Thanksgiving Day Memories

Don't you love the memory of a good holiday spent with family and friends? After all the anticipation, the cleaning, cooking and fussing over little details what really lasts is the memory of time spent with the people we love. This year was no different. We had a great day together - we had way too much food - but we enjoyed being together again. There are not many pictures of me at family gatherings because I'm usually the one behind the camera but my dear son, Mr. J., took this one with my camera. Here's a picture of the Hostess (me) and the Star Of The Show (Little Mr. H.).

We served our meal buffet style and sat at two tables. The 'big' table was for the men and children and a small table-for-four was in front of the fireplace in the living room for the ladies. We've done this for family get-togethers in the past since our family has outgrown the table in my tiny dining room but I miss sitting together and serving a family-style meal. You can see that there were children all around the table. (My daughter's niece from a neighboring community joined her family at our home this year.)Mr. JE, our son-in-law, had to work on Thanksgiving Day and he asked us not to reschedule our dinner for him. (He is the head cook at a large retirement community near their home not too far from our town.) He arrived near the end of the meal and enjoyed plating his meal after the initial rush had settled down. After the dishes were cleared away our three oldest grandsons, Mr. G., Mr. C. and Mr. R. set up 'shop' at the end of the table to do some artwork.Later, a game of Clue took center stage at the little table in the living room. Mr. R., Miss Ash., and Miss A. played a rousing round of 'who-dunit' while Miss E. looked on.

In another room, a game of Racko kept the younger cousins, Mr. G., Mr. C. and Miss E., busy while grandpa looked on. Mr. H. spent time with nearly everyone. His mama, Mrs. K. . .His cousin, Miss A. . .And he had a chance to rest in the arms of his daddy, Mr. J.Miss E. and her mommy, Mrs. M., spent time looking at the pictures taken on their new camera.Everyone seemed to enjoy being together again. Our grandchildren love to be together and their conversations were 'interesting' and often humorous. It was just what we needed - time together to be thankful and to count our blessings. Blessings too many to number and some so simple. Mr. H., the newest member of the family, was too little to understand it but one day he will.