Thanksgiving

   

     Thanksgiving is a time of family and feasting. I host the day for my brothers and their families at my house. This year I made three desserts, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and a custard called “Spanish Cream Supreme. It was the last one I made the evening before Thanksgiving. I had the bright idea to snap a picture of my desserts together for Instagram. I arranged them for the picture and before I could snap the photo the apple pie started sliding off the edge of the counter. With quick reflexes I reached my hand out to catch it and stuck my hand right into it. It doesn’t look too bad, and I’m glad I was able to stop it because I used all the apples I had on hand to make it. We couldn’t  have Thanksgiving without apple pie!  It simply isn’t done in my family.
     This year wasn’t the first time I had a pie mishap. One year a juice glass fell out of the cupboard above where the pumpkin pie was cooling and fell right into the middle of it. On Thanksgiving I filled the hole with whipped cream before serving. No one would have known but of course I told them. We might as well all laugh together over dessert!
     In between our meal and dessert, we sit around the table talking and picking at the remnants, another spoonful of stuffing, or a little more of the sweet potato casserole; or maybe another roll topped with butter  and cranberry sauce keeps the conversation going. This year we were looking at old pictures that my cousin sent me the previous weekend. She had been sorting through some things for her grandmother, my aunt, and thought I might like them. There was one of our family, our mother, father, the family dog, all of my brothers, my sister in law, and my husband. It made for some lively chatter and laughter as well as some good-natured disagreement about the year and event where it was taken. It also gave rise to speculation as to what my father said just prior to the picture being taken. The most interesting part of it was my father, the smirk on his face and the way some of us were turned toward him obviously giggling and snickering all point toward him probably having made a comment about another relative, perhaps the one with the camera. It’s likely the shot was from a yearly family reunion at my parents’ house. Whatever it was, the photo brought back some good memories for us all, and our children (the youngest is 16) got to hear some stories about their grandparents and parents, aunts and uncles.

     I'm happy I have a good relationship with my brothers and their families.  I think the holidays would be no fun if we didn't get along.  Thanksgiving was wonderful, I hope it was for you as well.  On now to the next major holiday: Christmas!

This is the picture I described.  I am turned toward my father, on the end.