the rix mix

With the physical condition I'm in, I wouldn't be going anywhere today even if I had somewhere to go. But I still have plenty to be thankful for considering what I've been through this year. Due to some family problems, a dear friend had to cancel the dinner she was looking forward to hosting. The day might at least go easier for her if the San Diego Chargers were playing (& winning).

We always had an excellent spread when I was growing up. The first time I had a Thanksgiving dinner elsewhere, what struck me most came at the beginning, a family able to say a simple grace without embarrassment or someone cracking a joke. I like less the round-robin practice of having to say what you're grateful for. I mumble the usual stuff when I might want to add, "I'm grateful Neil Young made a loud rock album with Crazy Horse this year instead of some whiny collection of folk songs."

The craziest family dinner I attended - I'm sure I've written about this - was a girlfriend's huge extended family, They were hitting the boxes of candy before dinner. kids weren't really expected to stay seated at the table, which was gigantic with leaf extensions in. There  was an enormous amount of food without a single green vegetable in sight. The family had a lot of large men.  The dinner didn't end; the pies & cookies came out but the turkey & leftovers just moved into the kitchen where they stayed on the counters & everyone was free to pick at them until they were finally packed into Tupperware & distributed among guests, more or less according to need as far as I could tell.

Families have Thanksgiving traditions, some so fixed & ritualistic, proceeding from scene to scene (incuding the same relative who falls asleep afterward)  you feel like you're just an actor playing a part. But this family's Thanksgiving seemed chaotic. The chaos was the tradition.

What annoys me most? The woman who can't stay seated during the meal & is constantly running in & out of the kitchen. My sister doesn't do this.  You need something, she tells you where it is. She eats. A bigshot at the head of the table who thinks his turkey carving is an art. My dad did this, considered the electric carving knife a fabulous invention, but frankly he wasn't all that great at it. The best way to serve turkey is put it on display while it's resting, & hack it up it in the kitchen.

Labels: growing up, holidays, postcard