It be a marathon day. The cast iron is out an' I'll be up to mah elbows in Pappy Cracker's dressin' recipe by 9:00. Collard greens too--though this year Pappy tries his wif' smoked turkey necks instead of the ham hocks that go in Aunty's greens.
What about y'all? Whas' in the makin' at yore house today?
We's enjoyin' a mild lovely week, puffy clouds sailing along in a blue blue sky....so I'll walk out to the back an snip some Sasanqua branches, an' check on the herbs an' tomatoes, cawffee cup in hand.
I seen how the tangerine tree's leaves is yellowin'--I called up Pappy about this trouble; he say, "Better git some minerals on it! " Next Uncle examines the bird feeders--is we this old? We roam around inspectin' the littlest thangs in life? Years ago we used to laugh about the nerdy thangs ole folks did...now they's smilin' at us.
Back inside Uncle thumbs a dawg-eared catalog whar' he mentions ( fer the 12th time!) how he whish't he had a programmable cawffee maker down at the huntin' camp so when he wakes a 4 am the cawffee is ready. Santa, take note.
First cup o' cawffee is definitely au lait!Uncle din't git no wild turkey this fall, so we's takin a domestic bird over to the clan Thanksgivin' gatherin' whar' there will be a giant ham, an' all manner of side dishes an' countless pies an' cookies...oh how the clan dawgs will beg! Chillen' will be whoopin' an' menfolk yakkin' football, an wimmen folk will debate the success or not of new recipes--an' it will seem fer a few hours that all is right wif' the world.
But today, while the preparations is in progress, Uncle will snitch a taste heah an' theah. No day-before-the-feast fasting fer him!
Neighbors sent along some shelled pecans from their trees, ain't that a treasure?? Munchin' this bounty Uncle "suggests" that I make this or that dish "jes' to have on hand" which means: "In case they ain't got enough leftovers tomorry," or, in case whoever makes this or that dish doan make it to his likin'. In short, Uncle would like Aunty to make an entire Thanksgivin' dinner "jes to have on hand." All this while he sips egg nog (organic, but not homemade) an waltzes down memory lane.
Thar' wuz the Thanksgivin' some years back that the whole tribe spent at a state park nawth of Hogtown Creek -a park wif' a swingin' bridge over a river, a huge camp kitchen an' cute wee cabins peekin' through the stand of pine trees--cabins not wif' heat, so of course it were one of the coldest Novembers in history. Brrr!
Uncle made hisself famous fer stealin' into his Mama's cabin, what had a fireplace. He settled his hide all cozy like in front of the fire on the rug wif' a blanket he snatched offa poor kid in a bunk--when the chile went to whinnin' that he were icing up wif'out his blanket, Uncle growled at the poor boy-chile' "Doan be such a big baby!" Only after his Mama investigated did it come clear--Uncle thought that boy had gone to his own daddy's bed fer warmth, but wanted the blanket fer "blankie" not fer warmth. Heh. Serves Uncle right fer abandonin' Aunty to the cold in the next cabin over.
That were also the time Uncle played his best Turkey Bowl. Yep. He showed them collich nephews he could still catch a pass, tackle 200 pounds, an' run a fancy play or two--but he paid, oh how he paid--he be crippled fer a week thereafter. Uncle insisted thas' on account of the egg nog not bein' spiked enough.
Oh! How Uncle loves to reminisce: Does I recall how he won the big penny poker game Thanksgivin' night in 19 and 92 ? (No, he din't, his own Mama did!) How he made his Pa's Famous Egg Nog one year an' folks came from miles around to sample (no, AUNTY made the nog, Uncle jes' taste tested all day long)
I reckon iffin' youse cookin' today youse rememberin' too...share some of yore favorite times wif' us. Or recipes. Or plans fer this year's feast.
We be thankful fer the many, many blessin's of this year.
Natcherly, it's sweet an' sad fer me, missin' Granny Cracker such that mah heart be near to broke, an' mah eyes stingin' jes' writin' these words--she used to stop in fer cawffee on her way to work on the day I went grocery shoppin' fer Thanksgivin'--oh yes! I'd be at the grocer's door at dawn -thirty, an home wif the buggy full of provisions by 8 o'clock. An' Granny would go to pokin' in the bags to check that I done all I should.
I know some of y'all is missin' the presence of family and dear souls now gone on afore us to cheer us on from their side of the universe. Doan grieve. Try not to. Them loved ones is still lovin' us, an' we hold 'em close in our own hearts. Missin' them simply means they's loved...an' so were we.
I almost cain't sign off wif' out a bit of preachiness: Please say a wee prayer, folks, if ya will, fer this country we love so dearly. When we give thanks tomorry, be thankful we CAN give thanks wif'out goin' to jail. Be thankful that, much as we lament the tough economic situation, most of us still have our basic needs covered, an' some leftover to share wif' those who don't. An' try to find a way to share--nothin' like bein' a blessin' to others to make ya' really appreciate all yore own blessin's.
Among the real good thangs I'se thankful fer is all y'all-- this quirky, fun, smart, generous blog family. I' wish't y'all wuz heah in mah kitchen to jabber an laugh, an' speak in Haiku, make garlands, show off yore dawgs, or shoes, or photos an' tell us'uns tall tales.
May God bless y'all!
Happy Thanksgiving from the Porches!
