Today will be rainy. The morning is getting darker. It is in the 50’s, but the air has a chill. The dogs were out and back inside quickly. They then went upstairs to nap. My house is quiet.

Yesterday was a good day. It was a lazy day. My dinner was delicious and the plate was filled. I watched a rerun of the Plymouth parade and looked for my cousins, three of whom march with the Northstars. I found them all. I didn’t have M&M’s, nuts or tangerines, my childhood parade snacks, but I did have crackers and cheese and later, after delivery, shrimp. I did miss the M&M’s.

When I was a kid, Friday was allowance day. I’d get my 50¢ from my mother. If the day was warm enough, I’d ride my bike uptown to the Children’s Corner store and buy a book. The store had a tall bookshelf in the back. It was filled with Whitman books, the sort with hard cardboard covers. I bought my Trixie Belden books there. The books cost 49¢. I’d buy a piece of penny candy with the change. I was rich.

The menu today was always turkey. Usually lunch was turkey sandwiches with all the fixings. Supper was a rerun of Thanksgiving dinner, but I never minded. I loved turkey. We only had it twice a year, Thanksgiving and Christmas, so turkey meant the holidays to me.

I am a sloth. I had a dream of staying in my cozies, but my dream is dashed. I have to go out to Orleans for PT. I have to get dressed, such a burden.

In the corner of my bedroom is a pile of boxes and packages. They are all Christmas presents. I haven’t any idea how many and to whom as they have been piling for weeks. On my maybe today, maybe not today to do list is organize gifts.

One of my radio stations has started playing Christmas carols. They do it each year. I will not complain. Christmas carols have a short shelf. They are usually played for only a couple of weeks. That is not even time enough given the number of carols, some so obscure they seldom see the light of day. I’m leaving my radio on that station, and I’ll sing along joyfully.

Today is a melange of posts from Coffee’s past. I remember and miss dearly my mother and father. These memories keep them close.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wish you all a day filled with family and good friends. As you sit around the table enjoying a good meal and each other, think of all your gifts and blessings and give thanks.

I remember the smell of the kitchen while the turkey cooked. I used to sneak and open the oven to steal the crisp end of the stuffing hanging out of the turkey. I remember being shocked when I was a kid to find out the stuffing was not in the turkey’s head. The kitchen windows were steamed from the heat of the oven. All four stove burners had pots filled with vegetables. I especially remember one pot because I think my mother had it forever. The pot had a dent and a black spot on the side which never disappeared. It usually held the potatoes. 

We watched the Macy’s parade while still in our pajamas. We noshed while we watched. I remember tangerines, M&M’s and mixed nuts in the shell served in a special bowl. The nutcracker was thick metal and looked a bit like scissors in having two sides. I always thought the walnuts were the hardest to crack. I liked the Brazil nuts but not the almonds. I’m still not a fan of almonds.

Befitting the occasion, we sat in the dining room. The table always looked lovely covered in a holiday tablecloth and set with special dishes. I can see my father at the head of the table eating his drumstick. He loved gravy and mashed potatoes. He loved the canned cranberry sauce. He loved asparagus right out of the can. My favorites were creamed onions and a special squash dish, a recipe from my aunt. The table groaned with dishes. Passing those filled dishes around the table took some maneuvering with the table so tightly packed with food.

My father ate quickly so he could get back to his football games. The rest of us sat at the table to finish eating. Soon enough, the table emptied, and my mother and I tag-teamed for the cleanup. I cleared the table, and she loaded the dishwasher, and we both cleaned the kitchen. After everything was cleared, we brought out the pies. The always pies were apple and lemon meringue. Sometimes they’d be blueberry, pumpkin or sweet potato. My father loved his apple pie with cheddar. That’s a New England thing. I had lemon meringue.

I am grateful today for so many things. I love my family and my friends who have become family. I hold my Coffee family close. We have never met but that’s no never mind. You don’t need to be related or even have met to be family. I am so thankful for the life I have been lucky enough to live. Today I’ll miss family and friends. It will be a quiet Thanksgiving. I’ll wear my turkey earrings, and I may even get dressed.