Thanksgiving Memories

Yesterday seemed, well, just not like Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong. We had the delish turkey dinner over at my parent's house, but it just wasn't the same this year. I know that Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the things that you are grateful for, but I just wasn't feeling it yesterday. So, I started thinking about years past and my mind takes me back 24 years to 1984 . . .

(Don't laugh)

Since we lived in Iowa and had no other family around, my Mom was always the one who cooked the big Thanksgiving dinner. We had some fun traditions that I have tried to pass down to my children. We always woke up and watched the 'Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade' on TV. My mom would make a cheese ball served with Sociables crackers. We would always have a new puzzle to put together that would take all day long and into the night, but we would finish on that day. Another tradition . . . candles on the table with Thanksgiving decorations.

That year, the decor involved a dried flower arrangement. Well, my older sisters started to show off saying that they could stick their finger in the fire of the candle without it burning them. They all took their turns sweeping their finger through the flame. My mom kept telling them to stop, but they didn't. Then it was my turn. I wanted to be just like my older sisters. So, I reached to do it too. However, I misjudged a hair and instead of sweeping my finger through the flame, I knocked the candle over . . . right into the dried flower arrangement that blew up in flames in about 1/2 second. My mom started freaking out and my dad grabbed it, threw in onto the kitchen floor, and stomped it out. Well, my dad had just gotten a cast off his foot the day before (he broke the same exact bone in his foot that I did . . only running, not just being clumsy) and had to stomp the flames out with that foot. He was SERIOUSLY mad. I got sent to my room for the rest of the day. I remember sitting on my bed and just sobbing and sobbing. I can't even remember if I got to eat Thanksgiving dinner or not, but I KNOW that I didn't get to help put the puzzle together and that was something I would look forward to all year.

I will never live this story down. It is brought up year after year . . . as it was again yesterday. I guess one of the things I am grateful for this year is humor, because without it, life wouldn't be very fun. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!