THANKSGIVING 1984

"Thanksgiving dinners take 18 hours to prepare. They are consumed in 12 minutes. Half times take 12 minutes. This is not coincidence..." - Erma Bombeck

So many Thanksgivings. I remember the one where the turkey slid off the pan....35 pounds of flesh skidding across the floor like a curling rock. Or the time we left it on the table and the table broke. Dishes. Crash. Slivers.

But it was the Thanksgiving of 1984 that sticks in my mind. Not a Canadian thanksgiving, in October.  An American one in November. My friends, for some reason,  told their family I was  vegetarian . Bean sprouts all the way. I was invited to spend the weekend.

There would be Family. Grandmas. Aunts. Uncles. Football. Food. Root beer.

The morning started before sun up. Aunts in the kitchen down the hall. All talking at once.  All cooking at the same time. They promised me a feast I would remember.  They beamed. At 5 am. I did NOT beam.

In the living room my friends assumed yoga poses and hummed off key. Chanting  and banging on the rock face of the fireplace. Then they crashed on the carpet. That was at 5:30 am.

6am: All the uncles  appeared with coffee mugs. On the porch. They sat there till dinner was called . Or until grandchildren pulled them away from their empty mugs .

Then the music started.  Around the old piano.  A Jam session. Guitars, clarinet, a triangle, the aunts singing. Old songs. They were  pretty good. But  I had my doubts about the triangle.....

"What if today we were grateful for everything?" -Charlie Brown

The house was full. Pots were bubbling. Pies were heating.  Kids running. The rest of us camped out on the green grass in the California sun. It WAS November after all.......

Football. Everyone  piled in around the tv. Everyone's eyes glued. Not the kids. They played musical chairs while the table was laden with food and plates. The aunts threw candies at the kids. They squealed for more.

Then it was dinner. No turkey. No stuffing.  The aunts, in their zeal, had creamed as many  foods as they could. Everyone was going vegetarian that day. Just for me. The aunts beamed. Creamed  onions. Creamed peas. Creamed celery. Creamed corn. Creamed carrots. Cream gravy for white stuffing with raisins. Cream sauce on lentil loaf. Oh the lentil loaf.  Huge thing in its roasting pan. One of the uncles was asked to carve it. And root beer. 

I heard one of the uncles mention beer.......his thoughts were immediately squashed.  The other aunts beamed. They plopped  creamed concoctions onto plates. And beamed some more. So pleased that everyone was trying each dish.  My plate looked like soup.

The kids were so buzzed on candy they couldn't stop running around long enough to eat.

More creamed onions for everyone.....

In the living room the game was still on. The uncles gathered round. They jumped and hollered at the screen. Root beer was spilled.

We ate. The aunts beamed. They all yelled at the tv game. Pies were brought out. Apple. Pumpkin. Blueberry. Pecan. The day was saved.

The aunts beamed. They were generous and funny. And kind. But I've never been able to look at creamed onions ever again..........

"Thankfulness creates gratitude which generates contentment, that causes peace..." -Todd Stocker

 Photographs 2021