Thursday, November 25, 2010

Fond Memeorie of Thanksgiving Rough Draft

When I grew up we had big family Thanksgivings. Usually about 22 of us. There was always a "kids table" and an "adult table." When you graduated to the adult table it was a big deal. Even when I did graduate to the adult table I rebelled and sat with the "kids" they were more fun. The adults were to drab in their conversations. Some of our family's children were favored and ALWAYS sat at the adult table. All the rest of us noticed.

There was nothing that would divide our family more then lumpy gravy. Lumpy gravy had the giblets and gross turkey organs and neck in it. I dreaded that gravy all year. The smell when both my 1 and 2 mom would cook the extra parts was putrid. One day when I was about 14, when we all sat down for dinner, I took a stand. I proclaimed loudly " I do not like lumpy gravy, I think it is gross." My dad got REALLY mad. How dare I say something like that. After all lumpy gravy is a tradition and you don't mess with tradition. I heard some quiet voices backing me up. PART OF MY FAMILY IS BACKING ME UP!

The next year I started my campaign against lumpy gravy in July. After months of hounding, my 2ed mom make two gravies. One lumpy gravy, one not lumpy gravy. That pissed my dad off again. Us non-lumpy's were called whiners and told we were screwing up thanksgiving. We did not care, our gravy was smooth as silk. The following years we would divide up and sit according to lumpy or non-lumpy. The kids table became the non lumpy gravy table. We were happy with our non-lumpy gravy, mash potatoes, stuffing, black olives and sweet dinner rolls. The turkey was always over cooked and tasted like sawdust. I thought that was the way turkey was suppose to taste. We had green peas and cheese every year because that is what one of my brothers liked. We had haystack cookies. I loved haystack cookies.

Raider Mom reminded me of the Thanksgiving day I told one of my nephews that mushrooms grow in cow poop.

When I got my drivers license a whole new Thanksgiving world opened up. We broke a family tradition again. Instead of sitting around with the family all day doing nothing except watching tv and sleeping, me and Raider mom went to Tower Records. When I told my family me and Raider Mom  where going to Tower Record, my family said there is no place open on Thanksgiving. I said oh yes there is, Tower Records. It was open every day of the year from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm. That started a tradition for me and Raider Mom and anyone else who wanted to go.

Every year I got stuck doing the dishes. I hated doing the dishes. 

I would always make an appearance at MaMajanes house. That is where all the action was. Some how it was always fun that MaMajanes house.

Thanksgivings just have not been the same since my 2ed mom died in 2004. The family has each gone their own way. MaMajane and my foster family have moved and each gone their own way. 

I miss those boring thanksgivings with the family.

5 comments:

BlueRidge Boomer said...

I went from the child's table into the kitchen cooking.....go figure!!

Enjoy

KARNA said...

There was always a children's table at our holiday festivities also. One year I asked my brother to pass me a fork and he threw it like a knife...and it stuck in my cheek and bobbed up and down.
I'm with you I PREFER the children's table..I usually ask to sit at it if there is one and have a grand time with the fun kids.
My mother boiled up the heart and neck and used it to make the gravy too LOLOL..but I LOVE LUMPY GRAVY...i never thot of it as lumpy..just delicious!!!! Actually I still like the heart and neck and gizzards!!! ALONE EVEN!!! To me its like really savoring the essence of the turky. its heart and soul so to speak, its ying and yang, its flavorful fiesta of tastebud treats, its depth of perfection giving way to a succulent rich gravy! (there i can be a top chef judge too now)!!!

Mountain Momma said...

Ew ew ew I always hated that lumpy gravy and was THRILLD when they started making two! I still prefer to sit at the kids table, even if my own kids are there! LOL! And those "privilaged" kids who now sit at the adult table can have it, cause they're rather dull too! LOL!
Remember the few years the tables were set in the garage to see if we had more room? We did, but MAN WAS IT COLD! No wonder that didn't last! And I always ate my turkey with cranberry sauce on it cause it was so dry! I too thought that was how it was to be until I started cooking my own! There is absolutly no reason to get up at 4 am to cook a bird to eat by noon!
I liked how grandma was willing to try a new thing or two, but you never really knew which new thing she'd go for.
I miss her so very, very much.
Her birth and death dates are here. My heart aches.

Mountain Momma said...

P.S.
I make haystacks several times a year, and they ALWAYS remind me of grandma!

R. Quilter said...

my heat aches for her too.