Friday, November 04, 2005

Another Thanksgiving memory. I am the baby of the family and when I married in 1970 (yes I am old) and moved to the dairy farm it just seemed the place to go for Thanksgiving dinners. My mother and stepdad spent a lot of Thanksgivings at the farm. My brothers and their families came a few times til their families grew and they started celebrating at their own homes. My sister came every year but 1 up til she was too sick. There are so many good years of the men going to the dairy to "help" milk the cows when they really just went to talk while Woody and the hands did the work. They came back to the house cold, wet and hungry. The kids were running around outside (no matter how cold) having a ball. We always had a hard time getting them inside to eat. We had a nice fire in the fireplace and also in the woodstove in the kitchen. The house was warm and the kitchen was filled with all the women cooking, talking and laughing. My mothers birthday was the 28th of November so we always had a birthday cake along with all the desserts and she always acted surprised. We would draw names for Christmas (when my brothers still came) and try to keep them secret but it never worked. One of us always had a baby that we could love and pass around. After dinner the guys would go back to the dairy to feed the animals and the women would clean up and then sit around the table and talk. I learnt so much about my mothers younger years and how hard it was. I got to know my sister-in-laws better and just how wonderful they really were. My sister and I would fight like cats and dogs growing up but after I married it was like I became the older sister and started watching out for her. We talked a lot, opened our hearts and became very close. The kids would fight with each other outside but always settled things on their own. I am sure that everything wasn't perfect but it was close enough for me. Since those years on the farm so many of my family have passed away. A grandfather, 2 grandmothers, husband, sister, dad, stepdad, 2 sister in laws, fatherinlaw, 3 uncles, unborn grandson, and then my mother. Each one of these family members are very special to me and each have helped me to become a better person in their own special way. The wonderful Thanksgiving dinners with them may be gone but the wonderful memories and love they gave is still here. As I sit down to Thanksgiving this year I know I will have special angels watching over me and I will have lots of loved ones that have touched my life to give thanks for. My cup of blessings is overflowing, thank goodness I have a saucer!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

God bless you my precious friend.
Love and hugs to you and your family
today and always!
I am thanfkul for your golden gift of friendship!
Love Jeanne ^j^

Maggie Ann said...

I loved this post Peggy! What precious family memories you have. I felt like I was almost there, looking in the window at your happy loving faces. I come from a very small family...so I don't have such precious memories of a big family.

Finn said...

Beautiful post Peggy, and such a sweetness to your memories. Maybe those were the "happy golden years" that Laura Ingalls spoke of...and now we are realizing it. Thanks for sharing your cup of blessings Hugs, Finn