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Friday, November 23, 2007

Thanksgiving Memories!

Memories of the celebrations with friends and family become so blended together that it becomes harder to remember one from another. Thanksgiving, at least for me, seems to be the holiday that is the least set in tradition and it's an ever changing holiday and no two have ever been the same. It's probably why it's also seasier to remember some of the most funniest moments.

This year in the San Fernando Valley there were no pickets lines to cross to buy my turkey. A few years ago there was a five month long strike with the food commercial workers union, Local 770. The days on the calendar continued to pass and there was no end in sight to the strike and I still neeeded a turkey for the Thanksgiving dinner I promised to cook. Oh! there were frozen turkeys to be had, but I never cook frozen, I mean it must be a tough a rubber when it's done cooking. Fresh never frozen is the only way to make a turkey. So, I went to a store where no-one would recognize me and made sure it was dark outside. I apologized profusely to the strikers standing on the picket line and told them that I totally supported the strike and what it stood for, but I was terribly sorry that I had to cross the picket lines to buy a turkey. But, get this dinner came out great. Isn't that the coolest?

Our first Thanksgiving in our first house sort of unfolded like the children's story The Night Before Christmas. Twas the night before Thanksgiving when all through the house we were settling in to a long winters nap when what to my wondering eyes did appear, but water pooling on the kitchen floor. I sprang from my chair, threw open the kitchen cabinets and found the pipes sprouting water. Do you know how hard it is to pull off dinner for over 20 with no kitchen plumbing?

The strangest Thanksgiving I ever had was at my in-laws house and a turkey was cooked in one of those foil pans. When the turkey was lifted out of the oven the flimsy aluminum pan buckled in the middle and the turkey flipped out of the pan and slid like a bowling ball across the floor. No-one really cared that the turkey had hit the floor we were all too excited waiting for the phone to ring. Halfway through dinner we got the call from the hospital that a new member of the family had been born. That new family member is 17 years old today.

No matter what your memories are for today, remember to be thankful for what you have.

Happy Eating!

~Valley Girl~

1 comments:

Jeni said...

Becky - Enjoyed reading your new blog here but thought I'd call you attention to my blog listing under your favorites - the link you have there isn't working.

The name of my blog is Down River Drivel - the link is
http://oldavonladysorders.blogspot.com

Blogger -or blogspot - is really easy to use - even easier if you understand a bit about html, which I don't so from time to time, mine still gives me lots of fits!