We wish each of you a Happy Thanksgiving with your family and friends. If you are traveling, have a safe trip!
I decided to re-post my original Thanksgiving Blog post from 2013--the first year we were on the web with Lee Buchanan Jewelry. Our dinner menu will be about the same and memories of prior Thanksgivings don't change. Enjoy!
One look at the calendar and you know that the Holidays will soon be here. For many, just the mention of “Holidays” brings thoughts of gift-giving, entertaining, and too many events to cram into an already packed calendar.
While I’ve certainly experienced the hectic schedules, buying—and hiding—gifts for my family–I tend to think of the traditions that have been an integral part of my holiday memories.
Thanksgiving always meant a trip to my maternal grandparent’s home. In the days prior to the construction of the “Baltimore Beltway”, it meant an hour’s drive from one side of the city to the other. My mother and her youngest sister headed for the kitchen to help, and my father and Uncle watched football on the TV. My grandfather wasn’t a big football fan, but he was always around keeping an eye on things. For many years I was the only grandchild, and my mother always made sure I had a toy or a book to keep me busy.
After the turkey feast, the women again headed to the kitchen, and the men to the living room. I was allowed to put the “good” china away in the dining room. It seemed that once the dishes were done, the turkey and stuffing made a second appearance for sandwich time. Then it was cleanup time again, and when we left for home, we had plenty of leftovers for another Turkey dinner!
Black Friday often meant a trip into Baltimore City for shopping. Mother didn’t drive then, so the trip included a bus ride and then a trolley ride into the city. Our purchases were for other family members, although I later realized that my Mom was taking note of what I liked. Purchases were made with cash, and the clerk at the department counter put your cash and sales information into a brass tube container and sent it speeding through pipes in the ceiling to some mysterious place. In a few minutes, the tube was returned with your change and the sales slip marked Paid, and we were off to look for the next gift.
Lunch on those holiday excursions usually meant a visit to the Tearoom in Stewart’s Department Store. A tuna or chicken salad sandwich with chips and a pickle seemed very special! Years later, as a senior in high school, our church choir was invited to sing carols in Stewart’s. There was a wide, sweeping staircase from the first floor to the balcony, and local choirs were invited to sing carols and holiday songs. Our choir director was very proud of us—the invitation was considered a “big deal”.
Thanksgiving this year will be quiet, with family in the area coming to enjoy the traditional roast turkey. We make our dinner from scratch, including my mother’s stuffing recipe, freshly ground cranberries and oranges for the relish, crock-pot sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and pumpkin and apple pies for dessert. Lee will take command of the bread machine, and some wonderful fresh baked rolls will be on the table. One of my Thanksgiving tablecloths (I like to sew!) will be on the table to add a festive air to our holiday.
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Barbara Buchanan blogs on Life and Adventures as Entrepreneurs