Several people in the neighborhood are talking about gearing up for their family
Thanksgiving. The last almost-two years have been tension-filled, disappointing and trying for everyone. A couple of friends expressed a little nervousness about getting this year’s Thanksgiving plan underway.
One mom says that she is planning to completely overhaul her menu, as well as the way of serving the meal. There will be no turkey, dressing or mashed potatoes and gravy. Her husband will smoke a variety of meats and she will make the cabbage slaw and baked beans. Paper products and plastic cutlery are the rule for the day. At noon on Thanksgiving, family and friends will wander around the kitchen and help themselves to the food and beverages. Thanksgiving LUNCH – all caps - will feature a few additional hot items like taco fixings, potato soup, chili, bacon wrapped cream cheese stuffed peppers, ham and cheese sliders and hot dips. Additional snacky things like chips, trail mix, cookies, caramel corn, deer jerky, cupcakes and ice cream cakes will be available. All kind of beverages will be included on the menu as well. People can carry their used table service and dispose of them in the provided lined trash cans on the porch.
“I think it will turn out to be just as much work. I just want to try something different,” she laughed.
“I’m sure we will no sooner get things cleaned up from lunch, than some of the kids will be ready to eat again!”
Thanksgiving will arrive. Everyone will sit down together for The Family Thanksgiving. There are those who are missed. Memories tug at the hearts.
Another mom also laughed when she was (only slightly) grumbling about a long table that had stayed in place since the last Thanksgiving feast. During this time, the littles and their grown-ups have used that table for drawing pictures and completing their craft or coloring projects. Occasionally, the kids dragged in a couple of blankets to drape over the table, turning it into an indoor tent. The table had quietly become part of the daily scene. While she did say that she is ready for the table to be returned to its proper place in the basement, this mom believes that there is a good chance it will remain, at least for a while, in its accustomed place upstairs.
This mom will prepare the meat and the gravy. Everyone else brings all the rest of the yummy food. She talked about getting the dishes and the long table ready for her large family. The tablecloths are spread on the table(s) – smaller card tables end up being necessary to hold all the food. Finally, a few days before Thanksgiving, multiple helpers in the family drop by at random times to contribute their energy, dishes and decorations. Together and individually, they set up centerpieces, napkins, plates, serving dishes, flatware, and glasses.
Thanksgiving Day arrives. Everyone gathers for The Family Thanksgiving. There are those who are missed. Memories tug at the hearts.
Everyone eats plenty, and then some. Throughout the day, tv, video games and football provide cheerful sounds in the background. If the weather is nice, kids play outdoors, running in the sunshine. They bang the doors as they run in and out. Overcome with after-feasting fatigue, some people nod off to sleep. Occasional snores may be heard.
Following the meal, the cleanup crew snaps to attention. Carrying dishes out to the kitchen to stack beside the sink starts the process. Several locate and fill a variety of containers with leftovers. Older (Vintage-Really?) Tupperware storage containers with the burping lids, a variety of plastic ziplock bags, snazzy newer Tupperware, empty cool whip containers, smaller plastic bags and margarine tubs are pressed into action. Once they are filled with leftovers, containers are crowded onto the bulging refrigerator shelves and drawers.
Then comes the washing up. Even with the multiple-times-filled automatic dishwasher humming away, there are plenty of pots and pans and glass baking dishes and plates and silverware and glasses and ???other dishes to hand wash. Dish towels grow damp, then soggy from drying dishes. The good news is that the stack of clean, dry dishes steadily grows. The conversation among the washing and drying crew gets a little more excited as the end of cleanup nears.
Finally, the sinks are empty. The dishwasher is quietly drying its last load of dishes. The pile of soggy dish towels and dish cloths and cloth napkins are heaped out of sight in a basket in the laundry room.
In just a minute, Thanksgiving cleanup will be history. The crew is ready to head into the family room to put their feet up.
Suddenly, a child wanders into the kitchen, followed by a couple of cousins and siblings.
“Mommy, I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat?”
After only a small sigh, Mommy opens the fridge. Next, she rummages in the cupboard and brings out the paper plates and plasticware.
“Help yourselves, guys. The sodas are over there in the cooler.”
Thankful to have such abundance to share, mommies and daddies, and the other family members settle down together. It’s all good. No matter what is served; no matter how it is planned, sharing time and feasting together are the greatest gifts of Thanksgiving.
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