Thursday, December 03, 2009

Thanksgiving revisited

I was googling "can you put tennis shoes in the dryer?" last evening when it hit me, I should probably look into getting a life. But more than that, I needed to blog. So here goeth.

It may seem odd, and a bit late, to blog about Thanksgiving on the Thursday following the holiday, but perhaps it is closer to keeping with tradition than you think. I mean, do you really think the Pilgrims got up Friday morning and blogged? No, they got up early and waited for the morning news courier to ride into town so they could get the latest on the John Alden horse-accident scandal -- aka the story that "rock"-ed Plymouth. (Source: Bone's Revisionist History of the 1600's: Vol. 34.)

Alden claimed it was a private matter, but there were too many questions. I mean, who's going for a ride around the village at 9:15 PM? Unless your name is Paul Revere and the British are indeed on their way, it's a little bit odd. And an auger in the bridle? How does that even happen?

Thanksgiving with the Bones may not have been historically significant nor had as much media coverage as some, but it was no less special. Breakfast at Dad's has become the tradition for Thanksgiving morning in recent years. It sort of has a "Breakfast At Wimbledon" ring to it, and is every bit as classy. If we had our own reality show, you would have learned on this week's episode that the Bones prefer their eggs scrambled and Mountain Dew is the beverage of choice.

For lunch, I went with a bit of non-traditional fare, enjoying some Chef Boyardee Beefaroni. It wound up being just enough to tide me over until dinner at Mom's. The menu there was turkey and ham, dressing, cranberry sauce, green beans, macaroni & cheese, cucumber salad, corn on the cob, coleslaw and mashed potatoes, with strawberry pretzel for dessert. (Once again, no cherry pie. I bet Marie Callender's family had cherry pie.)

Friday was the annual Alabama/Auburn game, also known as the day you don't schedule your wedding or funeral, that is if you actually want anyone to show up. (Personally, I don't believe you should schedule them on any day when there's a game, but then again I was raised strict orthodox Bama, so I'm old school like that.) The good guys pulled out an exciting 26-21 victory, turning Black Friday into Crimson Friday, and making my momma cry.

It's so easy to take for granted these holidays, time with family, and always having plenty to eat. But Thanksgivings and Christmases seem to get here faster every year. And they never last long enough. Already it's December. I swear I don't know where the years get off to anymore.

I just remembered one more little anecdote from the weekend. After Breakfast at Dad's, he and I were in the garage putting a new hood lift support thingy on my Jeep. He gave me his annual ya'll-don't-spend-too-much-on-me-for-Christmas-this-year speech. Then waxing philosophical said, "Son, the older you get, the less important gifts become. What I really appreciate about the holidays is all of us just getting to spend time together."

Which I took to mean that Santa will not be bringing Bone a new laptop this year.

"Eat that turkey all night long. Fifty million Elvis fans can't be wrong. Turkey lurkey doo and turkey lurkey dap. I eat that turkey then I take a nap..."

33 comments:

  1. Strict orthodox Bama. Oh Bone you do crack me up
    Mountain Dew with breakfast. OK
    I'm probably stupid for asking this but what is strawberry pretzel?

    You don't know about the lack of presents. Maybe your dad is just happy to see you. 07 was the year of the Bone Parents health scares

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  2. shugah, southeren women know our religions: Baptist, Methodist, and football - ROLL TIDE! (made your momma cry- bless her heart)

    southern women know there are three deadly sins:
    Having bad hair and nails
    Having bad manners
    Cooking bad food

    maybe next year you will have a nice southern girl to save you from that beef-a-roni diet.

    Glad your thanksgiving was great!

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  3. Corn on the cob? Cucumber salad? And what the heck is strawberry pretzel?
    I had no idea Thanksgiving dinner was so different in the south.

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  4. Sounds like Dear Ole' Dad is getting a little sentimental. :) I get the same thing from my Dad - but its nice to hear.
    The baby boom just started in our family a few years ago so most of us are older & we've resorted to drawing names. With a $25 limit - what's up with that?!! LOL The TRUE meaning of Christmas and time with family is really what's most important!
    Great Iron Bowl btw! I waited for you - you never showed! hehe

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  5. I loved your history there! that was awesome! I understand that the saga continues, but I've lost interest.

    and what? No Beef-a-rino? Perhaps the horse ate it all.

    Wow that was some spread for the holiday, no wonder it took you so long to post...you're probably still digesting it all!

    Happy Holidays Bone! I can't wait for Festivus!

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  6. Wait, there are 34 volumes in your 1600 History blah bit?!

    Did that much stuff happen in the 1600's? I mean, they didn't even have 8 TRACKS!!!

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  7. Yes what is straberry pretzel?

    Great post I want to eat dinner at your house sometime.

    Not breakfast, I can't do the Mountain Dew.

    Wait no Cherry pie why not Cherry pie? If it makes you feel beter we didn't have cheesecake this year.

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  8. Beefaroni? You have to be the only person in the world older than 20 who still eats that stuff. If I had some in my pantry, it would go to the first canned food drive that came by.

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  9. As apparently the only "Northern" girl (I'm really a Midwestern girl, but most of ya'll don't make that distinction) who reads this blog, I feel the need to defend us.

    We cook just as well and as much/ often as Southern girls. In fact, about the same time you were dining on Beefaroni, I was in the midst of making turkey, ham, dressing so good the recipe was requested, mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn. I'd have made the pie, but the guests wanted to bring something.

    Also, the last wedding I was in was planned around football season. I'm not sure when the last wedding I even attended WASN'T.

    Now that I've defended Murf and myself(where is Murf?!?!), another hilarious post Bone. Just when I thought you couldn't top the "rock"-ed line, out came Santa and the laptop. I almost choked.

    (PS: Rumor has it some Wisconsin girl was good enough this year to get a laptop from Santa...)

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  10. I was googling "can you put tennis shoes in the dryer?" last evening when it hit me, I should probably look into getting a life.
    LOL!!!!

    I hear ya, I just posted about watching VH1. Do kids even watch VH1 now days?

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  11. I saw part of that game and I thought about you and Kontan--the part I saw you were were probably crying in your beer and Kontan was having to be pulled off the ceiling, but then 'Bama won, but not nearly by the amount they were expected to.

    Mountain Dew for breakfast--I'd just as soon start drinking liquor early in the day.

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  12. TC--I might be living in the South but I'm about as NY as you can get--did one of those FB tests--about the Bronx and I'm so Bronx I could be living in the South Bronx--worked there so it was a cheat

    And five of my nails broke off from washing my hands too much. If I don't get a blow out, I have bad hair. So I'm NY to the core

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  13. Pia- Do you consider New York the north? I always think of it as the east. Or just by itself. :)

    Besides, I didn't think you insinuated only Southern girls could cook...

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  14. Pia - Um, it's a dessert :) Wait, I said that already, didn't I? I think I may try and find a link for it and go back and add it to the post since several people are asking about it.

    Daily Panic - shugah

    I hope that is really how you say it :) Nothing like that Southern accent.

    Yeah, it's probably a good thing the games aren't on Sundays. Not sure how that would work out.

    Susan - Well, I don't know how representative ours is of the traditional Southern Thanksgiving feast, but it was delicious. And I think cucumber salad may be something my Mom just invented, but we have it a lot.

    Small Town Girl - A $25 limit? You could just keep the money and give your person a card that says a donation has been made in their name to The Human Fund.

    It was an exciting game. I'm not sure how fun I would have been. I was pretty stressed :)

    Renee - Thanks. It was kinda downhill after the history part.

    Ha! I think I almost called it Beef-a-rino. I wanted to anyway. Rusty!

    Of course you can't wait for Festivus. Who amongst us can?!

    Charlotta - Well, I did have a hundred years to cover. And there's lots of pictures. My 1700's is much shorter though. I got lazy.

    Actonbell - Thanks! That's the Thanksgiving Song, by Adam Sandler.

    PennyCandy - Thank you. I'm going to go back and link to a strawberry pretzel recipe. I don't know if it's exactly the one we had, but it's similar.

    I'm not sure why no cherry pie. I think I'm the only huge cherry fan in the family.

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  15. Ed - I almost included a parenthetical that said "Am I the only person over the age of 12 who still eats this?" I actually hadn't had any in a long time before this. Honest!

    Shelby - Okie dokie.

    TC - Oh really now? Can you fry chicken? What about cooking fresh turnip greens? And what does the term "fat back" mean to you?

    Actually, it all comes down to one question? What term is used to refer to Coke, Mountain Dew, Sun Drop, Dr. Pepper, and like products? Answer that one correctly and I think we could make you an honorary Southerner :)

    OKChick - They might still watch it, but they sure don't remember when VH-1 actually showed videos.

    Wait, is that what channel The Hills comes on? No, I think that's MTV.

    Sage - I don't cry during games. Only afterwards, if we lose.

    I'd just as soon start drinking liquor early in the day

    Well, that's another kind of mountain dew entirely :)

    Pia Savage - What is a blow out?

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  16. Bone--it's when you blow your hair dry and hopefully straight. I kind of get strawberry pretzel and found recipes but would love to see a picture

    http://cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,strawberry_pretzel_dessert,FF.html

    TC--NY is geographically part of the North East. Now that you said you consider NY to be East I can understand that, but most New Yorkers if given a choice between the two would say North though now I see it really doesn't make sense--think we're a product of radio and TV weather people :)

    Strange fact: the end of NJ--Cape May County is considered South of the Mason Dixon line

    I stay impartial on the bad food thing as I love some Southern food

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  17. Congratulations on your football win! I hate to say it but I was originally a bit torn what with Tim Tebow on one side and a Michigander (Mark Ingram) on the other but then I got tired of seeing the bible verse on Tim's cheekbones so I switched teams.

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  18. Strict Orthodox Bama - can you give me hallelujah!

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  19. The cooking talk is way over my head, football is over my head only because I don't understand the passion, but I thought of you when I saw something about Alabama football in my local paper, all the while wondering what is Alabama football doing in my local paper.

    Live your version of history - I'll take it.

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  20. I love Strawberry Pretzel dessert! And mac'n'cheese was on our menu, too -- it's my daughter's favorite. I'm glad your team won, Bone! Sounds like you had a very satisfying Thanksgiving. :~)

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  21. Ick... Mountain Dew. You know what they say about that toxic drink. 'Nuff said.

    It is scary... now quickly the holidays arrive in recent years. They come quick and pass even faster. Sad.

    Really does make you cherish the time we can spend with family. My favorite holiday memories are spending time with the family at my grandfather's house. Now that he's gone, I'd give anything to spend another Christmas in that house.

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  22. I was in the store everybody loves to put down and the man ahead of me in line was buying a ton of sugar free ice cream, chips, sugar free candy, and Sun Drop!!!! (I assume they only make it with sugar)

    First time I ever saw it except for you.

    Can you give me a frequent commenter award?

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  23. Actually Pia it depends on where in NY you are. If you are near the Berkshire Mountains or further north we say North East down state and Western New York say North but will use East as well depending on the conversation.

    Grew up in the North East 20 minutes south of VT and 30 minutes west of MA.

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  24. Congrats on the Bama win. It was TCU crazy here. Hoping for a post about the game soon I'm sure it will be a good one.

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  25. Pia: I just wondered how New Yorkers saw themselves. Like you said, geographically it's northeast. But that makes Georgia southeast and everyone just calls that south. Perception is interesting :)

    And I'm with PC: I want a game post! :)

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  26. Bone I heard the awful news. How are you holding up?

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  27. Heck, I'd be happy with any new post, game-related or not.

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  28. Hey are you a professional journalist? This article is very well written, as compared to most other blogs i saw today….
    anyhow thanks for the good read!

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  29. No pressure Bone but now a Heisman, did I spell that right? So this post should really be good.

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  30. Ugh, I come out here what, once a millenia and you haven't updated your blog since 12/3???? I'm a bit disappointed.

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  31. Pia - It's actually not my favorite, but someone makes one for my Mom nearly every Christmas.

    I haven't used a blow dryer in many years :)

    Murf - Didn't care for that particular verse, did ya?

    Pia Savage - The Bamas and I say thanks.

    Mama Zen - Hallelujah! And the crowd said "Amen."

    Cooper - Thanks. Revisionist history can be much more fun at times. Also convenient, especially when referring to relationship history.

    Sweetest In The Gale - Thanks! Mom has to alternate between mac & cheese (my favorite) and shells & cheese (blah, my sister's favorite).

    Blondie - No, I don't know. What do they say about Mt. Dew? Actually, I'm a Sun Drop guy myself. But Mt. Dew is the more widely observed beverage of the family.

    I know what you mean. I'd give anything to spend another holiday with my grandmothers.

    Pia Savage - I'm pretty sure there is Diet Sun Drop, though I've never had it. I think it comes in more of a white can.

    LOL I hereby do proclaim you frequent commenter of the month. Don't rest on your laurels :)

    PennyCandy - I think I consider NY northeast. Then again, Nashville is north to me :)

    Thanks. I thought we might end up playing TCU there for awhile. You would've been able to score me tix, right?

    TC - I never dreamed I'd have women ASKING me to do a football post :) I thought ya'll mostly just tolerated my sports posts.

    OKC - Um, what awful news? Did something happen to Jason Morgan?

    Oh, you mean about As The World Turns? No worries. That's not my soap :)

    Murf - A little needy, are we?

    I wonder if anyone else was thinking the same thing and you were the only one sweet enough to 'ment.

    Anonymous - Thanks for the kind words. No, I'm not a journalist. But if you're hiring, I would be willing to listen :)

    PennyCandy - No pressure, huh? :)

    Tagskie - Thanks for stopping by.

    Carnealian - Well, maybe if you came over more often...

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