Thanksgiving Memories

When I was a kid we always hosted my mom's side of the family for Thanksgiving at our house.

My memories of those Thanksgivings are spotty - I remember sitting in the living room while my mom prepared food, watching the parade and always eating an orange.(The high school band boosters sold citrus each fall as a fundraiser and oranges and grapefruit were abundant in my house in November.)

I remember one of my older cousins always being in charge of the mashed potatoes. As soon as her family walked in the door she'd immediately head into the kitchen and get to work.

I remember picking up my dad's beer thinking it was apple juice and spitting it out, attracting laughs from many.

I remember football on tv in the basement, as and the day went on the tv would switch to a movie rental. The year they were watching Pretty Woman I remember being banished upstairs as I wasn't old enough to watch it, but really annoyed that my much younger cousins could be downstairs - because they were too little to get the storyline.

I remember having a lot of people packed into our not so spacious house. Lots of talking, and laughing and food.

I don't remember when we stopped hosting exactly, but by the time I was in college and my first few years after, Thanksgiving was spent with my dad's side of the family, at my grandmother's house. My contribution was always the ever popular pumpkin roll.

And then, once my parents' bought a house down near the beach, Thanksgiving has been here, on our own, without any extended family.

This morning I went for a long walk down at the beach, and then spent the rest of the day reading, watching the dog show then football, helping with the cooking and hanging out with my mom. It was nice, relaxed, quiet.

I don't miss the big family meals really, today was much more my speed, than those celebrations in years past. But I am glad I had those traditions and those memories, as spotty as they may be, from many Thanksgivings ago.