Suzanne’s First Turkey and Other Thanksgiving Adventures

At this time of year, I contemplate how grateful I am for my good fortune, including the gift of music my parents gave me. They were not musicians themselves, but they loved music and had many LPs in the house that played frequently, and they sang along and danced. They also had a piano, and when it came time for me to choose a band instrument they willingly rented, then bought, a flute for me. Soon after, they signed me up for private lessons.

My parents also passed along other traditions. Our house was typically where my family celebrated Thanksgiving, and the guest list always included an assortment of friends, too. I’ve embraced that tradition, and this year (as it is most years) the guests around our Thanksgiving table will include a rich and lively blend of family and beloved local friends. This year we will also be joined by some international guests — three of my husband’s coworkers will experience their first American Thanksgiving meal in our home!

Some of my family’s other Thanksgiving “traditions” are more dubious and those are, of course, often the most memorable and the funniest. For example, every year SOMETHING did not get cooked for one reason or another. One year, in a spectacular Thanksgiving fail, my mother put the turkey in the oven and when she checked it a few hours later, she discovered she had not turned the oven on! Another Thanksgiving ritual involved the turkey giblets. Every year my mother dutifully removed the giblets, placed them in a small saucepan and simmered them on the stove top. At the end of the day, as the dishes were being washed, the forgotten saucepan full of desiccated giblets was discovered and promptly discarded. Every. Single. Year.

Then there was the year illness sidelined both my parents, but they still wanted to host the Thanksgiving meal. My siblings and I took over the planning and execution of the meal, with my vegetarian sister claiming dibs on side dishes, and my other sister applying her master baking skills to dessert. As the only one still living in my parents’ home at the time, my default job was preparing the turkey. I was still a teenager and had never done this, and had nobody to advise me. It seemed straightforward enough. What could go wrong? (hint: I stuffed the wrong end of the turkey)

What are you thankful for this year? What are some of your Thanksgiving traditions? Who will be around your holiday table this year? Please share your Thanksgiving stories — heartwarming or funny.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, mishap-free Thanksgiving.