Thanksgiving Day 2012

Although we have a multitude of on going problems in the USA – it is still probably the best and safest place on the planet to live. Just look at the news and see what is going on around us. We do not have to live in fear by listen for rocket coming in or have to live in fall out shelters because some governments can’t put their heads together and make peace. So that being said; we have to be very thankful of what we have and try our best to maintain it and improve on it diligently.

Thanksgiving Day was always one of my favorite holidays because traditionally it is not a day when the department stores and everyone else is out there hawking their wears and  are trying to suck the blood out of the shoppers.

It is a day when families get together, watch football, eat too many snacks, drink a FEW beers and enjoy each others company. That is what a holiday should be all about, family not gifts. The gift is the family.

What has always bothered me about Turkey Day is that it took my wife or her sisters 3 days to prepared all of that food and and only 15 minutes to eat it.  Seems such a waste of time and effort; but that thought only  comes to me after I am wiping the gravy off of my chin.

One thing I have tried to figure out through the years;  how can a  something as ugly as a turkey be one of the best tasting meat on the planet?

I think if someone would tie a live turkey on the dinner table very few people would be-able to eat their dinners.

I am the carver in the family so I get all of the goodies that are left over from chopping up “Old Tom”.

I usually do 2 – 3 turkeys that day. By the time I am finished carving and picking I have very little room for the entire dinner. It is my responsibility to make sure the birds are cooked to perfection and no one else tries to snatch a piece off of the platters.  I keep the knife close by for protection.

When I sit at the table with the rest of the 33 people my sister in-law Virginia and her husband Torry have at their house, I start eating the scraps I saved while I was chopping Tom up, than I get a big scoop of  mashed potatoes, slam it in my dish, make a big gravy crater in the middle of the spuds – then I get a big scoop of corn and dump it into the gravy crater and fill it with gravy.

Being it is a semi-Italian dinner we have to have wedding soup to start, hot peppers to put in the turkey Sang-wich – lots of stuffing and more chopped up jalapeno peppers Torry so patiently does every year, stuffing, cranberry sauce.

Then some of the ladies bring pastry; like that just what we need”.  My favorite is pumpkin pie my sister in-law Julie usually makes – I have to have whipped cream and ground up wall nuts to crown the pie.

After all the belching and burping is over all the men usually vanish to the family room and in five minutes it resembles about 15 Rip Van Winkles with their head back, their mouths wide open – trying to catch a few flies, snoring and the belly’s hanging over the belts.

In a couple of hours it is about 1900 hrs and the ladies, after the did the dishes are in the dining room doing what they love best, gambling. High stakes 31 is the name of the game.

In the middle of slapping their cards on the table and arguing how was cheating, Virginia slips into the kitchen and shoves a 10 pound ham in the oven for Sang-wiches later.

After the ham is cooked (this is just want we needed, more food) by that time Torry is up from his two hour nap, he gets that 28 year old electric knife out he has been hording and cuts the ham. He does a great job with that antique.

Before you know it there is a kitchen full of people that look like they never ate before. Elbowing and shoving each-other trying to get to the ham and the rest of the goodies. If someone didn’t know better they would have thought that no one in that house just ate a few hours ago.  We put all of those goodies on some fresh delicious Alesci’s bread and we are off to the races again.

My old man used to say “aren’t you glad I didn’t miss the boat”. I miss him and his boss of 50 some years.

This is what a holiday is supposed to be all about – being with the ones you love – eating and drinking and enjoying each-others company.

The best part of the whole day is, there are no presents to pass out.

So to all of you American citizens, spend Thanksgiving Day like it was intended, by giving thanks for what we have, here in the good old USA.

Remember one thing if nothing else; the grass always looks greener on the other side. If you don’t believe me; ask the Turkey what he was thinking a few days ago.

And to all of the ladies out there that are still traditional and do things the way Ma Ma taught you, we salute you. Too many traditions have been shoved aside for the “modern way”. Not a good thing in all areas.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL – AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT