Thanksgiving, 2008, Part 2: We gather together and eat

At first, it felt terribly strange. Margie and I are the parents, and now the grandparents, too, and as such the family celebration of Thanksgiving and Christmas has always been at our house in Wasilla - except, during those times, many years past, when we had been able to travel to Utah or Arizona to celebrate in the house of either Margie's mom or my late parents.

This year, Rex and Stephanie wanted to host the Thanksgiving feast and so invited all of us to join them. It was terribly quiet Wednesday night in our home. None of the kids, save for those who live here, had come out. Melanie and Lisa were not furiously making pies, Margie was not scurrying here and there, cooking and preparing, although she did make a big batch of dough for rolls.

I was not brining the turkey. I would not cook the turkey. I would not carve the turkey.

I always do these things.

Rolls would be our sole contribution.

It all felt very strange.

And then, as the weather had warmed up something frightful, we drove the 50 miles over what proved to be a very icy and slippery highway. Next, we found ourselves in the house of our son and daughter-in-law. and there he was, my youngest son, carving the turkey. It would prove to be a most excellent cooked and carved turkey.

I might could have carved it with a little more expertise, but not much.

It's a fact - we who are young suddenly discover that we are not young anymore, and must give way to those who are.

As Rex finished his carving job, baby Kalib scurried into the kitchen.

Latin jazz played on the stereo. Melanie scooped Kalib off the kitchen floor, brought him into the living room where we would dine, and, gently swaying, danced across the floor with him. 

As I grew up, I often observed my mother as she danced across the floor. How Melanie reminds me of her!

Lisa and boyfriend Bryce made the punch. Now they pour it in the picture they will use to transfer it to individual glass. Oh, my! This is good punch!

If it had alcohol in it, we would all have gotten drunk.

Now we would be hung over. That would not be fun.

Stephanie and her sister Olivia finish setting the table.

Rex blesses the food.

Melanie, Charlie, and Bryce. The food will soon be devoured.

Various dishes travel around the table.

Kalib does not wish to sit still, but must be carried around behind the table. He amuses everybody.

Margie had me print this picture of Rex and Stephanie giving their tiny sailboat its first float test. The picture is passed about the table. 

That first float test began the first entry that I ever made in this blog.

Rex shows us the model of the new, larger, sailboat that he is going to make. The first one was an 11 footer. This one will be 15. He says I can get in on it. Maybe we will sail to China, or Africa.

I would like to do that - in a bigger boat. A seventeen footer, maybe.

Sadly, one of our children was not able to attend. Caleb had to pull an allnight shift (as he always does) and so he stayed home to sleep. Not so long ago, Charlie found a "missed connections" message on Craigslist left by someone who described a person that could only be Caleb. 

Frank reads the post on Melanie's Ipod.

The poster sure did know a lot about Caleb's normal movements about Wasilla, yet claimed not to know how to make contact with this "olive-skinned" young man who she had once seen sitting in Ihop with "an older gentleman."

That would be me. I hate to be described as "an older gentleman."

The kids thought it strange that anyone would describe me as a gentleman, period.

Bryce and Lisa listen to Thanksgiving conversation.

Melanie and Charlie listen to Bryce as he tells a story about a heavy metal concert.

Dinner is over. Baby Kalib and his parents will be the first to leave. 

Rex and Stephanie did a good job - as did everybody, from Margie and her rolls to Melanie and her pumpkin chiffon pie.

The drive home will be harder then the drive in. Cars and trucks slipping and sliding all over the highway, in the dark. My belly not merely full, but stuffed.

But we will make it safely. Then we will cook another turkey, so that we have turkey leftovers to eat for the next week.

I have a blogger friend in Nigeria who goes by the handle, "Standtall." She has undertaken a project to publish an interview with another blogger every Thursday and on Thanksgiving, she thus honored me, as Grahamn Kracker, the handle I use for my cat blog. Standtall's interview with Grahamn Kracker.

Comments

[Shaela]

Looks like a very fun Thanksgiving!! I'm going to see if I can find that "Missed Connection" post on Caleb. Hilarious. Btw, I read Standtall's interview and really enjoyed it.