Thanks. Giving.
Thanks. Giving.
It’s November and Thanksgiving is but a blink away. This is my favorite holiday because it’s focused on generosity, gathering with people we love, and eating food from recipes handed down by generations. "We Gather Together" the Christian hymn of Dutch origin is my go-to Thanksgiving song.
My early memories of Thanksgiving are of the smells coming from my grandmother’s kitchen. Turkey roasting in the oven next to the homemade Icebox rolls, mashed potatoes, and gravy, and the oyster dressing she made just for my dad. And it wouldn’t have been Thanksgiving without my grandpa’s “Best Yet” cranberry salad. My great grandmother Mayme (grandpa’s mother) would always exclaim, “Elmer, that cranberry salad is the best yet!” And hence the name stuck! I have grandpa’s original recipe card in his own handwriting, and now Tori, his great-granddaughter has a copy.
My mom and Tori with the "Best yet" cranberry salad in my grandmother's bowl 2006
When our nieces and nephews were younger Steve and I began hosting Thanksgiving. Making pumpkin pies from Steve’s mother’s recipe, preparing my grandmother’s dressing minus the oysters, and roasting Martha Stewart’s (no relation) famous wine basted turkey. My sister in law always saved the day by making the gravy that I never seemed to master. And of course, grandpa’s “Best Yet” was always on the menu.
Patti and Tom turkey
But times have changed, and this year Steve and I will be gathering up our memories of Thanksgiving’s Past and feasting on those. This year COVID19 has us staying home, ordering in, and staying safe.
Be still and know. Know that our memories of good times live on in our hearts and are accessible in a flash. There will soon be a time to gather and share without concern. But for now, we are creating new memories and will make it a Thanksgiving to remember.
November is National Hospice Month. Given the enormous suffering that my colleagues in hospice and in healthcare everywhere have faced in 2020, I am humbled by your dedication to serving so many people and families in need. I am grateful for each of you and offer my heartfelt blessings for a safe and peaceful Thanksgiving.
To honor the exhausted hospice and healthcare workers right now, please show your generosity and thanks, wear a mask, and stop the spread.
Happy Thanksgiving
Love and Light
