Thankful Thursday - Thanksgivings to Remember

Growing up, Thanksgiving was probably a bigger holiday in my family than Christmas. Don't get me wrong, Christmas was pretty important with us kids, but Thanksgivings had more of our family traditions attached.

Every year. I mean, Every. Single. Year. We would travel to Dallas from my little tiny Texas hometown to visit my grandparents, Me-Maw and Pa-Paw.

Very early Thanksgiving morning, the adults would get up and prepare the turkey. We were "stuffers". Me-Maw would make her homemade stuffing in this large yellow bowl (which my mother now has), then they would stuff the bird and Pa-Paw, who I might add was a doctor, would sew up the bird with such precision, you would have thought him a surgeon. But, he wasn't, he was an anesthesiologist. Anyway, then they would SLATHER that bird with butter. Yes, REAL butter. Then, off it would go into the oven to roast to perfection.

A little while later, us kids would get up and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, as Mom and Me-Maw continued with the food preparations. The rest of the food ALWAYS consisted of mashed potatoes, green salad, stuffed celery stalks (which I always helped with), cucumber dip, and of course, Pea Casserole. Now, I am not a huge fan of peas and I couldn't just eat this casserole at different times of the year. But, Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgving without it. In fact, as we still gather to this day, I still have to have it, even if it means I make it myself! The desserts were always brought by the other family that we celebrated with.

Let me back up a little. When my grandparents moved to Dallas with their family for Pa-Paw to join a practice, they didn't have any family close-by and neither did this other family, whose father was also in the practice with Pa-Paw. Their kids were the same age, so they bacame quite close. In fact, I still consider the Porters like family. They spent every Thanksgiving with us at my grandparents house.

In the afternoon, all the "men" would head to the Cowboy game. The Dallas Cowboys always play at home on Turkey Day. Pa-Paw and Dr. Porter had season tickets, so off they would go, while the food cooked. A little after they left, those not going to the game would start to arrive and the appetizers would begin. Once the game ended, the Turkey would come out. I am still not sure how Me-Maw was able to time that every year since you can never judge how quickly or slowly a game will progress, but she always seemed to get it perfect. In fact, one year the meat literally fell off the bird, it was so moist and wonderul. By the time the guys got back, the bird had rested enough to be able to carve it. From a very young age, I remember Dr. Porter always took my picture next to the turkey. I guess to see how much I had grown.?! Then, everyone would gather in the family room, join hands, and someone would offer a spontaneous prayer of thanks to our Lord and Savior. Some years were harder than others with deaths in the family or people missing from the festivities, but it was always warm and comforting to know you were with the ones you loved. Then, the food was set up buffet style and people took their time eating.

Then, towards the end of the day, most of the kids and some adults would gather around their player piano and crank out the tunes, which ALWAYS included "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer". The women would do the dishes, although, in later years, we were finally able to wrangle in my uncle to do them a time or two, since he tended to tease us about women need to do the dishes. Always joking of course, but, nevertheless, he got a chance to do them a time or two!

Since I have been married, I have split my time between families and have not been to our family Thanksgiving since it took place at Me-Maw's. Pa-Paw is gone and she is now in assisted with Alzheimer's and their house was sold. The Porters and Roehrigs still get together each year but at one of their homes. So, this will be my first year in about 5 to spend it with my family here in Dallas. I am really looking forward to it....and I am bringing the PEA CASSEROLE!

I am so thankful to have lifelong friends in the Porter family and hope this tradition can continue in some manner for years to come.