A Time to Be Thankful

The very best part of this Thanksgiving season for me is NOT the turkey, gravy, potatoes and of course pumpkin pie (or the pie of choice!), but a time to reflect on this past year and all the reason I have to be thankful.

It has been three and half years since my mother passed away and really not a day goes by that I don't give her a thought....and I sure wish I could call and talk to her.  But the best I can do at this point is talk to her spirit because I know she is listening and watching over me.  So this year was an easy "grateful" year...I still have my father who is 89 now and in good health!  Are you kidding me?  This man has canned more tomatoes and made marinara sauce (canned also!), canned peaches, pears, made apple juice with apples from his orchard.  And that does not even count all the other blueberries and other veggies and fruits he has frozen or dried!  Do you think he is doing great?  You betcha...I hope I have the energy to do a little bit of what he does...watering the garden, getting down on my hands and knees to weed it, mow the lawn, prune the fruit trees, harvest the produce and then come in for a nap and make some dinner....always with a balanced meal...he never forgets his veggie and fruit and of course, if you know my dad, DESSERT factors into that balanced meal!  AND...he has made the dessert himself!  Yes, we are talking brownies, German chocolate cake, carrot cakes, pies..(oh, he made our family's all time favorite pie that my mom always made - Cream Cheese Berry Pie!).  Yes, I would say he is fabulous and of course I am so THANKFUL that we all got to share another Thanksgiving meal with him.  How blessed are we?

And we get to double the blessings with both of Scott's parents still with us also!  We are so THANKFUL that they too are able to get in a car and spend a few hours to enjoy us and all the great grandchildren.  This year as we gathered around Dina's big island (just before we were ready to 'dig' into the feast!) we each said what we were thankful for...then we said our blessing and we hit the food hard!  Everyone contributed to the feast and that helps a lot!  Our tradition the last 10 - 15  years has been to have the feast on a day other than Thursday.  Why you ask?  Well, selfish reasons really....I did NOT want to share my mom and dad with my brother...you know, the every other year thing that a lot of families do to not hurt one's feelings and to be "fair"?  And then when Dina was going with Jamie she tried going to both houses and make an appearance, but was really stuffed, I thought, you know...it is NOT about the day...Thursday?  What is so special about Thursday?  WHAT is SPECIAL is getting everyone together to spend time with each other and to be thankful, grateful and love each other.  So...why not Sunday?  Yahoo...it is a revelation...my parents got to come every year and my daughters didn't have to over eat at two houses and try to please everyone.
So we normally have our feast on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but this year, Lacey's family is heading to Hawaii on the Saturday after, so we decided to have everyone on the Sunday before Thanksgiving...so there you have it!  I am all done with my feast and cooking and now I just get to sit back and relax..well, make some turkey soup for sure!  Oh, one other thing that I do for my family...I know call me crazy.  But to you what is the best part of turkey day?...the turkey sandwiches, right?  So, here is what I do....I buy TWO smaller birds (like maybe 14 pounders!) and I cook one the day before...that's right, the day before!  THEN...I can make the gravy and be all done with almost all the last minute stuff that happens with turkey day and mashed potatoes and gravy!  (You know, I do have a recipe for "make ahead mashed potatoes" and considered making that the day before also, but it called for a whole cube of cream cheese, and I thought to myself, we don't need to add all those extra calories just to have it easy the next day!).  AND then I cut up all the turkey meat and package it up into baggies to give to all our house guests!  They all get to go home with turkey for their own turkey sandwiches the next day!  Genius?  I think so!!

Here we all are gathered around the table after we have eaten!  There are 17 of us, the Foelker family along with my Dad, he will also go to my brother Bernie's house for Thanksgiving on Thursday - lucky him, he gets two turkey days!  But he made out good at my house because I gave him a whole turkey carcass with lots of meat and for sure the very next day he had the bones in a pot and was making his stock!  Grandma Elsa is on the left with the Snook family (notice little Lily is wearing her glasses!), then Scott, his brother John and wife Robin, Bill, Lacey's family, me and my Dad has Addie (Addison June - named after my mom!) sitting on his lap!  These pictures are treasures for sure!

God bless each of you; may you all enjoy your loved ones and treasure the time spent with them.  Have a most THANKFUL Thanksgiving!