So, what really is tradition for us?

Loved reading Charity's blog about her "Black Friday" shopping....by the way, how did it ever get that name? That sounds so depressing. What happened to the old *Day after Thanksgiving* shopping*? It was a perfectly good name that pretty much said it all. *Black Friday* ??? creepy!

Naturally, this time of year brings out the memories. Being away from family intensifies the feelings I think, too!

Thursday morning as I was making our pies (Yes, we found cans of pumpkin this Summer in the stores here, so we squirreled them away for the right time!) As I was saying, while making the pies I started getting a little nostalgic. But as I started thinking over some of our past years, I realized we haven't always been very traditional. Due to Bob's schedule, we have had many Turkey Dinners on Friday and one year we did it on Wednesday.

Our very first Thanksgiving was right at the end of our honeymoon, and we ended up in a restaurant specializing in German food that advertised a traditional turkey dinner. By the time we arrived, the turkey was gone and we were left with duck! Believe me, duck does not in any way resemble turkey!

The year Bob was pastoring and still working part time as a nurse, we got invited to join a multi-generational family gathering. Who knew they did NOT like turkey, so the main course was roast beef and mashed potatoes with noodles! One family member had compassion and made a small turkey for us!, but no turkey gravy or stuffing! Then no one amongst all those families wanted to host the day in their own home. So they had purchased a small house several years prior and used it only for family gatherings. Adults (B0b and I) all ate in one room, teens (Shan) ate in another and younger kids (David) ate in their own room at the back of the house....and by order of the rest of the parents ne'er the groups shall meet! and they called it a family dinner! Miserable! We were relieved when we never got invited again!

There were the two years when it was only Bob, David and I while Shan was in college or visiting her future in-laws. One of those years was when David started the short lived 'tradition' of shadow puppets on the wall after dinner.

In the early years of our marriage we went to Bob's folks and his mom made the entire meal. That is when I discovered a recipe for fresh cranberry orange relish and began that tradition! But when *that cook* was a firm believer in a thoroughly dried out turkey, even the dark meat, I boldly learned how to cook a turkey. Reynold's oven roasting bags to the rescue! It was much easier to put a plate of turkey into the oven and dry it out for Bob's mom, then for the rest of us to suffer thru "turkey jerky"!

One year when Shan was a baby the three of us were at his Grandparents hunting cabin. Turkey was too big for the pan on hand, so she cut it in half and baked it in two pans. The front half ended up looking like a frog..so we teased for years about our turkey frog.

Later when we lived in Florida this same Grandma with her new husband came for Thanksgiving...that was the year I finally frantically learned how to make stuffing. Who knew it was so easy? and discovered that pumpkin pies cannot be left sitting out in the South as they mold quickly! So, much for leftovers the next day!

Bob was a nursing home director for a while in Indiana and worked Thanksgiving; so we joined him and ate at a community gathering for those who did not have family in the area.

We discovered the day before David's 2nd Thanksgiving that he had pneumonia and I could not take him any where! There were several young families from our church that had plans to gather at one home for the big day . Bob and Shan brought me a plate of leftovers when they returned that evening!

Probably the years that stand out the most are the ones when Shan and family joined us with David and Lyndie and Glen. The table was stretched to its limits and every conceivable chair was utilized! Kari usually came for pie. Then the oldies vs the youngsters for some real football!

The last Thanksgiving we were in the States we had already had our household auction in the summer and sold the stove! But the turkey got placed in a borrowed electric roaster, and everything else was made in crockpots with the brown'n'serve rolls in a toaster oven. David and Lyndie made the pies.

Last year we had it in Costa Rica while attending language school. and YES! we had school as usual that day. Fortunately, classes were only in the morning. But the SCORE missionaries in CR blessed us with a Thanksgiving dinner at the SCORE villa. The first time they had made a turkey! It was the first time rice was on the menu with turkey for us! But what a blessed time as we students were outnumbered 2 to 1 by Ticos...but we all shared what we were thankful for before having a communion service before dinner! And not a pumpkin, pecan or cranberry was in sight!

This year was the first time SCORE missionaries, Nate and Erica, were away from their families. So we pooled our resources (turkey is muy precio!) and our cooking talents and had a great time in our small apartment! We were going to take a dip in the pool, but Erica forgot to bring her suit...

So, what really is traditional?

Do we miss our family gatherings? You better believe we do....a day spent watching parades, talking and laughing, playing Scrabble, orchestrating seating arrangments at the table, preparing, consuming and cleaning up from an incredible meal, drinking pots of coffee, sitting and looking at craft magazines and perusing the sale-ads while planning shopping strategy, watching and playing football, then relaxing in the evening to enjoy *Muppets Christmas Carol* with grandkids snuggled up. Who wouldn't miss that?
It lasted only a short time but there was never anything else like it!