Over the river and through the woods

to grandmother's house we go!

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday. Because it requires no work on my part. At about noon today, we hitch up the horse, pile into the sleigh, and drive just a few miles to my mother's house. Well, maybe it's really a car and not a sleigh, but we can pretend we've got sleigh bells. Although nowadays I have to keep my pretending to myself because my kids are old and cynical. ("MOM! You aren't going to keep singing that stupid song, are you?") We do really cross over the river in this photo although technically, it's a creek, and not a river.

My parents' house will be filled with the warm smell of roasting turkey. My mother will be in the kitchen, wearing her holiday apron, stirring stuff on the stove, basting the turkey. My father will be setting up folding chairs to make room for everyone around the two tables. It's a small group for Thanksgiving — only ten of us. Blonde Sister's family has gone to Big City Like No Other to join the urban contingent of the family, while Red-haired Sister's family is vacationing in Someplace Warm With Beaches and my brother celebrates with his family in Camera City. But we've got Blonde Niece staying with us this year, and we'll pick up my mother-in-law on our way.

I know what the meal will be: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, rolls, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce. A small cut-glass bowl will hold celery, black olives, and green olives. My mother has made the exact same meal every year for Thanksgiving my whole life long. It's the same meal her mother used to make every year. As my mother has said, "Once you've got the perfect meal down, why change it?"

The vegetarians in the family will fill up on the side dishes. And we like to believe we have an advantage over the meat eaters in the family because we are the ones who will have room for dessert: homemade pies.