Family Thanksgiving

[Carole’s message to family for Thanksgiving 2000)

FAMILY IS FOREVER

Even though we will not be together to celebrate this Thanksgiving, our hearts and prayers will be with you all. We have much to be thankful for. Let us bow our heads and thank God for our many blessings.

Think of all the wonderful Thanksgivings we have been blessed to enjoy. On Thanksgiving, one thing I always remember vividly is my Mother, in one of the countless aprons she made, leaning over the oven, basting the large family turkey, covered with cheesecloth that held the juices in while Dad peered over her shoulder, yum-yumming, thinking of the turkey leg he was sure to get and the big turkey sandwich that would follow. We'd all gather around inhaling the good smells, anxiously awaiting the best feasts I'd ever eaten.

Thanksgiving dinner was a time for Mom to get Grandma Ballard's flow blue china down from the top shelf of the kitchen cupboard and wash those precious dishes we used for special occasions, laying out her antique lace tablecloth, setting the table with our finest silverware, Mom's wedding candlesticks and freshly ironed cloth napkins folded delicately at each place. I would step aside and admire it until its beauty almost took my breath away.

Soon it was time to whip the cream for the pumpkin pie. Whipped cream was a luxery for our family. We lived in a small village where the local market only sold such luxeries for holidays or special occasions and it was expensive. But Mom would allow us this special treat to spoon over her delicious pumpkin pie, which happened to be the best pumpkin pie I've ever eaten.

But, best of all, it was time for our family to gather together. Grandma La Flamme would come from Detroit with Aunt Virginia and Uncle Martin and Bob, and sometimes Uncle Mart's sister, Aunt June and Uncle Del and Susan and Dutchie. Our dear friend, Father Paul, a Franciscan priest who assisted our parish priest, Father Bourget, at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Linwood, Michigan, was a regular guest on holidays as well as anyone else who had nowhere to go. Mom and Dad always had room for one more.

It was a day of love, togetherness and merriment ... days, I'm grateful we shared, days which were some of the best memories of my life. After dinner we would put on skits, play the piano, sing songs; Mom and Dad would harmonize singing Smile The While and When You Wore A Tulip and other romantic favorites; Dad and Aunt Ginny would play the ukelele ; with a bit of coaxing Mom could be teased into doing her rendition of Alouette, which was always a hit. Grandma La Flamme would play the spoons on her knees while we kids would wrap wax paper around combs and hum songs into them that made our lips tickle. Those were wonderful fun memorable times that I will always treasure. I wish you could have been there to remember as I do. But we will make new memories and in time, you will be remembering the old times just like I remember mine.

Okay, enough nostalgia. Just really wanted to tell you that we are thinking of each of you and that we will be missing you. We love you all.

Hugs and kisses galore. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Mom and Dad

Family Thanksgiving

[Carole’s message to family for Thanksgiving 2000)

FAMILY IS FOREVER

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! WITH LOTS OF LOVE! MOM & DAD

Our hearts will be with you all. We all have so much to be thankful for. Let's bow our heads and thank God for our many blessings, which we have many.

Think of all the wonderful Thanksgivings in our lives. One thing I remember vividly is my Mother, in her apron, leaning over the oven, basting the turkey. We'd all gather around inhaling the good smells, anxiously awaiting the best feasts I'd ever eaten.

Every year, Thanksgiving was time for getting out Grandma's flow blue china, washing it and setting the table until it's beauty almost took my breath away. It was time for the special treat of whipped cream (a luxury for us) we spooned atop Mom's delicious pumpkin pie, also the best I've ever eaten.

But, best of all, it was time for our family to all be together. Grandma and relatives came. Father Paul and anyone else who had nowhere to go joined us for dinner. Mom always had room for one more. It was a day of love, togetherness and merriment...days, I'm grateful, were some of the best memories of my life. How about you? We love you all.

Hugs and kisses galore,

Thanksgiving

THOUGHTS ON HOW TO OBSERVE THANKSGIVING

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself.

--Anonymous

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

'Twas the night of Thanksgiving, but I just couldn't sleep. I tried counting backwards, I tried counting sheep. The leftovers beckoned - the dark meat and white, I fought the temptation with all of my might. Tossing and turning with want and gazed at the fridge, full of goodies galore. I gobbled up turkey and buttered potatoes, pickles and carrots, beans and tomatoes. I felt myself swelling so plump and so round, 'til all of a sudden, I rose off the ground. I crashed through the ceiling, floating into the sky with a mouthful of pudding and a handful of pie. But I managed to yell as I soared past the trees ... Good eating to all - pass the cranberries, please. May your stuffing be tasty, may your turkey be plump. May your potatoes 'n gravy have nary a lump, may your yams be delicious, may your pies take the prize, may your Thanksgiving dinner stay off of your thighs.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!



















Black November

When I was a young turkey, new to the coop,
My big brother Mike took me out on the stoop,
Then he sat me down, and he spoke real slow,
And he told me there was something that I had to know; His look and his tone I will always remember,
When he told me of the horrors of... Black November. "Come about August, now listen to me, Each day you'll get six meals instead of just three,
"And soon you'll be thick, where once you were thin,
And you'll grow a big rubbery thing under your chin;
"And then one morning, when you're warm in your bed,
In'll burst the farmer's wife, and hack off your head; "Then she'll pluck out all your feathers so you're bald 'n pink,
And scoop out all your insides and leave ya lyin' in the sink;
"And then comes the worst part" he said not bluffing,
"She'll spread your cheeks and pack your rear with stuffing."
Well, the rest of his words were too grim to repeat,
I sat on the stoop like a winged piece of meat,
And decided on the spot that to avoid being cooked,
I'd have to lay low and remain overlooked;
I began a new diet of nuts and granola,
High-roughage salads, juice and diet cola;
And as they ate pastries, chocolates and crepes,
I stayed in my room doing Jane Fonda tapes;
I maintained my weight of two pounds and a half,
And tried not to notice when the bigger birds laughed;
But 'twas I who was laughing, under my breath,
As they chomped and they chewed, ever closer to death;
And sure enough when Black November rolled around,
I was the last turkey left in the entire compound. So now I'm a pet in the farmer's wife's lap;
I haven't a worry, so I eat and I nap;
She held me today, while sewing and humming, And smiled at me and said: "Christmas is coming..HAPPY THANKSGIVING Y'ALL!


THOUGHTS ON HOW TO OBSERVE THANKSGIVING
Count your blessings instead of your crosses;Count your gains instead of your losses.Count your joys instead of your woes;Count your friends instead of your foes.Count your smiles instead of your tears;Count your courage instead of your fears.Count your full years instead of your lean;Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.Count your health instead of your wealth;Count on God instead of yourself.
--Anonymous

THANKSGIVING

'TWAS THE NIGHT OF THANKSGIVING

'TWAS THE NIGHT OF THANKSGIVING, BUT I JUST COULDN'T SLEEP
I TRIED COUNTING BACKWARDS, I TRIED COUNTING SHEEP.
THE LEFTOVERS BECKONED - THE DARK MEAT AND WHITE
BUT I FOUGHT THE TEMPTATION WITH ALL OF MY MIGHT.

TOSSING AND TURNING WITH ANTICIPATION
THE THOUGHT OF A SNACK BECAME INFATUATION.
SO, I RACED TO THE KITCHEN, FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR
AND GAZED AT THE FRIDGE, FULL OF GOODIES GALORE.

I GOBBLED UP TURKEY AND BUTTERED POTATOES,
PICKLES AND CARROTS, BEANS AND TOMATOES.
I FELT MYSELF SWELLING SO PLUMP AND SO ROUND,
'TIL ALL OF A SUDDEN, I ROSE OFF THE GROUND.


WITH A MOUTHFUL OF PUDDING AND A HANDFUL OF PIE.
I CRASHED THROUGH THE CEILING, FLOATING INTO THE SKY,
BUT, I MANAGED TO YELL AS I SOARED PAST THE TREES ...
HAPPY EATING TO ALL - PASS THE CRANBERRIES, PLEASE.

MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY, MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.
YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP,
MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE,
MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!

Turkey Poem

BLACK NOVEMBER

When I was a young turkey, new to the coop,
My big brother Mike took me out on the stoop,
Then he sat me down, and he spoke real slow,
And he told me there was something that I had to know;

His look and his tone I will always remember,
When he told me of the horrors of ... Black November.

"Come about August, now listen to me,

Each day you'll get six meals instead of just three,
And soon you'll be thick, where once you were thin,
And you'll grow a big rubbery thing under your chin;
And then one morning, when you're warm in your bed,
In'll burst the farmer's wife, and hack off your head;

Then she'll pluck out all your feathers so you're bald 'n pink,
And scoop out all your insides and leave ya lyin' in the sink;
And then comes the worst part" he said not bluffing,
"She'll spread your cheeks and pack your rear with stuffing."
Well, the rest of his words were too grim to repeat,
I sat on the stoop like a winged piece of meat,
And decided on the spot that to avoid being cooked,
I'd have to lay low and remain overlooked;
I began a new diet of nuts and granola,
High-roughage salads, juice and diet cola;
And as they ate pastries, chocolates and crepes,
I stayed in my room doing Jane Fonda tapes;
I maintained my weight of two pounds and a half,
And tried not to notice when the bigger birds laughed;
But 'twas I who was laughing, under my breath,
As they chomped and they chewed, ever closer to death;
And sure enough when Black November rolled around,
I was the last turkey left in the entire compound.

So now I'm a pet in the farmer's wife's lap;
I haven't a worry, so I eat and I nap;

She held me today, while sewing and humming,

And smiled at me and said:

"Christmas is coming."

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Y'ALL!