Our house was filled with about 25 family members ranging in age from 2 years old to almost 87 years old. We started the preparations days ahead by readying our home, shopping, and preparing food. Thanksgiving morning we got up, placed two turkeys in the oven and prepared the mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, green beans with slivered almonds, and pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie.
The first guests arrived at 9. Most went to the Wayland High School football game where the team had a whopping in against their long time opponent, Weston High School. After that everyone gathered for appetizers including lots of cheeses, meats, whitefish spread, Jalapenos, crackers, veggies, nuts, and olives. Later everyone lined up to fill their plates with the holiday meal. There isn't enough room in the house for one large table so people spread out instead eating at the tables available and elsewhere.
There was lots of conversation, some child play, a football game on the front lawn, laughter, and cheer. About 8pm the final guests left, and today we'll put the finishing touches by taking a walk with family members and sharing a lunch of turkey sandwiches and other leftovers.
Happy news of the day included a new vacation home for one couple and a new puppy for another.. Challenges included the usual health and job concerns for some, but we didn't talk a lot about that. We all missed Ryan who spent Thanksgiving in solidarity with Native people by protesting the pipeline at Standing Rock. There were other family members we missed too--family members who have passed and who had set this wonderful tradition in motion including my husband's parents, grandparents, and my own grandparents. There were also siblings who were celebrating with others and couldn't be here this year. We'll see them at later celebrations in December.
If I could change anything about the holiday, it would be to add a big room so we could have everyone sit together to enjoy the meal, but that's not a big deal since the hustle and bustle of a busy house brought great warmth and happiness throughout the day.
I write this memory to keep the happy days in mind and to tell the story of our ever changing and typically loving and supportive intimate and extended family. Happy Holidays!
The first guests arrived at 9. Most went to the Wayland High School football game where the team had a whopping in against their long time opponent, Weston High School. After that everyone gathered for appetizers including lots of cheeses, meats, whitefish spread, Jalapenos, crackers, veggies, nuts, and olives. Later everyone lined up to fill their plates with the holiday meal. There isn't enough room in the house for one large table so people spread out instead eating at the tables available and elsewhere.
There was lots of conversation, some child play, a football game on the front lawn, laughter, and cheer. About 8pm the final guests left, and today we'll put the finishing touches by taking a walk with family members and sharing a lunch of turkey sandwiches and other leftovers.
Happy news of the day included a new vacation home for one couple and a new puppy for another.. Challenges included the usual health and job concerns for some, but we didn't talk a lot about that. We all missed Ryan who spent Thanksgiving in solidarity with Native people by protesting the pipeline at Standing Rock. There were other family members we missed too--family members who have passed and who had set this wonderful tradition in motion including my husband's parents, grandparents, and my own grandparents. There were also siblings who were celebrating with others and couldn't be here this year. We'll see them at later celebrations in December.
If I could change anything about the holiday, it would be to add a big room so we could have everyone sit together to enjoy the meal, but that's not a big deal since the hustle and bustle of a busy house brought great warmth and happiness throughout the day.
I write this memory to keep the happy days in mind and to tell the story of our ever changing and typically loving and supportive intimate and extended family. Happy Holidays!