Thanksgiving

I had surgery Monday, stayed overnight in the hospital and was discharged Tuesday afternoon. I am thankful for my surgery team. For the anesthesiologist who listened to my concerns and got me through recovery without nausea or grogginess. For the 2 excellent surgeons- thanking them for having minimal scarring and not damaging my vocal chords. THANK YOU!! To the outstanding nursing staff who had the common sense to question the use of dextrose in my IV line, that change made a difference in my blood sugar and removed the need for insulin! THANK YOU!!

Today I felt well enough to drive, go get a few groceries, take my BFF a small thank you gift, and just enjoy the sun on my face.

Since it is Thanksgiving, I have to share the story of my First Thanksgiving that I cooked by myself.

I was 19, married, and living in England. I had talked to the neighbors, since I learned early on that things in England have different meanings ( Like fried bread is NOT french toast!). My mother had sent me a care package with Pepperage Farm stuffing, and I ordered an oven ready turkey. To me that meant one that all I had to do was pull out the little bag of giblets, stuff the bird and put it in the over. Easy peasy, right? So in the can do Girl Scout spirit I had my hubs invite the airmen in his crew over for a real American Thanksgiving feast.

Not quite! I got up a 3 am, just like Mom and Grandma had done, pulled the bird out of the refrigerator and reached in the cavity for the giblets. I pulled out a plucked turkey head and FREAKED out! The turkey went one way, I went the other and the two cats were having a ball with that poor bald head. I ran into the bedroom and woke up my husband. By that time, all my then too few coping skills had been maxed out.

So we washed off the turkey, I calmed down and prepared the stuffing. Now I have to tell you I hated my Mom's stuffing. It was always so dry. So when the recipe called for 1 cup of water, I added four cups. To say it was stuffing soup would be way too gracious! I didn't know about sauteeing celery and onions so basically it was bread crumbs and water- But it was time to stuff the bird. So hubs held the bird while I poured the stuffing in. Ooops! He had command call and was dressed in his Dress Blues- really bad idea, as the stuff slopped over and down his uniform and onto his highy polished shoes. He looked at me like I had grown horns! I started crying, he consoled me, called someone else to borrow a set of Dress blues and left me to put the BIRD in the oven. Now for those who don't know about England, they have these stoves that approximate the size of an oven in an RV. I had ordered a 24 lb. bird and literally shoved that bird into the oven, without so much as a microgram of room to spare.

7 hours later, all the hungry Airman were ready for dinner, and the BIRD wasn't! Everyone had BYOB so not only were they hungry everyone was a bit tipsy too. I suggested we forget the bird and just barbeque burgers. I think the bird made it's way to the garbage bin as another failed experiment. But it was great fodder for the ensuing years!

It was 25 years before I could bring myself to cook another turkey. But every Thanksgiving as my children would go around the table saying what they were thankful for, at least one of them would give thanks that Mom finally learned how to cook!


Every one have a great Thanksgiving!