A Cornucopia of Thanksgiving Memories
My wife Margaret is the oldest child in her family. With nine kids following her, Thanksgiving in her house growing up was always memorable. As my own Thanksgiving table was tame by comparison, I thought you might enjoy hearing Margaret’s stories as you and your family create your own stories this Thanksgiving!
Being the eldest of ten children, I have so many fun stories and memories surrounding Thanksgiving, many of which start with the “little kids’ table.” It was always a card table with special handmade nursery-school decorations. You were condemned to this seating chart until your table etiquette and social manners were deemed to be up to snuff. One year, one of my younger sisters was permitted to “move up” to the big table. She even sat next to one of the “boyfriends” who was a guest at our dinner that year. This poor victim heaped his plate with everything in sight. My little sister decided to spear some olives with the very large meat fork. Plop! The fork fell out of her hands, dropped on the middle of the boyfriend’s plate, and it broke in half. Gravy, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce flowed out all over the table. Back to the “little kids table” my sister went for a few more years!
Our turkeys were huge, probably never under 28 pounds. The favorite foods at our meal, however, were olives, shrimp, and mashed potatoes. One year, I bought ten pounds of shrimp for the feast. I had saved up and hidden the dollars away from my summer job. Just as the shrimp was served, I got a telephone call. By the time I hung up the phone, the family vultures had devoured every last piece of shrimp. It took me years to see any humor in that one!
The most exciting and memorable times have always been when one of “the ten” shows up unexpectedly for Thanksgiving Dinner. I remember all of us jumping up with tears in our eyes as we wrapped huge hugs around one of my brothers serving in the military who was granted a last-minute leave. More recently, my Nashville sister showed up at our Cape Cod Family Thanksgiving. It had been so many years since she had been able to join us, and we all were thrilled to have her celebrate the holiday with us again. What a fabulous and fun dinner that was! We are very thankful for all the wonderful memories.
No matter the size of your table or menu, we hope you will cherish and enjoy the family and friends who share this special holiday with you.
Our office will be closed Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23 to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families.
