First Thanksgiving as A Married Couple

 

Yesterday, while having brunch out with Daughter Amy, Daughter-in-law Barbara, and Grandson Hunter, we were talking about the upcoming Thanksgiving festivities and of course the  pièce de résistance of the feast 'The Gobble, Gobble, Gobble Turkey.' As we were sitting there I reminded Barbara of the first Thanksgiving after her marriage to Chris, and her first ever Turkey preparation. It is her story to tell but it always makes me smile with her about that day. I learned a little bit about what our new daughter-in-law was made of on that Thanksgiving morning as she gallantly forged ahead with her preparations, for the household, that would soon be full of guests, that she was preparing for later that day. On that day, I learned that Barbara has tenacity, will, and determination to see things through, with the innate ability to find her way towards a positive solution. Her years of working in the restaurant business came into good use that day. She did a remarkable presentation that Thanksgiving Day of 1995, and I admired her for it.

I thought I would share Curt and my first Thanksgiving story in hopes that many of you would also share. We need stories always, but we especially need them this year, as a reminder that Thanksgiving brings with it hope, thankfulness, gratitude, joy and the spirit of togetherness as we prepare for the coming of Christmas.

Our first Thanksgiving together was in November 1969, in Cheyenne, Wyoming. We lived in a small one-bedroom basement apartment in an older neighborhood of Cheyenne. Curt was in the Air Force, attached to the Air Police Squadron, we had been married since March 27^th of that same year, we had a limited military income that we survived on, but we thought we were rich. My parents had retired from the military in June and had moved to Tennessee, Curt’s folks were in California, so we had to rely on one another, which I now know and firmly believe, is the way it should be for each young couple starting out. My brother Butch, had returned to Wyoming to begin his freshmen year of College at The University of Wyoming, in Laramie, so he occasionally would show up for a meal and to get his laundry done, and camp out on a fold up bed in the living area. So, our first Thanksgiving was shared with brother Butch, which was special. I remember when Butch first came back to go to school, and he and I having a conversation about when would he come back to town to see us, and he said “oh I will be back at Thanksgiving…” infamous words of a freshman, he did wait a month, and then he was camping out in our apartment every week-end after that. Sometimes your college roommates are not what they are said to be, and Butch’s was totally off the wall, as we found out later.  

I was a natural cook in the kitchen, our Mom made meals to nourish her family, but she did not come to it naturally, probably because she was, the fourth sister of a family of nine, and she enjoyed doing outdoor chores more so then indoor chores. I would watch her and was her sou chef, but I always wanted to try my hand at more elaborate meals. Our first Thanksgiving together I got my chance to test my wings on something bigger and broader than I had experienced before, and it turned out very well. When I was growing up our family always had at least a 20 lb. turkey, because we enjoyed having the leftovers for our family and my most favorite ‘The Turkey sandwich.’

So, on our first Thanksgiving I cooked a 20 lb. turkey, for the three of us, with stuffing and all the fixings. It turned out “just right,” as my Dad use to say, after we had eaten all we could stuff in, there was a very large amount of Turkey left for later. I covered everything up and Curt and I went over to visit with some friends, Butch was going out too, so we said we would see him later.  That night we returned to our apartment, looking forward to having some leftovers and a nice juicy Turkey sandwich. We walked into our apartment, Butch was asleep on his fold up bed, and a friend of his from high school  was laying on the couch watching our large box TV, that was a hand-me down from my folks neighbors on the base. I mean we are talking ridiculously small space here, our front room would hold our entire apartment. Curt turned right into  the bedroom to change his clothes and I turned left into the kitchen, with the living area in between, to get our plates ready and lol and behold what to my totally shocked eyes did appear but a Turkey carcass picked clean, there was nothing left on it at all. I thought oh my word what in the heck happened here, about that time Curt came in and he said a few words of disgruntlement, and Butch’s friend decided to head for home. Leaving his friend who was sleeping off his Turkey tryptophan endorphins, to face the consequences. I think it is a funny first Thanksgiving story, even though my dear brother Butch is now somewhat embarrassed about it, and really does not remember the details of those beginning college years, 'or probably does not want to talk about it, since he now has college age children at home.' I told him this he was 18, in college, away from his folks for his first Thanksgiving, very short on almost non-existent pocket money, he was away from school for the holiday, with his sister, who always said make yourself at home “mi Casa es su casa,” and you did. Plain and simple. Comfortability, to me, is what makes your house a home, that has never changed from then unto now.

Dear God, thank you that you make all things new. Thank you for all that you've allowed into our lives this past year, the good along with the hard things, which have reminded us how much we need you and rely on your presence filling us every single day. We ask for your wisdom, for your strength and power to be constantly present within us. Give us ability beyond what we feel able, let your gifts flow freely through us, so that you would be honored by our lives, and others would be drawn to you. We pray that you would keep us far from the snares and traps of temptations. Help us to be known as great givers, help us to be generous and kind, help us to look to the needs of others and not be consumed by only our own. May we be lovers of truth, may the fruits of your spirit be evident in our lives - your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Amen