Every Thanksgiving is a bit different for multiple reasons. As a child most of the Thanksgivings I remember found us sitting at the dining room table with a group of about 12 children and adults enjoying a delicious meal. My mom has always been an exceptional cook and we delighted in the turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, beans, cranberry sauce, sweet breads, and pies--apple, pumpkin, and pecan. There was never a Thanksgiving that we didn't have a delicious meal.
The happiness factor at Thanksgiving varied however as did the activities that surrounded the event. When we were young, my dad would often take us for a nice long walk in the woods prior to Thanksgiving dinner. I looked forward to those adventures. Later we attended the local St. Peter-Marian-St. John's football games, and after that Thanksgiving meant a different place every year as my husband and I shared the holidays with many relatives near and far. In the last many years, we've mostly hosted Thanksgiving dinner since my sons played football and they had to be home for the local Wayland-Weston rivalry game. The happiness differential typically depended on events that affected individual family members, but in general even when times where tough, we were able to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving.
This year finds us at a time when our families are growing larger. There are many additions of new friends and family members who will join us, and our home will be packed with people from ages two to eighty-seven and every decade in between. That means there will be a lot of good conversation and cheer as well as possible football game outside, watching games inside, and good competitive game of Scrabble too--we've got some really good Scrabble players in our family which always makes for a good challenge.
As the hostess what's most important is making our home comfortable and welcoming for everyone who will come. That starts with a good clean-up, shopping for great food, and the preparation. It also means being really rested to have the energy needed to keep the party rolling along. As a mom of older children, I have more time to do this prep with my family and I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone as our chances to get together have decreased somewhat due to growing families and distance.
Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday when it we do use it as an opportunity to come together to support and have fun with one another. I hope that's how our day will be.
The happiness factor at Thanksgiving varied however as did the activities that surrounded the event. When we were young, my dad would often take us for a nice long walk in the woods prior to Thanksgiving dinner. I looked forward to those adventures. Later we attended the local St. Peter-Marian-St. John's football games, and after that Thanksgiving meant a different place every year as my husband and I shared the holidays with many relatives near and far. In the last many years, we've mostly hosted Thanksgiving dinner since my sons played football and they had to be home for the local Wayland-Weston rivalry game. The happiness differential typically depended on events that affected individual family members, but in general even when times where tough, we were able to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving.
This year finds us at a time when our families are growing larger. There are many additions of new friends and family members who will join us, and our home will be packed with people from ages two to eighty-seven and every decade in between. That means there will be a lot of good conversation and cheer as well as possible football game outside, watching games inside, and good competitive game of Scrabble too--we've got some really good Scrabble players in our family which always makes for a good challenge.
As the hostess what's most important is making our home comfortable and welcoming for everyone who will come. That starts with a good clean-up, shopping for great food, and the preparation. It also means being really rested to have the energy needed to keep the party rolling along. As a mom of older children, I have more time to do this prep with my family and I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone as our chances to get together have decreased somewhat due to growing families and distance.
Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday when it we do use it as an opportunity to come together to support and have fun with one another. I hope that's how our day will be.