So much to be thankful for.
Thanksgiving with my mother, brothers and sister has been celebrated a week or two after the formal event for years, allowing multiple celebrations. This year was the first holiday we celebrated without my mom. It was hard to land on a date, and even then we rescheduled with effort. I was persistent even though it was a bit like herding cats. But then, I guess it has always been a bit like that, it was my mom doing the herding. Like other years, we gathered at our childhood home, everyone brought a dish and we ate from paper plates. The groaning board, as we've come to call it, the meal-before-the-meal, was also set with everyone bringing at least one or two appetizers to lay on the table. At the end of the evenig we gathered some household mementoes as part of wrapping up the estate. My mom wasn't there - but she was there - in all of us. I miss her!
Thanksgiving with Rob's family also continued with the new tradition of going out to Lois and Mark's in Matewatchan. This year however, we were also giving thanks for Mark's recovery, as he had a big health scare. One of the doctors in emergency pronounced terminal cancer - luckily a misdiagnosis. By Thanksgiving he was much better. There was the thanksgiving feast, a bonfire, fireworks, and breakfast the next morning. A beautiful drive in fall colours there and back. Alex and Penny drove in a separate car but we met them along the road as we stopped to take photos, pick apples and watch the salmon run in the Ganaraska.
Our own little family Thanksgiving was very non-traditional and we didn't even call it that, really. It was between the two family tree weekends. Penny's mom came by for dinner and a visit, and I made a few Indian dishes. Alex and Penny helped with rolling chapati. Rob picked up a tasty lemon cake, Ameeta made chai. She also gifted me with a beautiful sari.
Lots of food! Turkey, ham, dal, fancy plates, paper plates, no plates. Abundance. Gratitude.
No comments:
Post a Comment