What did you do for Thankgiving?

[spiffyone]

I'm always curious to hear what people's traditions are.

My father and stepmother don't like to cook. We often have Thanksgiving at their house, where they order a turkey pre-cooked and pre-sliced from a deli. My step-siblings and I have gotten increasingly savvy about all this and every year we bring progressively more food just so we will have something decent to eat. This year I am in charge of all the desserts and a sweet potato casserole.

The day after TG, my fiance and I are having six of our best friends over for dinner - a "wear your sweat pants, bring your leftovers" kind of dinner. We're making pork chops (because everyone will be sick of turkey) and acorn squash and a small paella-type dish and people are bringing the rest. We're going to light the fire and watch my Grinch video. That will be the "real" Thanksgiving.

What is everyone else doing?

:hamster

[Chelle]

Well, our Canadian Tgiving was last month, and I was in California visiting my fiance. For the first time in my life, I missed Tgiving dinner with my family. My fiance (American) is here visiting now, so last Sunday I had a big Tgiving dinner at my place, for my family (to make up for the one I missed), and for Michael.

So, it was kind of a dual citizenship turkey :D

[canoga]

We all gather at my parents' house in So Indiana. For my sister, that is down the street. For my brother, he has to walk from his bedroom to the kitchen. For me, that is 360 miles down the road with a dog, husband a toddler and a 6yr old with a bladder the size of a walnut.

Anyway, my dad gets up at, like, 4am and starts the turkey. We have turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, succotash, green beans, home made rolls, cranberry jelly, Waldorf salad, sweet potato casserole and pumpkin and pecan pies (a carb-lover's dream). My dad spends hours and hours preparing it. About the time we clear the table and clean up, people are getting hungry again and out come the leftovers!

Beth

[noflyingfan]

I have a very special Thanksgiving this year. Today (Wednesday) I had Thanksgiving at my boyfriend's parents' house. They did it a day early because they're retired and both my parents work, and my boyfriend and I didn't want to fight over where we ate. Tomorrow is dinner at my parents' house. My sister's getting married this weekend, so Friday is a gigantic rehearsal dinner, and Saturday is the wedding and an even gigantic-er dinner at the reception.

I may have to run back to Chicago from Philadelphia, just to lose the extra weight from the weekend!

[WillFlyToDisney2]

My parents (ages 78 and 79) live a mile away from my house (the main reason I don't live in Nashville). Two of my sisters and their kids and grandkids (yep I was a Great Aunt before I was a Mom) are coming to town. We will have a total of 27 for Thanksgiving lunch - all immediate family. I have 3 sisters and a brother who are not making the trek. It is a madhouse when we are all together!

My Mom, Dad, and oldest niece-in-law make dinner. My oldest sister makes the dressing at her house (2 hours away) and drives it in then my other sister ALWAYS arrives late.

We have all the trimmings - turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes with the marshmallows on them, green beans, cranberry sauce, olives, devilled eggs, pumpkin pie, pecan pie and mincemeat pie.

My girls are thrilled to play with their cousins - my 2 oldest nephews have 6 kids that are all close in age with my girls. Hope it is a nice day so they can play outside on the monster swing set/fort that my Dad made my DH and my oldest nephew put up this summer for just such events.

As nutso as my family makes me it is always a good time - great food and a chance to see the family. I am thankful this year that Thanksgiving is only ONCE a year. :rotflmao

Oh and I can always expect at least 3 or 4 phone calls from the band each Thanksgiving (and Christmas too) under the guise of wishing me Happy Holidays then inevitably asking questions that are biz related! :rolleyes

Happy Turkey Day to everyone!
Kelley

[Expatbrit]

Well I just posted my unusual thanksgiving story on the flight board under "Happy Thanksgiving" so I guess I'll leave it there :rolleyes

[lieberma]

Got to fly! Two times at that!:hamster ::hamster

My mother came in from Balto, MD, and her, my wife and I flew down to New Orleans for some real good ole fashion cajun style turkey. This was my mothers second time in a GA plane with me as pilot. :)

While I was down there, my sister from Ft Worth TX flew in, and I took her up for her first GA flight (hense two times flying).

She was a classic FOF, even on the "heavy iron", but she did great on my plane. In fact, when we climbed above the clouds, I had her fly the plane, as it was silk smooth, and because we did go to the Big Easy for T'day, we did have to return back to the airport. She seemed rather dissapointed we had to return :dancers

By her being in the front seat, it cleared up a lot of things that she would not have known as a passenger. For example, why airplanes turn different directions after taking off, why the plane does certain things, or sounds that couldn't be associated with a flying characteristic without being in the front seat.

I was able to "predict" the turbulence so that she wasn't surprised when the plane gave that "sinking feeling" when we transition from a sunny spot to a shady spot. She could see it clearer from the front seat rather then as a passenger.

The best part for me, being the "selfish part of me" was being able to put the plane on the ground when landing without her even knowing it. :wired She turned to me, and said "We are on the ground?", and I said yep!

Returning back home, it was my mothers first night flight in a GA plane, and she was amazed at the visibility with a full moon. Even my wife who is rather nervous about night flying enjoyed the flight.

Allen

[beaugest]

When I read about Allen's wife not liking night flying I realized I'm an equal opportunity FOf. Day, night---It can all make me edgy...
We usually go to Wis. to my husband's family. For years we had to drive because of my kid's ear infections. 2 adults, 4 kids and the dog for 14 hours...:wired . By the time they outgrew the ear stuff and we could fly it was a pleasure compared to the drives.
This year we had it with my family for the first time in a long time. I loved it. We are a large,loud,close bunch. Food was interesting. It was at my sisters. My brother-in-law hunts and is big on meat. My two nephews are vegans. So, it was like 2 different dinners in the same place. The turkey sat next to the unturkey...:scratch

[mindymoo 2]

Hi Guys, hope you all had a great thanksgiving ( don't do it myself being British)
what i would like to know is what is succotash?
thanks
~ Mandy ~

ps,Ericka, sent you that cd and the peunguins.

[MadScientist]

I had a stomach virus. While everyone else was talking about the turkey and dressing, I was :barf and :fart .

Because I had stayed up drinking with my Brother in law the night before, the whole family thought it was due to overconsumption and I was looked at as the bad guy for ruining Thanksgiving. I kept pleading my case that I have NEVER been sick from alcohol and that it was a virus. They just didn't believe it because no one else there was sick but me. I was ticked off to no end. I may not have ever been sick from alcohol, but I KNOW when I have a virus. :fuming

So, as I departed for home the next day, I was told that next time I shouldn't "overconsume" and everything would be ok. I responded with "Oh, we'll see about that".

As of today, 3 of the 5 family members present now have the virus and I call them at least 3 times a day. Of course, I just keep asking them how much alcohol did THEY consume. :jump :rolling

Payback is a biotch. :booty