Thanksgiving

I am so thankful! I have been home since last Friday afternoon - a break from work - and I have been cleaning like crazy until yesterday. I have never enjoyed cleaning as much as I have those 3 days! Yesterday I began the cooking. I have been cooking and cleaning from cooking pretty much straight through but not at a frenzied pace. I have never enjoyed cooking and cleaning from cooking so much! My daughter came home yesterday, and my son will be here this evening. I am so happy to have the house filled with family and the kids' dogs!

I have been fixing our traditional Thanksgiving favorites, and I am so thankful we are able to put all this food on the table. God is so good to have allowed us to have it. As I prepare the favorites, I pull out my mom's dishes to keep things in until they're served tomorrow. The chicken salad bowl (the one she always used for chicken salad and marinated steaks growing up - I don't think I ever remember that dish having anything but chicken salad or marinated steaks in it) is now filled with chicken salad. It is not her chicken salad. My chicken salad or at least the one I make for Thanksgiving, has evolved over the years to be a combination of mom's and my husband's favorite - his mom's. I make several different chicken salads, but the Thanksgiving one is pretty much the same each year - the only question being whether it will have olives each year. Mom's sweet potato dish is filled with her sweet potato casserole - well, except it isn't her recipe this year since I didn't have oranges or sherry. I added Cream of Banana instead, and I must say, the test taste was yummy!!! The mashed potato bowl is filled with mashed potatoes - just waiting for the oven tomorrow to heat everything! We'll have Honey Baked ham but decided against turkey since it seems to be everyone's least favorite. Rolls, stuffing, green beans, carrots, creamed corn, cranberry sauce, and gravy will round out the meal. The pumpkin pie is yet to be made, but Liv and I will do that tonight, and everyone will help make the cheese pumpkins for it tomorrow -a tradition! The pecan pie is in the freezer. The brownies - well the second batch of them - are about to be started.

I called my precious mother this morning. I was lamenting the fact that my Williamsburg stuffing spoon she and my daddy bought me has corroded. It is such a good stuffing spoon. It will be sad not to have it tomorrow. I told my mom all about using her dishes to put our family favorites in for tomorrow's meal. I didn't tell her, but I think she could tell how much I love knowing I am using her dishes! I have such warm memories of my mom fixing different dishes in the kitchen. She used to love to cook so much! My precious mother wishes us a happy Thanksgiving and told me to tell my husband and kids how much she loves them. She said she loves me too. I love her so much and am so thankful to have had her in my life for so long!!! She is a rare jewel, a charm, a real Southern pearl, and I am blessed to call her Mom!