Your writing always evokes ALL THE FEELINGS. So, Thanksgiving is not a thing for me but your description reminds me of Christmas dinners past. Dressing up for dinner, you know what, I miss that deeply. Using all the good wedding china, having both sets of grandparents - MY GOD, THAT DID HAPPEN - all of it. Oh, and sometimes the dinners would be so big that we would have a "kids' table." It was a huge thing to graduate from the kids' table. My husband said that the Christmas dinners in the house we now live in, pre-reno, would have hosted like 20-30 people. He remembers that there was a kids' table, the ladies would be at the actual dining room table, and the men on TV trays in the living room. Ahhh. All the feelings. Also - I never before connected your birthday with Thanksgiving! Was that fun or was it a drag?
I miss dressing up for holidays too. It made the day seem different than any other. We had kids’ tables too (at Xmas when you cousins joined us). I have love-hate feelings about my bday falling close to the holiday. Sometimes I would get a pumpkin pie with candles & I wanted cake! And often my friends would be away for the holidays during my bday. But then I always knew that my extended family would be gathered around me.
We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here in the UK but this reminds me so much of all the big family gatherings we had at other times of year, often at Christmas and Easter. I loved them for all the reasons you have so beautifully written about.
Thanks for the fun memories. We never had both sets of grandparents at holidays even though they did not live far apart. Hmm.
And thanks for the short story suggestions. I'll give the Truman Capote one a try.
I'm thankful for your charming posts that always bring back nice memories.
Thanks Sue. I keep thinking about the story you told me about your Thanksgivings in Ada. It sounded so fun.
I remember these special holiday moments. Thanks for sharing yours!!! :-)
Your writing always evokes ALL THE FEELINGS. So, Thanksgiving is not a thing for me but your description reminds me of Christmas dinners past. Dressing up for dinner, you know what, I miss that deeply. Using all the good wedding china, having both sets of grandparents - MY GOD, THAT DID HAPPEN - all of it. Oh, and sometimes the dinners would be so big that we would have a "kids' table." It was a huge thing to graduate from the kids' table. My husband said that the Christmas dinners in the house we now live in, pre-reno, would have hosted like 20-30 people. He remembers that there was a kids' table, the ladies would be at the actual dining room table, and the men on TV trays in the living room. Ahhh. All the feelings. Also - I never before connected your birthday with Thanksgiving! Was that fun or was it a drag?
I miss dressing up for holidays too. It made the day seem different than any other. We had kids’ tables too (at Xmas when you cousins joined us). I have love-hate feelings about my bday falling close to the holiday. Sometimes I would get a pumpkin pie with candles & I wanted cake! And often my friends would be away for the holidays during my bday. But then I always knew that my extended family would be gathered around me.
We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here in the UK but this reminds me so much of all the big family gatherings we had at other times of year, often at Christmas and Easter. I loved them for all the reasons you have so beautifully written about.
Yes! This applies to all our holidays as well. I try my best to continue the traditions and have 'old-fashioned holidays'.