Thanksgiving
I remember how growing up, Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday. For me, it was all about the parades, helping Mom with dinner, and lounging the day away with family. After Rachel and I married, I took over the duty of cooking the feast. Then at some point, we started having Thanksgiving at the Archer's, close family friends. Then I cooked Christmas for my family at my house, and the Archers joined us. We tried to keep that going for two years after Mom died. It didn't work. Mom's absence created too big of a whole for us to overcome. Everything felt forced. Then, the second year, Dad claimed he was sick and didn't show up at the Archer's. Rachel was out of town for some reason, and the whole meal just seemed really awkward for all of us. When we took a plate over to dad at his house, we found him watching football. He was not sick. He simply couldn't face another family dinner without Mom.
Jan Archer and I had a long talk on the phone before Thanksgiving the third year. I asked her if it would hurt her feelings if we did not come. She understood, as we both found just being in the same room without Mom a heartbreaking reminder of how important Mom had been to the family dynamic. We never had Thanksgiving or Christmas together again. That year, only Dad joined us for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It would be the last time, as he passed in August of the following year.
Since 2011, we've done our best to celebrate Thanksgiving at home. Jared has always been here. Josh couldn't always make it because he had a girlfriend to consider. Just the same, I've made a point to put on a full blown turkey feast. Sometimes we eat in the dining room with china, silver, and crystal. But, sometimes we just grab buffet style off the counter and settle wherever and whenever.
This year, the pandemic has cast a sadness over just about everything. Even the Macy's Parade won't be the real thing. But, I'm still going to get up early Thursday morning and get my bird in the oven. I'm going to peel my potatoes. I'm going to snap my green beans. I'm going to work throughout the day to put a wonderful meal on the table. I think Thanksgiving is the easiest meal to cook. That's because most of the work can be done in shifts. I'll admit that I decided not to make homemade rolls, though. It wasn't the work so much. It was the lack of oven space in our little kitchen.
Our feast this year will consist of the following: Roast Turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans Romano, corn casserole, and King’s Hawaiian heat and serve rolls. Rachel will make a dessert. I'm hoping for pumpkin crisp, but anything she makes is always wonderful.
Thursday evening, when the meal is over, the kitchen is clean, and I've had my Thanksgiving "ate too much" nap on the lazy boy, I'll go back into the kitchen to deal with the turkey. I'll stand there and strip as much meat off the carcass as I can. I'll stack it into three different piles: white meat, dark meat, and downright scraps. I'll package them neatly and put them in the fridge. Next, I'll break up the bones as much as I need to so that they fit in my pressure cooker. I'll add a little water and some seasonings and cook them for 90 minutes at high pressure. When the bones are cool, I'll easily scrape any little bits of meat that are left back into the pot. Then, I'll freeze that delicious turkey broth in containers to make soup with during the winter.
I went to the store today and got everything I need to cook my meal in less than an hour. It came up to $96.64. I think that is pretty good, considering that the beef for our Christmas dinner alone usually runs around $130. (It is part of Rachel's Christmas presents.) I've spent more for a hamburger dinner with the family in a restaurant.
Anyway, I'm ready for Thursday. It will be nice. But, the whole day, I'll be remembering the loved ones who aren't with us. I'll hear Mom telling me to chop the onion into finer pieces. I'll hear Dad yelling at the football games. I'll close my eyes and let the smells of the day take me back to when Thanksgiving truly was my favorite holiday.
I wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope it will be filled with good food, good company, and most of all good memories.