Thanksgiving Week – Day 1

“There in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.”  Deut. 12:7  

Thanksgiving is my favoritie holiday.  It earned that spot primarily because it is a time spent with family and friends. When I was growing up it was our tradition to spend the day with my mother’s side of the family.  There is no such thing as a small gathering when you get all of us together.  When I was very young we usually celebrated at my Aunt Lynne and Uncle Jim’s house in Manhattan Beach, CA.  They had a large family room at the back of the house that would be transformed into the Thanksgiving Dining Room that could seat all of us – that number could range between 20 and 30 on any given Thanksgiving. 

At some point in my teens my mom’s family moved to the Santa Ynez valley in Central California.  My aunts and uncle had purchased 40 acres of land and built a multi-family dwelling, Rancho Mono, a story which can be read about in the book written by my Aunt Lynne, “Be Careful What You Dream…it might come true”.   I think we had Thanksgiving in the mobile home on the property one year and at least one celebration in the “big house”.  After they sold Rancho Mono Thanksgiving memories were made at my Aunt Leslie’s house in Solvang, CA.  We’d clear out the family room or living room and set up many tables – the family was growing with in-laws and children. 

In the late 90′s my mother and I hosted Thanksgiving at our house in Torrance, CA.  We set up tables in our backyard under a tarp.  We suspected at the time, but did not know for certain, that this would be the last of the thanksgivings celebrated with all of my mom’s side of the family – all but one or two of us were in attendance at that celebration.  I think we had upwards of 35 people that year! 

Shortly after that Thanksgiving each family unit started their own traditions.Our unit began celebrating Thanksgiving at my brother and his family’s house.  My sister-in-law, Connie, would try new things each year (which caused some angst for the traditionalists in our family)…one year she boned the turkey, another corn bread stuffing was on the menu.  Man oh man did that girl know how to make gravy – to this day it is the best gravy I have every eatten!!!  One thing remained the same, we’d clear out the living room and set up tables to accomodate a large number of people.  Connie’s aunt and uncle, brothers’ and their wives and families were now a part of the celebration too.

Last year was the most unique celebration of Thanksgiving that I have experienced to date.  A number of us spent the day at Disneyland.  It was the first Thanksgiving after Connie’s death.  Phil had always wanted to spend thanksgiving at Disneyland because he had heard it was not very crowded that day and we weren’t really up the traditional celebration.   I don’t even remember where we all were last year – the whole year is a bit of a blur, but Phil and his kids and I went to Disneyland – I know there were others that went too, but like I said it is a bit of a blur.

This year we will be spending the holiday at my sister’s in Orange County, CA in the traditional way and our numbers will more like the old numbers and the faces in the crowd will be the familar ones.  I am looking forward to the fellowship with family and friends, loving on my siblings, my parents, my nieces and nephews, Connie’s mom and dad and brothers and sisters-in-law.