Thanksgiving Memories

The night before Thanksgiving, I was making cornbread for dressing. Something about that, really made me miss my friend Gina. We met about Thanksgiving time, but it was really more the cornbread and dressing as we made it the same way.  We were working at the Christmas store in the Tyler mall. Gina and her sister were hired after I was. When Gina and I met we clicked. It was almost like we had been friends for life. I remember sitting in the back room talking over lunches and getting to know one another.  So, so many memories from the 1989 until she went home to be with Jesus in 2006. Sweet memories of a very good friend.

I woke up sick on Thanksgiving morning. Not the best way to start a day of thankfulness. Killer sore throat. Not good. Despite that, we still had a good day. We missed Eric, even though he hasn't been with us the last couple of Thanksgivings. Jeremy was here with us for the day. Dean cooked a ham. I made the dressing. Joy Anna and Jeremy made apple pies. Joy Anna and I made dumplings. I asked her how they looked as we were rolling them out. She said they were okay, but they would be better if Nanny was there with us while we were making them. Of course, I agreed.

That stirred up a lot of Thanksgiving memories over the years.  The last time I saw Nanny was Thanksgiving week in 2008. We had only been here a few months, and Dean took off a week to take us home to visit. Many times when we left her, I would think that it would be the last time I saw her. That time, I just knew. Even that year, we continued the tradition of putting up her Christmas tree for her on Thanksgiving day. It just doesn't seem like Thanksgiving without doing that.

There were all the family gatherings, trips to the woods, football - and Uncle Ed always being anti- football. There were lots of Black Friday shopping trips - I can actually remember things bought on Black Friday trips over the years. Dean and I bought our first VCR. Aunt Nell bought me a sweater I still wear. I remember getting up really early one year to get Eric a code for something on his handheld game system at Toys R Us.  This Black Friday, I slept all day.

I really am thankful for all the memories. They shaped me into who I am today.