Sadly for me, we've moved past Halloween, and now we are getting into "hard core" Autumn down here in Louisiana! How do I know? Grocery store shelves are empty of roux and the appearance of loads of green onions in the produce aisles! Ha! It's GUMBO weather! Last night it dipped into the 40's and the wind was howling. Tonight we're looking at 30's. My heart is singing! I am in my element. Frank is talking fires in the fireplace. Which down here is all about atmosphere, certainly not staying warm.
Thankfully, Thanksgiving and Christmas will keep me feeling festive and speak to my heart. In that vein, I tried to find some typical and atypical tunes for the upcoming holiday. There aren't loads of songs or musical creations specifically devoted to Thanksgiving, so I need help here. Let me know of some I can add. Took the liberty to put some that just say "Fall" or "Blustery" and set the mood. I was amazed - and stayed up way too late - to find loads of sarcastic and (funnily) negative songs and parodies for the holiday. My nod to those is Adam Sandler's, but others, while funny, just don't cut it here. Go forth and find them yourself if interested!
Those of you who have been in our house know this photo "lives" on our fridge. Been there about 24 years now! Ash's first Thanksgiving. It just says it all doesn't it? Party dress, shiny 'Mary Janes', big grin, hair brush in hand getting ready for Granny's approaching arrival from Florida. Bring it on, Party Girl! Turkey anticipation! Look at that face...even then she had that holiday fever. Heh heh, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!
Thanks to a recent contribution to my photo stash from my sister (and at the risk of dating myself) I can proudly post this picture to prove that we were once kids ourselves. My brother, Tommy, front and center. Barbara and I on the far side of the table. Baby Bruce was but a twinkle in my parent's eyes. This picture was taken when we lived in Virginia Beach in 1954. My mother is on the left with her friend Ruth Barron and her kids. Both were Navy wives and on the back is a notation "men at sea". Our hazy memories tell us our grandmother, Nana, was the photographer. Ah, turkey and milk... triptophan heaven! Life was good in the 50's.
So many memories in our family revolve around the preparation and enjoyment of food. My grandmother (Nana) made her living as Director of Food Services for Jacksonville University. She passed on her interest and love of food preparation to Mom and they both passed it on to me and my sister. It looks like we are growing a fourth "foodie" generation in Ashlin and Stephanie. They carry the torch forward! Reading Barb's blog, you can see the influence these women had on us. (http://smittenbytheword.blogspot.com/) Not to be outdone by my culinarily gifted sister, Barb, here is a picture of one of 
my recent "taste tests" - Savory Guiness Stew under a crust layered with stilton. Cool temps, hearty food and beer! (in this case, stout!) What's not to love?
I know Thanksgiving isn't all about the food. Already it's serving it's true purpose in me. I am filled with images, smells, and laughter remembering good times with family & friends, those with me and those not. (...Nana surreptitiously slipping me all the black olives I could eat - to my Mom's annoyance - before they even made it to the table; Uncle Max's "special" hamburgers; Leslie, my cousin proudly baking the bag of giblets inside her first turkey made for the entire family - no giblet gravy that year, but she joined the annals of family lore!) I am blessed and very thankful for my life. And since I don't wish to be maudlin about it, I will close with the words to that immortal Thanksgiving song taught to me when my loving step daughter, Kimberly, came into my life:
"Gobble, Gobble, gobble, gobble, proud turkeys are we.
We strut oh so proudly,
We gobble so loudly!
Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble,
Proud turkeys are we!"
4 comments:
We never seem to outgrow a taste for turkey, no? Nice blog, little sis, and great music. Have to return often to hear it all, you "done good"! Ash, you were a great photo study, have to admit, your smiles rival ours at that age...gobble, gobble everyone!
Aunt Barb, you have no idea. You think it was all smiles and festiveness, but in actuality those cheeks wielded the capacity to inhale and store anything at that table (think pelican gullet). I just kept myself in check for the sake that everyone else ate their share. The smile is a silent satisfaction in the knowledge of my ultimate power.
Love that picture of you guys as kids. I could tell right away who was who.
And you can go ahead and send me that Guiness Stew in the mail any time you want, Mom.
good stories.
aw, thanks for the memories! I too, keep that photo of Ashlin and the turkey around for the smile factor. And agh! how could I forget the turkey song? After all, it was Dad who taught it to me...
I'm in Cape Cod for a wedding this weekend but will write more when I get home.
Love you!
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