Thanksgiving 2010 and Black Friday

Here is our Thanksgiving of 2010.  The kids are secretly clowns; every holiday picture they are always making funny faces or doing something odd.  Memories...that's what they are making. LOL  Usually we go to my brother's house for Thanksgiving, but this year we decided to stay home.  Our daughter did go to her uncle's, then came to our house.  Our son had to work and didn't get off until 4pm, then came to our house.  My turkey did not cooperate this year and still was not thawed when it was time to cook it, but I worked with it (or fought with it) and it came out just fine.  I cheated this year as I did not make anything really homemade.  Stuffing came out of the box as did the gravy came out of the jar.  The potatoes were peeled, cooked and mashed; rolls were

baked and pumpkin pie with whipped cream for dessert was great! But, really, no holiday is the same anymore.  I remember back to when I lived at home with my parents everything just seemed so magical.  Maybe that's the spirit of being a child.  When the husband and I were young parents, it was so much fun making the magic happen for our children; to see the sparkle in their eyes on Christmas morning; the excitement, the Christmas breakfast...well, getting back to Thanksgiving, we just always so looked forward to it.  Now with the children being grown-ups, having their own jobs and time restraints, it's just not the same as it used to be.  That's why I need to learn to re-adjust to this way of life now. 

Black Friday:

I have never been to a Black Friday in my life, but this year was different.  Daughter has been wanting to get a tv for her room, but they have been so expensive she just couldn't afford it.  Walmart had 32" tv on sale for $198.  Can't beat that deal, so off we went to Walmart at 3am to stand in line.  Honestly, I didn't know what to expect because in years past, I have seen horror stories on tv of people getting trampled on rushing in the doors of stores to be the first to get their item.  I had visions of pushing and shoving and getting yelled out as I pushed and shoved my way to get my daughter the tv she wanted.  However, when we arrived at the store, there were no lines outside.  The line was inside and it zigzagged down the aisles in a very well organized manner.  I was very impressed at how everyone stayed in line when the tvs were being handed out.  There was no pushing or shoving or name calling.  There was only one incident of someone accusing another of butting in line, but that was all!  Wow...so daughter got the tv she's been wanting at a very good, low price and all was happy. 

Thanksgiving and stuff



1968 Thanksgiving at Grandma Hammett's



Thanksgiving is almost here.  I have the turkey in the frig thawing (I hope it's thawed by Thursday) and, of course, there's always last minute items I need to run out to the store to get.  Thanksgiving isn't what it used to be.  When I was a child I used to go to my grandmother's for Thanksgiving with family, but most all of my family has passed away now.  But it was so exciting to go to grandma's to see how she decorated her table.  Grandma would make the best egg noodles.  After she would get done rolling out the dough and cutting it into noodles she would let them sit out on the counter to dry.  However, I couldn't help but to sneak a few raw noodles to eat and grandma would tell me if I ate all the raw noodles there wouldn't be any to cook. 



Me with the turkey

Sometimes, though we didn't have Thanksgiving at grandmas...I think it was after my aunt moved to Florida  it became my mom's job to cook the turkey.  Mom's kitchen wasn't very big and I know it was a great stress for her to do all that by herself.  But I think she pulled it off nicely and even decorated the table, just as her mom did.


Mom and her Thanksgiving turkey



So where did all the tradition go?  I miss it.  I miss having a big family around me, smelling all the different foods cooking in the kitchen; waiting in anticipation of eating so much you'd feel as if you'd bust open!  And the leftovers....homemade dressing...yum.  If my grandma made the best noodles ever, than mom made the best stuffing.  Hours after the big feast. I would reach into the refrigerator and grab a handful of leftover homemade dressing and eat it cold.  Then a few more hours later I would heat up leftover noodles and eat a big bowl full.  And the pumpkin pie with more whip cream than the pie...oh so good!  My children have never really had a huge family to have traditions with.  Their grandparents passed away when they were small so they have missed out on the excitment of family gatherings for holidays.  I have tried to do the best I can to make them feel excited about holidays, but in the back of my heart I know what they have missed. 

Last Sunday:

My daughter called up and asked if her dad would take her for a motorcycle ride.  She gets a hankering for a ride every once in awhile when she wants to clear her head or go somewhere for a little while.  I suggested they go to the beach, Beverly Beach. The husband and I used to go fishing in a little pond at Beverly Beach when were dating.  Of course when I told daughter that little bit of info, she was like 'oh yuk.'  Hahaha.  From the pictures they took, though, it looks like they enjoyed themselves.

Beverly Beach used to be the place to go back in the day.  Everybody went there...it was the beach.  Now it is privately owned and no one is allowed on the beach.  Shhh..don't tell anybody these two trespassed.  Husband's family took their kids to the beach there and so did my parents.  I often wonder if husband and I were at the beach at the same time.  How cool would that be knowing we were little kids at the beach at the same time? 

Daughter decided she wanted to go to black Friday.  I have never been, so it should be interesting.  I hate to shop and I hate crowds so I'm gonna have to be on my best behavior!