THANKSGIVING MEMORIES

I just finished watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and Charlie Brown's story of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower.

They brought back so many memories.  When my boys were young, that was required watching.  On Thanksgiving, we would probably stay home and I would make dinner for us and my mother.

On Friday, there would usually be a marathon on the TV - either Godzilla, Twilight Zone or The Honeymooners.

The day or weekend was very similar to Thanksgivings of my childhood, with a few changes.  All the children on our block, and I guess the neighborhood, would get dressed in our oldest, worst looking clothes and visit all the neighbors asking, "Anything for Thanksgiving?"  We would get some pennies, fruit or even some nuts.  Sometimes, we would even dirty our faces with burnt cork to look even worse.  Then we would come home and count our "loot".  That was so much fun.  I don't think anyone out of our neighborhood ever heard of that practice and I don't know how it started.

The day after Thanksgiving back then was a little different then.  There was no "Black Friday", we stayed home and sometimes, we would bend the rules a little on meatless Fridays.  My parents would let my brother and me stay up past midnight, making it Saturday.  We would then have a turkey sandwich.  If I was able to make it to midnight, it tasted sooo good.

Then, sometime that weekend we would have to restock the pantry and refrigerator.  My father always made the first eggnog purchase of the season.  Of course, he would also buy some prepackaged pfefferneuse.  That is still my tradition.  Even though I sometimes see it in the stores early in November, I simply cannot make my first purchase of eggnog until after Thanksgiving.  The pferrerneuse has changed.  Now, I bake my own and I must say it is better than the prepackaged cookies of my youth.

I still celebrate the day with family, only this time, I'm part of the older generation.  My niece invites me to her home which is usually filled with her mother, sisters, brother and their children.  It makes for a wonderful day.

I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving and make some wonderful memories.