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Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving Day to You


I have to tell you that this day means many different things to me. Most of all it means that I am thankful for the family and friends I have. I’m most thankful to my beautiful wife and my five daughters. Of course I have to add my first grand daughter to that list too. Life has not been easy for all of us here in the Papamoka home but it has been a blessing to see the family come together as one around one sister to show her that we are and will always be one family forever. All of the past is gone and we see only the brightest of futures.

My Mom passed away in 1993, and Dad in 2003, so I don’t have this day to spend with them but I do have it to spend with my babies and my wife and her family. I remember as a kid the Thanksgiving Holiday, Dad would be doing most of the cooking for the main event but my Aunt Kitty that lived with us always made the cranberry sauce the night before. I was just a kid but she let me watch, she would let me stir the berries before they boiled, then she would ask me to back away as she strained them over a sifter. Then she would take me up on her lap as they cooled and tell me what my Dad would make for all of us the next day. Mom was sick for many years with heart disease and multiple back operations and Aunt Kitty took me on as her own. She never had any children. Later on she took on my little sister as her own and we grew up to be better people for it. Those were some tought times but those were also some good times filled with many memories, some good, some not so good. It’s all in the past now and the good memories are more prevalent now.

I made cranberry sauce with my thirteen year old and with my eleven year old daughter from scratch to travel with us to family far away. We made whole berries and we made jellied cranberry sauce. I like to do it every year before Thanksgiving Day with as many of them that want to make it with me. I like to call it building memories and a life long lesson for them to pass on to their babies some day when I am long gone. The day is not just about having a turkey and all the fixings that goes with it, it’s also about the love of family and working together to make the day and meal all that more special. Food is just food if it does not have the added spice of love added to it from the people you love that made it for you for this special day.

Enjoy the day with the people you love and realize how much your life is just that much different from knowing the person that passes you the potatoes, or the squash, or the turkey, or the gift of memories built into the cranberry sauce. If you have family and friends to share this day with then you are blessed. Be thankful for it.

Happy Thanksgiving Day to you and your family and friends. I wish you love and happiness on this day.

Now shut the damn computer off and interact with your family and friends! Don’t make me raise my voice! Don’t make me tell you twice!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Day to you and yours…

Papamoka

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4 Comments:

Blogger The GTL™ said...

God Bless you and your lovely family, my brother, and have a VERY Happy Thanksgiving :-)

11:10 AM  
Blogger Papamoka said...

Right back at ya my brotha from anotha motha! I hope you enjoy the day.

9:26 PM  
Blogger B.J. said...

I didn't read this yesterday as I didn't get ON my computer. What a lovely post - I kept waiting for the cranberry sauce recipe. I absolutely have to have it when there's dressing on the table. Such a treat. You are giving your daughters a tradition. Good for you! Enjoy the long holiday weekdend. Friends, BJ

8:24 AM  
Blogger Papamoka said...

Here it is BJ!

Home made cranberry sauce: One bag of cranberries, 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar. Boil the water and sugar, add the berries, bring to a boil again and reduce heat to medium, stir occasionally, strain the berries through a wire strainer mashing the berries through the mesh. Allow to cool covered at room temperature. Refrigerate till its time to serve.

11:00 AM  

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