When I was a child, Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday. What wasn't there to love? My sister home from college, waking the wafting scent of Mom toasting bread cubes for her dressing, watching large cartoon balloons floating down NY streets (TV in the morning!!!! amazing), everyone - Mom's side of the family - gathering at Grandma and Pa's house, cousins to play with, Uncles and Aunts to admire, Grandma's clove studded, brown sugar covered ham (oh my!!) and heavenly pumpkin pies, watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in the evening. A day of wonder and grace - even those few years where I forced my cousins into performing plays (written and directed by me, of course), one un-named masterpiece, A Thanksgiving Dream and the unforgettable Turkey Feathers: A Thanksgiving Farce.
Good times.
This Thanksgiving?
Was awesome as well.
Noodle, Goose, Maizie and I drove 12 hours (in one day, okay, that part wasn't so awesome since I was the only driver) to be with my sister's family including daughters home from the Northlands, with bonus Niece and Nephew-in-Law from Ohio, in Florida. It was epic. Legendary. And lots of fun.
We played.
We cooked.
Indonesian Coconut Curry & Sambal Tempe Goring (aka Peanut Brittle of the Gods).
With very little left over, after eating (and eating and eating)
We bonded.
And played some more.
We hung out in our jammies all day long.
Ran like crazy around the back yard.
Conspiring together.
We cooked even more.
And ate such a Thanksgiving meal (note esp. the pumpkin pies, Grandma's recipe, my niece's rendition - so good!)
That we had to lay in the back yard sun to re-coop.
We soaked up a lot of that back yard sun.
And even did a bit of landscaping.
Until we were all just too, too pooped to party.
Especially Ms. Maizie.
So we went to the beach for sunset.
And dug our toes into the sweet white sand.
Legendary Thanksgiving.
