THANKSGIVING WEEKEND - DOWNSIZING



I remember Thanksgivings of my younger years.  We lived "across the field" from my Mama Mattie and Daddy Stewart in Lillington, NC.  Thanksgiving at my Mama Mattie's was always a treat....having borne 5 children and spreading out to lots of grandchildren and great-grandchildren we could usually expect at least 30 family members every year.  Everybody was to be in place at the dinner table(s) by 12:00 sharp!  That's when those homemade biscuits came outta the oven and we had to get them while they were hot.  Mmmmm mmmmm....they were something to be thankful for if nothing else!  We had family members at the kitchen table, the dining room table, several card tables and some of the kids would eat wherever they could land.  Let's see... A giant golden turkey, baked ham, Mama Mattie's cracker dressing, mashed potatoes & gravy, baked sweet potatoes, creamed corn, butter beans, field peas, potato salad, congealed salad(s), pear salads, jellied cranberry sauce and desserts that seemed to never end.  It seemed like my Uncle Percy and Uncle Bickett always sat at the kitchen table and one of my fondest memories would be Uncle Bickett asking for the biscuits to be passed and Uncle Percy would ALWAYS stick his thumb in the middle of a biscuit and toss it in the air to him.  All of us kids would laugh and laugh...and Mama Mattie would ALWAYS pretend to scold them.  I can still see her with her tight little permed hairdo and her pretty little apron standing at the kitchen sink putting the last touches on something to serve. 

After the meal (with lots of laughter and family talk) we would go outside...The house was way too small for all of us to stay inside.  The women would be busy clearing the tables and washing up the dishes.....The menfolk would gather under her big ol' oak tree and start swapping tales...And us young'ns would head to the big empty field behind the house.  We played and fought and cried and laughed and had us the best 'ol time. 

My other grandparents, MaMa and Grandaddy Johnson, lived in Dunn..about 20 miles away.  My MaMa ALSO had the family over for Thanksgiving.  We had to sit down at HER table by 5:00 for Thanksgiving dinner.  I remember how sad I'd be when my mother would come out and tell me I had to leave all of my cousins and load up in the car for the trip to Dunn.  My lower lip would pull back in about the time we'd hit the driveway at MaMa's.  There'd be cars lined up on the street outside of her house and MORE cousins playing in her HER backyard!  We could always expect at least 20 family members for this second meal.  Already stuffed to the point of delirium, my brother and I had been drilled to fix a plate and eat it like we were starving.  My MaMa was much more formal than my other grandmother and everything would be all shiny and prim & proper at her house.  I always thought it was the fanciest place in the world.  The best linens, the good silver and china....and tea glasses that looked like wine glasses!   My favorite memory here is my Grandaddy always stood and carved the turkey at the table after the blessing.  I thought that was the fanciest thing I'd ever seen!

In Dunn the children were NEVER allowed to sit at the main dining room table...or even in the dining room!  We were in the den or kitchen and had to be on our P's and Q's.  Two totally different Thanksgivings on the same day every year growing up...both of which I love to remember.

I don't know why, but it seems we never took photos at Thanksgiving.  These are the only two that I can dig up or remember ever having.  I don't even have photos at my Mother and Daddy's or photos from my children at Thanksgiving as they were growing up.

The years have passed....my grandparents and my parents are all gone.  Along with their passing also passed the Thanksgiving tradition of large family get-togethers.  I really miss that.  When it got down to my parents being the older generation, we always ate at my Mother's and she would put a fine spread together, too.  The tables were fewer...the family was fewer...those fabulous desserts were fewer!  Good memories, but there was only me and and two boys and my brother, his wife and their son.

Now I'm the older generation.  There is only me, my two sons and my granddaughter, LouLou.  Makes for a small table at Thanksgiving.  I have tried to impart some kind of tradition onto LouLou for her to remember, but those memories will never be the same as a house full of cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings, parents and grandparents. 



This year, there was just me and one of my sons.  We went out for Thanksgiving.  It was really nice to have some quality time with him....but I kinda missed the hustle and bustle of cooking for days and fussing about all of the dishes.  As we sat at the restaurant, enjoying an absolutely fantastic meal, I couldn't help but look at him and wonder if he was missing all of that, too.  

On the way home the Christmas decorations were in all of the store windows and on every other street light down Main Street.  The radio was already playing Christmas songs....and on the 6:00 news the big topic was Black  Friday shopping coming up the next day.  There wasn't much mention about Thanksgiving...no film clips of the hungry being fed or families gathering  from far away corners.  Kinda sad.

Well..You guys better watch out...Ol' Kristyemac's decided that next year there's gonna be a turkey in the oven and lots of faces around the table.  There's gonna be some kids playing out in the yard...and if I can get the biscuits right..maybe somebody will pass one to me!

We're gonna get out the best china, silverware and even those fancy tea glasses....LouLou's gonna baste the biggest turkey she's ever seen...We're gonna get back to doin' Thanksgiving the way it's supposed to be.

Until then...Keep on dancin' my friends.

Kristyemac

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