The Next Big Thing

With the month of Bootober now behind us, we are on to the next big thing…Thanksgiving. The day is aptly named because we are all truly thankful it has finally arrived – and that we’re still around to see yet another one. As I look back on those seven Thanksgivings spent carving turkey in our house on Flamingo, I realize that while my family’s memories may be similar to those in other households, we had a few traditions that were uniquely our own.

First: Who will carve the big bird? This is usually decided in homes across this land on Thanksgiving morning, but not in our house. In our house the question of who was to carve the turkey was settled the day before – and by a competition, of course. 

Each year we would settle who’d carve the turkey by who won that year’s game. Darts, wrestling matches, and who could stand on their head the longest before passing out were just a few of our ways to decide who would be the carver. 

Second: Which one of us would go with Dad to the Atlanta State Farmers Market to pick out the pumpkins, sweet potatoes, beans, and squash needed for the dinner. If you’ve never been to the farmers market in Forest Park, it is a must-see. During the holidays, it’s one of the busiest places around and something we looked forward to each year. And by “we,” I mean me. 

Following Dad as he moved up and down the many rows from one vender to the next, I helped him pick out everything on the list. And, along the way, we got some free samples of homemade treats from the venders who thought I was “The cutest little helper ever.”  

Third: The pie making. Our mom made all the pies the day before and chose not one but two of us to help her. For her famous pumpkin pies, Mom only used real pumpkin from the ones we had picked out at the farmers market. Cutting, scraping, baking, and flinging the soft pie fillings onto the other helper was something else we always looked forward to. The fun we had flinging far outweighed all the clean up after our “pie wars.”

Fourth: Dad’s deviled eggs helper. Other than who would go on the trip to the farmers market and flinging pie filling, deviled egg making with Dad was something even The Sister wanted to help with. The secrets to his eggs were the addition of finely chopped sweet onions that we got from the farmers market, sweet pickle relish and juice, dark brown mustard and a heaping helping of Blue Plate mayonnaise. Trust me, if you’ve never made eggs this way, you’ll be thanking me after this holiday. Each Thanksgiving since we left Flamingo, I’ve made Dad’s deviled eggs. It’s one of my fondest memories of the holiday…and one of the most delicious.

Lastly: The great after dinner clean-up. Each year before we all left the dining room table, Mom would say, “The easy and fun part was all the cooking. Now the hard part of Thanksgiving is about to begin. Who’s going to help clean up?” If I’m being honest, no one wanted to help, but we all offered because it was the right thing to do. 

Unlike when Mom was cooking and only really liked one person to help in the kitchen, when it came to the great after dinner clean-up, she wanted everyone and assigned each of us a job. Clearing the table of those all-important leftovers, handwashing all the plates and glasses, then drying and putting them away in the china cabinet until Christmas were just some of the clean-up jobs. With the table cleared and food stored away, the last things on the clean-up list were the washing and drying of all the pots and pans plus sweeping and mopping the entire kitchen. This is when Dad stepped in to help and asked us kids leave the kitchen and go outside to play. At this point in the day, Mom was tired of all the “help” from us kids and welcomed another pair of adult hands in the kitchen.

Looking back on those seven magical years of Thanksgiving on Flamingo, there isn’t just one memory that keeps those times alive; it’s all the memories above and then some. 

Memories of times enjoyed with our family all together…now that’s something to be really thankful for.