your thanksgiving?  Do you share around the table,  list it as the meal is blessed,  keep it private between you and God, or...?

This is one thing we don't do the same every year; some years we go around the table, some years we just pause as we bless the meal to be thankful; some years, I participate in the 'Thanksgiving Countdown' on Facebook...listing something I'm thankful for in my status every day.  Who knows what we'll do tomorrow?  It may depend on whether I actually get dinner on the table on time or not; some years there have been glitches that made the meal late enough that the only sound at dinner was munching...

8) Have you put up Christmas decorations yet, or do you keep Thanksgiving separate from Christmas (or Hanukkah, if that applies...)?

I like my holidays separate and distinct; no Christmas decoration or Christmas music or movies in our house before we eat turkey and express our thankfulness (however that happens that year).  Although I do try to get started on the Christmas shopping before Christmas...I'd guess I'm about half done with that for the year. I know the sales hit on Black Friday; it's worth skipping the sales to also skip the craziness...

9) What is one standout memory you have of Thanksgiving when you were a kid?

I remember several Thanksgivings, but the one that is most prominent at the moment is from when I was probably in Jr Hi...it was a Thanksgiving where we actually didn't go anywhere or have any company...it was just my parents and us 4 kids.  Mom cooked dinner and we ate it and just enjoyed staying home.  It was odd that I found it so enjoyable, as I was usually the first one to want to 'go someplace!'.  But I think that was the year I learned that I could enjoy an intimate family holiday.  Maybe that was just God's preparation for all the years we would spend as 'just us' hundreds of miles away from the rest of the family.  Thanksgiving with my hubby and kids is actually my favorite holiday; if any of the extended family can make it to us (and they have, a few times), that just makes it better, but it's not essential.

10) Do you do family portraits at Thanksgiving?

 We used to do them the day after Thanksgiving...set up the tripod and do a whole roll of shots, hoping that when they were developed there'd be one good enough to use for our Christmas Epistle.  But now, in the digital age, it's not so critical that we do it that early, since we can just download 'em off the camera. 

So it's not exactly on the schedule for this Friday, but it could happen.

11) What is the Thanksgiving weather forecast for your area?  Is it typical?

Partly cloudy, temps in the 60's.  Maybe a little warmer than usual, but not remarkably so.  I'll probably have a window open to offset the heat from the oven, and we probably won't light the holiday fireplace until the evening after the sun sets and it cools off a bit.

12) White meat or dark?

Definitely dark for me! 


Whatever your Thanksgiving looks like at your house, I wish the peace of God and the blessings of a thankful heart to you and yours!