Thanksgiving, Again
Yes, it’s nearly back. Thanksgiving Day. That day of turkey and Macy’s parade and NFL football.
I’ve experienced nearly three-quarters of a century’s worth of Thanksgivings (not quite — I’m not that old — not yet, at least). So I have a ton of memories of that day, as you undoubtedly do.
Growing up in the San Joaquin Valley of California, I accumulated a boatful of images that still burn brightly (but mostly in black-and-white) in my memory.
Mom — getting up oh-so-early on Thanksgiving mornings (as she also did on Christmas mornings) to put that giant bird in the oven.
Macy’s parade — telecast on both NBC and CBS. In my earliest viewings (mid-1950’s), I’m sure it was broadcast in black-and-white. And while NBC started broadcasting in color in the later-1950’s, I always saw it in living black-and-white. We had no money for a color TV back then.
Often during that parade on NBC, CBS would be televising an NFL game (and tape-delay Macy’s for the West Coast). I remember it always being the Green Bay Packers, visiting the Detroit Lions. And — yes, I looked it up — it really was Green Bay at Detroit, on TV on Thanksgiving days from 1951 through 1963.
After the parade and the game, Dad and I would drive (he was behind the wheel, of course) to Rooshian Town in Southwest Fresno to pick up my grandmas and Uncle Jerry and bring them to our house for the Thanksgiving Feast.
That feast always took place around 1 o’clock, as I remember, on the big table (with the leaf inserted to make it bigger) in our living room that we used only for that day and Christmas. And there we were, all of us, sitting around this huge table, surrounding all the food Mom had made — the bird, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes, the gravy, the salad, the cranberries and pies and so much more.
And then Jerry and I would often go outside and toss something around. One year, early in my memory bank, it was an orange from our backyard tree.
Then we graduated to a small football. And, yes, eventually, in later years, it was a real football.
In the earliest recesses of my memory, I remember that my older brother (by 10 years) Ken would join us. But he wasn’t there every year. He had moved on with his life — first to Vietnam, then back home to get married.
And after that, when we hosted on Thanksgiving or Christmas days, Ken and Sherry would come over with the grandmas and Uncle Jerry, and we’d have a football game in our front yard. Jerry and I versus Ken and Sherry.
Jerry and I never won. But we had fun.
Fast-forward now. Sharon and I got married and started moving around the country. We often celebrated Thanksgivings just by ourselves. When we had children, we’d have it with them, of course.
And just like that — zoom! — nearly a half-century of married life has come and gone. Literally. Zoom! Our children — Bradley and Amy — are grown up and have been out of our home for years. They’re making their own lives.
A couple of times in recent years, Sharon and I have spent Thanksgiving at Disney World in Florida. But not this year.
For the first time in more than a decade, Amy and Bradley (and Nicole, his significant other) will make their way back to the Valley for Thanksgiving. And we’ll be hosting Thanksgiving dinner, once again, like our parents did, decades ago.
The turkey and all the trimmings have been procured (from Sprouts and Costco, if you want to know). A new leaf will go into our new dining-room table. And, just like the old days (my old days), we’ll be watching Macy’s parade (yes, in living color) and an NFL game. In fact, unlike my childhood days, we’ll have several games to choose from.
And this year — one of them will be — wait for it — yes, Green Bay at Detroit –– and in color, to boot!
So here we go. We have high hopes for a memorable Thanksgiving, just like the ones we used to know (with apologies to Bing Crosby).
I hope you’re about to have a wonderful Thanksgiving, as well. And just to “kick things off” — go ahead, click on the link below.
You’ll be delighted, I think, to hear and see a marvelous Thanksgiving song by Ben Rector. It’s called, yes, “The Thanksgiving Song.”
It’s three minutes that summarizes the best of Thanksgiving. Truly.