Idaho Thanksgiving With Country Cousins

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. When I was a child, it
was because my birthday always fell on or near Thanksgiving Day. And there
was always a birthday cake on the Thanksgiving table for me. So I had this
big idea in my little head that this large meal and family gathering was ALL
ABOUT ME!!!

When I grew up and began to be the producer of family holidays, a.k.a. The
Mom, I began to appreciate Thanksgiving for its simplicity. No other
holiday is, for me, as authentic and beautifully uncomplicated. There is
just something so deeply spiritual and honest about taking a day to simply
gather together with those who mean the most in our lives to express love
and gratitude.

This year, I'm choking a little on the fact that I won't be in Florida with
my sister's family, eating the perfect Thanksgiving dinner that she and I
have honed into an art form over the 16 years we spent together on the East
Coast. Along with turkey and gravy and mashed potatoes, we would be having
our Sausage Cornbread Stuffing, Sweet Potato Soufflé, Green Bean Casserole
made with FRESH green beans, and Cranberry Jello Salad. Followed by Pumpkin
and Pecan Pie with Whipped Cream. We would be dining poolside and the day
would be wrapped up with a sunset walk on the beach.

This year, however, I'll be in the cold barrens of Western Idaho gobbling with my country cousins. A few weeks ago, when I tried to pin them down for dinner
plans, this is how it went:

Me: What do you all have for Thanksgiving Dinner? Anything special?

Them: Oh. The usual. Turkey, gravy, mash potatoes.

Me: Can I bring my Cranberry Jello Salad?

Them: Yeah! That'd be great.

Me: What about Stuffing?

Them: (in unison) Stove Top

Me: Would you like me to make my incredibly delicious Sausage Cornbread
Stuffing?

Them: No, we like Stove Top.

Me: But

Them: Stove Top!

Me: OK. What about the Green Bean Casserole?

Them: (They anticipated where I was going here) Green Beans. Out of a can.

Me: Well, would you mind if I made the green bean casserole with fresh
green beans?

Them: Yeah, OK, if you want.

Me: What about sweet potatoes? Do you guys do sweet potatoes?

Them: Yes. Out of a can.

Me: Well, I have a really nice Sweet Potato Soufflé I can make. Do you
want me to bring that?

Them: Does it have marshmallows on top? We like marshmallows.

Me: I can put marshmallows on it.

Them: OK then. You can bring it. But we're still making our own sweet
potatoes. From a can. That's what we like.

Me: OK. What about pies?

Them: COSTCO! (They nearly sang it in unison as if they were doing a
commercial.)

Me: You buy your pies. (Each word halted by a revelatory pause in
true Captain Kirk fashion as the gravity of this Turkey Day situation dawned
on me.)

Them: Yeah. You can't tell the difference from homemade. We are NOT
making pies.

Their words landed on me with a thudding finality.

Me: (My voice growing weaker as I dared to ask the next question)
OK....what do you put on your pies? Cool Whip? or Whip Cream?

Them: (There was a slight pause as they had to mull this one over a minute.)
Reddi-Whip. Out of a can.

My Aunt chimed in: What are talking about over there?

Them: Dinner. Lisa wants everything homemade. (Appropriate eye rolling
here)

Aunt: I'm bringing potato rolls, from Albertsons.

Me: Are you SURE I can't bring my Sausage Cornbread Stuffing???

Them: NO!!!! WE LIKE STOVE TOP!!!

So there you have it my friends. The only thing that'll be real on my
Thanksgiving table this year will be the potatoes, which will be appropriate
since we're in Idaho.

Oh, and the love. The love will also be real as I gather with a side of my
family that I haven't spent Thanksgiving with since we were children, on a
side of the country that is both old and new to me at the same time. And
for that, my heart will be full of Thanksgiving as I gulp down my Stove Top
Stuffing and Costco pie.

NOVEMBER

November is neither
Here nor there
But somewhere in between
Autumn
and
Winter.

When the year’s first snow
Falls on a November day,
While a few ruddy gold leaves
Still cling to the branches,

November is
Autumn and Winter
At the
same time.

Neither Pagan
Nor Christian,
November is content
To offer
Quiet Thanksgiving
Simply
for
Being.

Often overlooked,
Lost between
Radiant days of
Autumn glory
And
Winter’s hush,
November is neither
Here nor there.

Just somewhere in between

I was born in November
I am November’s child
I, too, am neither
Here
Nor
There.

11-2-90