Happy Thanksgiving...

-Thanksgiving nap many years ago-

Bring on the tryptophan turkey nap.  Actually when I checked the spelling of that word the science says no, turkey does not induce sleep.  What does make us so sleepy after eating turkey dinner is probably the AMOUNT of food we eat.   

The table is set for our small gathering.  Usually I have about 30 at my house and a 20 pound turkey in the oven.  The only part of that statement that has changed is the amount of people gathering, but the 20 pounder is still in the oven.  Old habits are hard to quit and hopefully next year it will be full on EVERYONE here to celebrate family.  These are such terrifying times in this year of Covid but we know that time will pass quickly and we will be back on the path to familiar and tradition.  Being as it is a small gathering with my girls and their families we decided to have genuine sit down.  But if they don't feel comfortable at the table they are more than welcome to fill the plates and head outside on the patio where the heater will be on full and a fire in the firepit will be roaring.  It's just fun to set a proper table and I haven't done that in many years.  I have so many things to do that with and I don't get to do it.  I'm hoping after we are back to being with friends and family on a normal basis I want to start having dinner parties, actual dinner parties and USE the stuff from my Granny and Momma.  There is no sense in letting it just sit in a cabinet.  In fact, I'm going to make an announcement that even if a plate or glass is broken it is quite alright, better broken and loved than hiding in a cupboard!

I am so very sad that we won't be able to be with those in our family that are truly isolated by this damn virus, my sweet 93 year old mother-in-law and my brother-in-law.  They are both by themselves and that is just not right.  I am also sad that my sweet Daddy who would usually show up 2-3 hours EARLY will never be at our Thanksgiving table again.  Life marches on even though we sometimes would like to stop it.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 

to one an all my friends. 

🦃

Rattlesnake Hollow Thanksgiving

(Rattlesnake Hollow)

You know this year, this damn year, this damn COVID year...

I'm so over this stupid thing.  It is messing with tradition, family, memories.  Plus it's The Hubby's FAVORITE holiday and he is just not understanding canceling family doin's.  I've canceled our huge family thing and will only have the girls at this point and that may only be one girl now because Snicklefritz is to begin in person school next week!!!  Damn Covid!  

Rattlesnake Hollow is located in Jay, Oklahoma.  This house is where my Greatgranny and Great-Granddaddy lived.  It's the house where my most wonderful memories were, especially during Thanksgiving.  Mother would pack up the car with us, Daddy, and so much food.  She would have a gigantic turkey, celery, sage, onion, pie stuff, and when we got there she would begin to help Greatgranny to begin cooking that turkey.  Greatgranny would usually cook hers in one of those roaster ovens.  She would get up in the middle of the night and start the bird, getting back up every hour or so to baste it.  Not only did she get up at daybreak to milk the cow, yes, The Cow, they only had one, Pet, but she was up all night long tending that turkey.  We would get up in the morning and watch the Thanksgiving Day parade on television with Great-Granddaddy while hunters would come in to warm themselves by the fire and talk to Big Dan about the hunt.  They would talk about the big one they shot or bring it to Big Dan to help them butcher it.  I never saw a live deer when I was young, not until we got our cabin and they run around there all the time at dusk or daylight.  Stunning creatures.  I'm rambling I know.  It's just that the memories are flowing right now.  Those Thanksgiving gatherings were not formal by any means.  The food was put on the table and you ate when you ate.  Usually they would leave the food out all day long and cover the food with another tablecloth.  You never knew when Big Dan or Great-Granddaddy would sit down to eat or if there was even a space/chair to sit and eat.  And if you were a woman you stood and watched and made sure the "MEN" were fed first, then the children, and the women were last in line.  It was the times for sure and I knew in my heart, as a young child it was not right, but the MEN ruled that way of life back then.  

Sadly we will create a new kind of Thanksgiving this year but hopefully, next year we will all be vaccinated and this Covid nightmare will be nothing but a horrible memory for the history books.