We often served 25 or so people, in multiple sittings – with a kids table. I felt I had really grown up when I finally graduated to the adult table. You had to wait awhile, until someone else was old enough to supervise the younger kids.
Then there was the year my dad purchased a live turkey, and Myrna and our older sister, Kay, after feeding it for a week or two, cried so much about him killing it for the table, he returned it to the Produce and brought home a dressed-out bird.
Our mom seemed to take most of this hustle and bustle in stride; a lot could be prepared ahead, and there were plenty of dishwashers who volunteered after the meal. Dishwashing was a time to visit among the ladies and catch up. The men usually competed for who could mash all those potatoes (with a hand masher, of course) the best.
This is my favorite old photo of our Mom; in her everyday clothes, sitting on our front steps.
What a lovely memory, you must all have had a great time.
ReplyDeleteSounds exactly like Christmas day at our house. Used to be at my mum and dad's (long gone now) until they became too frail and their house too small!. It's been at ours for the last thirty years and I suppose it will be at one of my daughter's houses in ten years or so.
ReplyDeleteAnd the men fight to mash the potatoes here too !
Lovely post
Lovely photo. Thanks for sharing your memories.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Our Mom was a special person, and we have many Happy Memories of our childhood. I hope with the Holidays here that all of our readers have a Happy Memory to look back on.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you. I hope you are having a wonderful time.
ReplyDeleteSeveral happy Thanksgiving memories for me were traveling from our home in St. Cloud, MN to Motley, MN to my aunt & uncle's farm for the day, which included ice skating on the river. We always lived in town, but had lots of relatives on both sides of the family who had farms in various parts of MN. I have great memories visiting all of them! Happy Thanksgiving to all!
ReplyDeleteI so enjoy your blog and the many yummy recipes I have used from your blog, they were and are so delish! I lost my Mom young, but the huge meals she prepared for any day let alone Thanksgiving day and Christmas were something else, we had little but my Mother & Dad could cook up a storm, we had a tiny dinette space and we ate in shifts, big family and always people who had no where to go and no food, she truly believed we were our brother and sisters keepers..I think today's thanksgiving day is overshadowed by sales and no family together, my hubs and I are just us two but we have roasted and baked and cooked many turkeys, hams, pork roasts and made mashed spuds, and sweet spuds for a big feast at the food pantry where anyone can attend and get some nourishment, since it rains a lot here inclement weather about 200 days plus a year many are needing food..My hubs got a prepared meal from a place and it will last us for about 10 days after we freeze many of the feast, also we eat many vegetarian meals because one doesn't need protein like animal protein each day for one's good health..God's Blessings, your Mother is sweet thanks for sharing the picture and a blog about her she is a sweet angel, we are sure of that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!! Enjoyed reminiscing while I was reading your post. Thanks for the memories... M
ReplyDeleteshe sounds like my grandma Duke...not sure how she did it ALL back then...but she did...then my mom....it's what women did....and now me....but these days daughter and I share it...
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to all....enjoy your family or friends....and no worries about the "sales' they will come along again before Christmas, they always do...