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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Thanksgiving thoughts...

Are you all ready for Thanksgiving?  Do you have some special family traditions?

Family matters are frequently sticky and filled with all kinds of "baggage".  I recently heard from a blogger that her two kids aren't very close and she's done trying to get them "together".  My mom tried for years to coordinate events where my brother and I could be together.  We don't really have much in common and never enjoyed those get-togethers so she finally gave up.  My heart goes out to you out there who have family issues that are painful, especially at this time of year.

I think traditions are also so interesting.  Having grown children with grandkids now it's great to see that they are embracing some of the traditions we established.  One of my favorites is Thanksgiving.  Since we've owned a vacation home in Sunriver the past 15 years, we have always traveled the 500 miles to spend the week together under one roof in a beautiful area. Rachel has been bringing her family up here as well.  Ryan knows his way around our house in Sunriver so well, it's great.

I'm not even going to talk about the food, which my family insists always is the same year to year!! Drives me nuts!!

I'm anxious to hear about your holiday traditions...willing to share? I mean food, events, location, etc etc.

Love to you all,
Randy

16 comments:

  1. My mom's husband of four years is a drunk. We tried to spend one Christmas with them, but could not stand to be around the drinking, so we spend the holidays with friends instead. Makes me sad, but it is better than being uncomfortable the entire time. He's a very sad man. :( If I don't cook Thanksgiving dinner, my husband still expects me to cook all the fixings on his birthday which is the 26th.

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    1. Sorry for your pain, Missy Shay ... my late brother was an alcoholic and understand how stressful family get togethers can be when one person's disease affects everyone else. Make your OWN holiday memories with your husband and perhaps some friends ... it's too beautiful a holiday to be marred with bad memories ;-)

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  2. Randy,

    I 'd like to say so much here but what's important is thank you for this post. It's a true kindness to reach out and acknowledge everyone that lives thru this time of the year in some sort of difficulty. I think there are probably a lot more people that struggle than we imagine.

    I don't have children/husband of my own so I have my own traditions!! I'm into classic movies so it's a big movie night. I start DVR'ing movies to save up and enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. …of course while stitching!!

    Thanks again. Warmly, *karendianne.

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  3. Our kids live on the opposite coast, so it's usually just the two of us. But hubby works at a ski resort, so we have to get up at the crack of dawn, have our turkey at noon, so he can be to work by 3! But then I get to spend the rest of the day sewing, and watching old movies, and nibbling on candied yams! Yay! And yeah, we go for the exact same menu every year. It's just wrong to leave anything out, or change it! lol

    Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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  4. Life is not easy.
    Is it so wrong to just want some peace in our lives.
    I understand that we get set up to believe we should have
    TV settings, wonderful holidays, but all I want is
    a little peaceful family time.
    This year I will definitely be counting my blessings
    on all that I do have, and not dwelling on what I don't have.

    Happy Thanksgiving

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  5. We go to church on Wednesday evening, and afterwards we gather in the fellowship hall to eat pie and talk for an hour or so. I love that -- it's kind of like the theory of eating dessert first!

    If you look around you, nearly everyone can find something for which to be thankful. Any time I work on any kind of community service project for others, I realize how truly blessed I am.

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  6. Thanksgiving has always been a big holiday in my family. Christmas with the in-laws, but Thanksgiving with my parents. I've had the role of organizer for the past 30 years. Now the traditions are changing as the older generation passes away and the children have become adults with their own families. This year I'll only be cooking for 12 instead of the usual 20+.

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  7. This year our Thanksgiving will be a meal at a restaurant. We have dear friends coming that day and we will be picking them up in the mid-afternoon at the airport. I would love a home cooked turkey dinner but it just isn't going to happen this year. No left overs to munch on. And it is what our friends prefer. Our daughter and family will be going out of town. Too soon to think about Christmas.

    I hope you have a peaceful day whatever you do!

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  8. My Mom is from a family of 11 and growing up all holidays were spent together. As usually happens, as we have all married and had children a lot of the holidays started being celebrated in smaller groups. They last few years my Aunt has had Thanksgiving at her house with everyone bringing food. Usually a small group of 7 to 10 people.
    This year, with DD wedding reception and guests coming for that, I will be having 34 for Thanksgiving at my house. I hope I remember how to manage all that. I am happy that my Dad and my Sister will be here too along with DH's family.

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  9. We spend one year with my family and the next with DH's family. It is DH's year this year. We will drive a little over an hour away to my sister-in-law's home. We share the food responsibilities--I have the dressing and two pies. There will be about 20 of us this year--a little less than usual. There is some major stress going on in my SIL's family right now, but we are hoping we can help make it a good day.

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  10. I loved reading the comments! It is so interesting to look outside our own circle of traditions and see what others do.
    Enjoy your family time! Thanks for suggesting lunch today. It was great, as always to see you!

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  11. Randy, this came to my email box the other day and it just seems appropriate to share it after reading your first paragraph:

    A man in Phoenix calls his son in New York the day before Thanksgiving and says, "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough."

    "Pop, what are you talking about?" the son screams. "We can't stand the sight of each other any longer", the father says.

    "We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her."

    Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone, "like heck they're getting divorced", she shouts, "I'll take care of this".

    She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at her father, "You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?" and hangs up.

    The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. "Okay", he says, "they're coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own way."

    I hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving, Randy!

    Nancy from joy for grace

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  12. Randy, we used to gather at my Mom's, but now we all have our children and grandchildren, and Mom just turned 96. So we (and one son; other son is 800miles away) will gather with my daughter and grandchildren. Since this has been a stressful year and we have no partiality for turkey, we decided to go simple - we're having lasagna, which we all love. That will leave us time to play lots of games, which is a family tradition. Mom will be celebrating with my sister, and Mom suggested that they go to a restaurant since my sister just moved. My sister liked that idea. brewersd@juno.com

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  13. This has been a year of changes for us; I retired and moved to our home in Michigan ... DH doesn't retire for another month and is still in Pittsburgh. So, I drove down for a long weekend ... just the two of us ... we'll go for a nice drive Thanksgiving Day morning to a beautiful forested area and spend time with nature, thanking God for all our blessings. Dinner will be deep fried shrimp and French Fries (totally NOT a healthy dinner but a real treat for us). Probably a couple of old movies, a nap and just being able to be together ... a blessing in itself. Thanksgiving is my most favorite holiday of the year ... the LEAST commercial of them all ... planning a turkey feast next year when everything is settled and we're together in our "retirement" home ;-) Blessings to everyone on this day ... home, health, happiness in a free and beautiful country thanks to the troops who give so much to make it possible!

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    1. This sounds like a wonderful day!! Happy Thanksgiving!

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