Tuesday, December 2, 2008

T'was the night before Thanksgiving...

...and what else do you do but paint the pumpkins that have been sitting on your porch since mid-October. The same pumpkins your children have begged and asked and begged some more to carve into "Jack o Lanterns". No exaggerations here, we painted our pumpkins on Thanksgiving Eve. I just couldn't talk myself into scraping out pumpkin goo...especially pumpkins that have been sitting on the porch for a month and a half.

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As for Thanksgiving? It was the bomb dot com. I am not sure how fond my step-mom (I hate the term step-mom...but for clarification sake) would be about me talking about her innards on my blog...but I have to say how Thankful I am that she is okay. She had a cancer scare last week and had to have an emergency hysterectomy because they found a tumor...the size of a baseball! Hello! Poor thing. We all went up to see her last Saturday after her surgery, and just hugged her and was so thankful that she was okay and that it was NOT cancerous! Thankful indeed. Lorraine is an amazing woman. I put my arms around her and cried and realized how much I am not ready to lose any of my parents. On the bright side, Lorraine and I are certain she lost AT LEAST a pound. She is amazing.

With the events that transpired...my little brothers and Lorraine needed a Thanksgiving feast, since she couldn't do it...I did it for her! I have never made Thanksgiving dinner.

I woke at 4 a.m. to roast the turkey. In my sleep deprived state, I was unprepared for what awaited me inside the turkey carcass. Have you ever? Seriously? The neck? The "giblets". As if calling them "giblets" makes it all better? I started dry heaving and had to breathe through my mouth just to make it through the rinsing. Then there was the whole, "massaging of the butter into the turkey" and the "removing of the quills". I just sent an e-mail to my aunt, whose home I have invaded every Thanksgiving since my birth...and thanked her abundantly for making me dinner all of my life...how I have taken the last 25+ years for granted. Anyway, I have decided that rolls, and turkey, and gravy, and deviled eggs made by ones own hand taste much worse than those made by auntie and mom. I am forever grateful to the people in my life who cook for me.

Dinner was a hit. Thanks to my brother for hooking us up with the turkey to roast, and to his beautiful wife for her pumpkin roll. Have you ever had pumpkin roll? It is TDF. My SIL is the bomb diggs too, she made 9...NINE pumpkin rolls for Thanksgiving. Her family is big...and she said my brother needed 3 for himself. Hopefully if she loves all of us she will post the recipe on her blog.

Anyway, thankful dinner is over...thankful my step-mom does not have cancer, thankful she is recovering well. I am thankful for my family, for the sweetness this year has brought us, and for the continued and renewed appreciation of all that we have been given!

14 comments:

Ashley said...

Yeah, I didn't know there was a neck INSIDE the turkey and cooked that sucker in there. We had a small grease fire. Not bad for my first time cooking.

I'm glad your Lorraine is okay. Holidays aren't fun with hospital visits.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Midwest Mommy said...

lol, what a great tradition to start.

Amy said...

Whoa, you made turkey day all by yourself? I worship at your feet~

Cassie said...

You cooked Thanksgiving dinner. You are a super hero. I would have ordered pizza...

dust and kam said...

The pumpkins are fabulous. We never even looked in the direction of a pumpkin this year. :)

I bet your Thanksgiving dinner was perfect.

I have only made a few turkeys in my short 29 years. The neck and giblets always make it to the garbage before I even consider looking at them. Bad, I know. *gag*

You did well.

Lots of Love!

marci helen said...

i so agree that turkey dinners are so much better when mom makes em. lace and i missed mom's cooking so much this year we have requested a re-do at her house!!
love the pumpkin pictures! your kids are too cute!

Britney said...

sounds scrumptious! any leftovers?

Josh and Anna said...

Good work making Thanksgiving dinner all by yourself! I made my mom's home made rolls for the first time this year and I still was totally paniced! You are so right, you don't realize how much hard work went in to Thanksgiving all those years! Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful!

Becky said...

that is so awesome! I definitely need to do something like that for my family... oh well maybe next year. Hey - at least I am stilla round this Thanksgiving. It's been three years since I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Every holiday counts... Every day a miracle!

Amy and Josh said...

I bet your turkey Rawked Kim.
I tried Easter dinner about 5 years ago and I had no idea either . . . SO much work. That gravey isn't an easy thing to do either. I can't imagine tackling Thanksgiving!

Glad things went well and that you MIL is doing better.

I love the pumpkin painting deal. Good compromise:) love ya

Amber Ro said...

Agreed on the yuckiness of the raw turkey. The first time I cooked one myself, I didn't think I could bring myself to eat the final product becuase it was so disgusting to prepare. Glad to see you made it through-Hooray!

Holly said...

I despise raw poultry. Blaugh! You are stronger than I. On a slightly inappropriate side note... when my brother was 4 or 5 he was watching my grandmother extract the neck from inside the turkey and he shouted (for everyone to hear) "That turkey sure has a biiiiiig penis!".
I'm glad you have so much to be thankful for and that your family is well!

The Lilly's said...

You're one up on me, I still have never cooked a turkey (and have no desire to). I'm so glad your step mom is ok, what a scare!

Lace said...

Wow! What a thanksgiving! I hope your mom by step is doing better. Way to go on the dinner, that is quite an undertaking!