HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! (REPRINT FROM 2009)

Ben Franklin wanted it as the national bird, and a lot has been written about it. It floats by Macy’s in the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, and it is used as a derogatory name for some bad thing or idea. Yet, turkey is the one thing most people make sure they have at the end of November.

It supposedly looks up in the sky with its mouth open when it rains and is supposed to drown doing so, (a fallacy), and it is considered stupid as birds or animals go.

The pilgrims tried making it once, and the idea took off in the good ole U.S. of A before we even knew we were a nation! The Indians (Native Americans, to you sissy baby politically correct,) ate it and may or may not have come back the next year, wondering when the future President of the United States would declare it a national holiday.

Me, I never really cared for turkey, and neither did my grandmother, who would make a turkey for everyone else on Thanksgiving Day, and a capon for herself. Grandma Frances was one of a kind. After the pasta, the gravy meat: Braciola, both pork and beef, meatballs with raisins and pine nuts, and sausage: both hot and mild, then came the turkey, along with the Italian stuffing and the usual mushrooms. After which, we had a salad, pastries, nuts and fruit and fennel, all accompanied by homemade wine and demitasse cups filled with rich black Medaglia d’Oro coffee. If you wanted “sauce” you got out the Italian liquors. If you looked to cover your pasta, it was gravy. If you sat at the table and said: Pass the sauce” while holding up your plate of pasta, everyone took a turn slapping you silly. (Hey, it was a holiday. We were all in good cheer.) If you added: “Please” we made you eat in the garden with the squirrels.
Grandma had three rules on that day:

1. Bevuta: drink
2. Mangia: eat e’
3. Non fart

Thanksgiving Day was really the setup day. What set up the day you ask? You didn’t! Hmmm. Well, the setup day is the day AFTER Thanksgiving. Yes, that magical day when the leftovers taste even better than they did the day before. Leftover turkey sandwiches, with mayo on sliced bread, and leftover stuffing on the side. (Either side.)

Usually whoever didn’t make it on Thanksgiving day, showed up the day after, apologetic, stating they missed everyone and promising not to do that next year.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM TLW (THE LITTLE WOMAN) AND ME!

P.S. The day after Thanksgiving is the day I asked TLW to marry me, over 47-years ago! (Poor girl!)