Wednesday, November 19, 2014

GIVE THANKS FOR EVERYTHING--by Cheryl Pierson


Hi everyone. Our Thanksgiving holiday here in the USA is coming up next week. For the last several years, I have not “cooked” a big Thanksgiving dinner. With my daughter going to LA every year at that time so often, and my son grown and gone as well, there just wasn’t a need to make a big dinner.

Yes, my husband did complain. Every year. But he never offered to help with anything, either. In desperation, we tried different traditions—the “Festive Fajita Party Pack” from our nearest Mexican restaurant, which is wonderful, by the way; the “Smoked Turkey Dinner and Fixin’s” from a fantabulous barbecue place we love…but of course, it wasn’t the same.

This year, my daughter will be home with us, and she wants “the dinner.” I haven’t bought my turkey—or anything else. It’s still a week away. I’m not stressed, though. Let me tell you why.

I have the money in the bank to buy those groceries. So many people don’t. If I want to make sweet potato pie, I don’t have to skimp on the marshmallows. If I want to make turkey, I don’t have to worry about one brand being ten cents cheaper than the brand I really want. And best of all, I can buy both kinds of cranberry sauce, since I’m the only one in my family who really loves the whole berry kind. So I’m very thankful for the fact that I don’t have to worry about being able to provide the menu I want to make for this holiday dinner.

I have learned to cook pretty darn well. It wasn’t always this way, believe me. My mother was a wonderful cook, but being a child of the 60’s I couldn’t have cared less about learning from her. I was happy with a hamburger (which I did learn how to make for myself) and chips. I learned how to cook only after I got married—and there were quite a few trial and error “errors” that had to be tossed. They were unsalvageable. So, I’m glad that now I have learned through the years and am able to do the job right at this point.

I have the physical ability to cook. This may seem like a little thing. We gripe and complain sometimes about having to fix a meal, but I promise you, one short walk through a nursing home will make you thankful for so many things. Seeing the older people there who would give anything to be able to prepare a meal once more, or go work in their gardens, makes me realize how much I have to be thankful for—even the simple preparation of a holiday meal takes on new meaning.

I have a wonderful family. And this year they are all going to be home for Thanksgiving! So many military men and women are far away from everything familiar in dangerous situations. Families separate as children grow up and move away. It’s not always possible to get home for the holidays. And many homeless men and women have no families to go to.

I have fantastic memories of growing up, all of us gathered around my grandmother’s table, or wherever we could manage to find a place to perch with our plates. We spilled out onto the porch, into the living room, eating in shifts. Of course, the men ate first. It was a huge gathering—my grandmother had eleven children. I have thirty-three cousins on my mother’s side of the family. When we were done there, we’d go to my dad’s side and visit. There were only eight cousins there, but two of them were boys and loved to play cowboys and Indians. What could be better? Another blessing to be thankful for—boy cousins who were just my age.

A good time was always had by all, and that was the holiday that brought everyone home to Granny’s house, even if they couldn’t come at Christmas. I had a cousin, Julie, who was a few months older than I. She was my “partner in crime”.

One Thanksgiving, we spotted a package of six Milky Way candy bars in the refrigerator—our favorite. With everything going on, we managed to sneak the package out, and she hid it in her jacket. We made it out the door and into the nearby woods. This was quite a trick since she had three younger siblings at the time. We ate those candy bars, three each. I can tell you, I was feeling sick when I ate that last bite. But we were so proud of ourselves for managing to get them out undetected and to actually be alone to commit the rest of the crime.


MY AUNT JOYCE IN HER NAVY UNIFORM--WWII
When we got back to the house, our Aunt Joyce was beside herself. It turned out, she had bought those candy bars for a specific purpose—to make her “Mississippi Mud Slide Cake” that two of her brothers-in-law had requested. Of course, as eleven-year-old children, we’d never even thought that the candy bars might be needed for a recipe. We laugh about it now, but at the time, it was serious stuff.

These are only a few of the “everyday” things that I’m so thankful for. This is really just the tip of the iceberg. When we think of everything we have in this beautiful world, it’s impossible to make a list of things to be thankful for, isn’t it?

What are you thankful for this holiday? Do you have a favorite memory to share?
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!

28 comments:

  1. I've spent months in "firefighter" mode and really needed the reminder to slow down and be thankful for blessings. I'm with you on the whole-berry cranberry sauce. :D

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    1. LOL Vonn, growing up, my mom was the only one in our family who liked the whole berry but she rarely bought it because of that. I think of that so often--that couldn't have cost more than 50 or 60 cents a can, if that, but she was the only one who liked it so it wasn't a "necessity". I wish she was still with us--I'd buy a can of it just for the two of us and we'd eat it together.

      Yes, sometimes we need to just stop and be thankful, don't we? It's hard in this hectic world of ours.

      Cheryl

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  2. Cheryl,

    I knew it! Absconding with the candy bars!

    Pleasant memories exist of Mom & Dad fussing and fighting over the aluminum wrapped turkey and getting it dressed and ready---popped in the oven---while Dad insisted we all go to a special early morning church service at the Episcopal Church. As a kid, I always worried that the house would burn down---it never did.

    Charlie

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    1. HA! Charlie, we were already feeling sick, and then when we found out what trouble we were in...oh, Lord. Both of us were glad to just find a corner and stay out of sight as best we could. LOL

      My mom used to put stuff in the oven before church, too--now? I wouldn't do that for anything! LOL

      Thanks for stopping by!
      Cheryl

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  3. Cheryl,

    I'm thankful for just plain old getting out of bed every morning. :-)

    Because of "doing my time" at a high pay-high demand-high stress job for many years in between being a classroom teacher on both ends of that job (special education administration), I was able to retire early. And I am thankful, soooo thankful, for that. Consequently, I am now writing full-time, or as full-time as I can in between enjoying spending time with my grandchildren.

    As for cranberries... I love the jellied and the whole cranberries, too. *grin*

    My dad (this is our second holiday season without him) and I were the only ones who liked canned yams with brown sugar and marshmellows.

    A funny Thanksgiving food story from a couple of years ago: My son-in-law was sent to my house to get the frozen turkey on Sunday afternoon and take it home so my daughter could get it thawed in time for cooking on Thursday. They live about 1/2 mile away. He put the frozen turkey into the back of his pickup bed to take it home. I never thought of it again, my daughter didn't until Tuesday evening. The weather was unseasonably warm and pleasant...

    0_o

    My most vivid Thanksgiving memory as a kid is watching the Macy's Day Parade all morning while the turkey and fix-ins cooked then either going to a relative's house for lunch or everyone would come to our house.

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    1. Oh, Kaye...that turkey story...LOL You know, I had a turkey story I'd forgotten about until I read this one. When Gary and I were first married, I was going to cook a turkey (which was crazy because we were going up to his mom's for Thanksgiving and there was always a mountain of food there, but for some reason, I felt we also needed our own turkey). I put it in the oven and followed the instructions--but two things: one, I didn't know to take the bag of giblets out of the neck cavity, so they were left in; and two, the thermostat on my oven broke, and burned that turkey to a fare-the-well. It was BLACK. And smoking. LOL I was in tears.

      I'm with you on being thankful about just being able to get out of bed each morning.

      Cheryl

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  4. Okie, this post brought tears to my eyes. Thanksgiving was always a "big deal" in my family, probably because of all the delicious food. If there were an Olympic eating event, we'd take the gold, silver, AND bronze. :-D

    I'm thankful for all those memories (even the one where the house nearly DID burn down), and for having loved the people who made them.

    You're right: No matter how dark things seem at any moment, there are always people who have even bigger troubles. I'm thankful every time I'm able to offer help or comfort in some small way. :-)

    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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    1. Aw, Tex. We DO have so much to be thankful for, don't we? Even the little things we take so for granted in daily life. I'm really thankful for the great friendships our writing brings us--meeting so many people who are in the same business, facing the same demons and fears and joys--that's a gift.

      You have a wonderful Thanksgiving, too!
      Hugs,
      Cheryl

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  5. We live in such a me-centric world, I think sometimes we forget to really count our many blessings. Thanksgiving was always such a crazy day in our house. We had tons of relatives coming and mass tonage of food to prepare. But I remember the laughter round the table and many people so loved and now gone. This year I'm thankful my dad isn't one who is gone, as last year at this time we all thought it might be our last holiday season with him.

    It's strange I live close, but don't go home for Thanksgiving...and mom and dad encourage me not to (can you feel the love). No seriously, there's so much going on up here around that time, they're glad for me to enjoy my town. My sister from another mister comes and we fix up the big dinner and then go to the Christmas Stroll downtown on Friday evening. The rest of the weekend we try to rest and relax from our normal hundred mile an hour lives. But I always think of those huge family gatherings and those who joined their hands with mine in thanking the good Lord for blessings big and small.

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    1. Kirsten, I'm so thankful that your dad is still with you, too. I miss my dad and mom every single day--especially at the holiday times. But I'm so thankful that I'm still able to do what I can for my sister in the nursing home, and for my own family--husband and kids (and dog, of course!) There are so many blessings in this world that we need to just stop and remember.

      Hugs, dear friend!
      Cheryl

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  6. Wow, I'd love to see the recipe of that Mississippi Mud Slide cake! Mmmm, mmmm! Thanks for sharing these stories, Cheryl, and to me, that's what T-day is all about. Not the food, but family and stories.

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    1. Meg, I wish I had that recipe. Oh, my Aunt Joyce was one of the best cooks you'd ever want to meet--and when she cooked, it was like she was cooking for the Red Army. One thing I loved about her cooking was she used a lot of pepper, and I loved pepper. LOL

      Yes, I agree, Meg--remembering our loved ones and times gone by and how we gathered together and made so many wonderful memories. That's what it's all about.
      Cheryl

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  7. Very well said. I've done the Thanksgiving with friends for years, as I'm the only one of my family living here. That those friend consider me part of the family is a blessing all by itself. We do have much to be thankful for, and it is good to be reminded. Doris

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    1. Doris, sometimes our family is our friends! I'm glad you've got some dear friends there to make some good memories with during the holidays. That's great!
      Cheryl

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  8. Strange though it may seem, I'm grateful for the dark times in my life. Those times taught me how to be strong, how to bear burdens without whining or feeling sorry for myself, and gave me compassion for others who were going through bad times. There's a lesson in most everything.
    My early memories of Thanksgiving were of Pop taking my sister and me to the parade, and then returning home to a house filled with the aroma of the feast. It was not unusual for a guest to come for dinner, usually from the weather bureau where Pop worked who didn't have any family in town, or a couple who were friends of my parents. Mom always brought out the fine China and silver for the occasion.
    Wonderful blogs, Cheryl. I taught myself to cook after I married, too. It wasn't all good, but it was kind of fun. My first biscuits were shaped like lambs--my favorite cookie cutter.

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    1. Oh, Sarah! I love the idea of the lamb biscuits! LOL That's great!

      Seems like when I was growing up, we never really had a Thanksgiving at home. We ALWAYS went to my granny and granddad's house. Mom normally tried to go down about once a month, but back then, it was all two-lane roads and they lived 100 miles from us, so it was quite the drive (Mom didn't learn to drive until after my sisters were born--think they were about 5 and 7 before she learned). But with my dad working in the oilfields, he was not always home on the holidays anyhow. So that was a good way for us to get to spend time with the family and there were always others there on the holidays. Yes, there are so many lessons in life. Just observing them and understanding them is so important.
      Cheryl

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  9. All the horses and dogs who have enriched my life. And my family, especially my mom and dad, who are gone now. Also don't see much of the rest of the family, either, since they're mostly moved to Florida. But I've got lots of good memories.

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    1. Jim, I always always wanted a dog growing up, but my parents never would agree to it--I had cats, and I loved them, but still I wanted a dog. I have a Great Pyrenees now that is my "third child" (or so I've been told-- I tend to believe it must be true...) Always wanted a horse, too, but my dad would say, "Cheryl, he wouldn't be happy here." That was all it took. We had a tiny yard, and I knew we couldn't have a horse in the yard, and we didn't have the money to pay for boarding.

      Have a happy Thanksgiving, Jim.
      Cheryl

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  10. Great post. Today's Thanksgiving reality is different than what I envisioned when I was a young mother. I expected to have all my children and grandchildren at my place on Thanksgiving. That did happen a few years, but now most of my children live out-of-state and cannot travel. I spend it with my California grandkids -- how many depends on if they are spending it with us or the other grandparents -- and I am no longer the clean the house, cook the turkey and everything but a few side dishes person. I'm now the bring the pies and Cool Whip person.

    Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Robyn Echols writing as Zina Abbott

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    1. Zina, it's strange how we "lighten up" as we get older, isn't it? I remember how all the women used to work like the dickens in the kitchen to prepare it and serve it and of course, there was a lot of visiting going on while the cooking was happening, but mostly it was a frantic timing juggle to get everything on the table while it was all still hot. I did that for many years, too, and many times wished for a double oven since mine was a single. LOL I think it really is just a sign of the times--we've all become so scattered and the world has become a huge place that we spread out in rather than everyone staying close to home as they did "back in the day" so our holidays have really changed.

      Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I see you have something else to be thankful for with your Amazon rankings for A Christmas Promise! Congratulations!

      Cheryl

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  11. Mississippi Mud Slide Cake! Sounds interesting. It sounds like a great family gathering is had by all. Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

    Keith

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    1. Thanks, Keith. That was a true lesson for both Julie and me, because we both loved Mississippi Mud Slide Cake, but we didn't know it was made with those candy bars until after we gorged ourselves silly on them. Then, we were really embarrassed and the cause of everyone missing out on the cake. LOL
      Cheryl

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  12. My mom always did the whole big Thanksgiving dinner thing. I'm thankful we had those years together. Now my sister and I usually spend the holiday at a friend's place. Isn't it funny that of all the things you miss about your mom, her cooking is usually the one you miss most?

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    1. J.E.S., I agree. I remember how my mom took such pride in her cooking, and it was very very good--she was a child of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl days and had learned to make something from nothing from a very early age. Being the oldest in her family, so much had fallen to her when she was so very young that she truly had had a "lifetime of experience" with cooking. And I also remember how satisfied and happy she was when everything turned out as she'd hoped when she set it on the table. LOL Good memories.
      Cheryl

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  13. Happy Thanksgiving Cheryl. Wonderful post. Todd and I are empty nesting again this year. I miss the family gatherings. In the meantime ... Asian Buffet FTW!

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    1. LOL Connie, now you know what that reminds me of--"A Christmas Story"-- where they go to the Chinese restaurant after the dogs get their turkey. LOL We did that Chinese buffet ourselves 2 years ago--kids weren't sure of their plans and I wasn't feeling all that chipper, so we packed up and went to eat Chinese, and it was wonderful! Hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving Day, Connie!
      Cheryl

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  14. We have had our Thanksgiving North of the Border, but everyday is Thanksgiving in my home. Because each day I am thankful for so many good things in my life. I am so very grateful for all the wonderful people who come into my life, you being one of them Cheryl, and sharing their wonderful books and life stories I can relate to. Make me feel like someone always cares.. I hope you have all the blessing with your family and friends on Thanksgiving..

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    1. Kathleen, you are a dear friend. Truly. I feel the same about you--it's always so good to know there's someone out there who can relate, as you say! It's funny to think how the internet brings us all together--people who would never have met, otherwise. Even though we get aggravated with it sometimes, I'm so very thankful that we have it and that it's helped so many of us to connect and be friends that otherwise would never have had the opportunity to meet!

      I know it will be a good Thanksgiving--just to be home and see my "kids" (grown now) and spend a little time together. Anymore, that's something we don't have much of.

      Hugs,
      Cheryl

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