Thanksgiving '09, A Turkey Roast Post

Disclaimer: Actually, it is early morning on 2/7 not 2/3. For some reason this auto dates when you start working on a post, not when you publish it)

I guess we have a tradition of sorts developed since my brothers and I have reached top generation. We go to St. Cloud to Brother John's for Thanksgiving. All the second generation is invited, and now of course there is even third generation, although mostly from Kenneth and I, (and recently John) but Kenny is a Californian, a prodigal son. This and last year's Thanksgiving included Brother Gregory having moved from the Big AK to Bemidji, although they will spend time in CA too. Daughter Kimberly usually comes for at least a day, but not this year because of Granddaughter Kelly's accident, and still recovering at this time a bit. Grandson Travis lives in Alabama with wife, perhaps someday adding a 4th generation? Wouldn't I be a great, great grandfather?

And so we gather. John and Cynthia of course, daughters Kathryn, (Ed) Lauren, Jennifer and beaus, and brand new grandbaby Ava. Gregory and Lizette are there with son Alex, Gabriella in CA studying art. Barbara and I round out the crowd along with daughter Erin and husband Andrew.

Ah! on Thanksgiving day....

When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,

And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before.

What moistens the lips and what brightens the eye?

What calls back the past, like the rich pumpkin pie?

~John Greenleaf W

Johnny he's a baker, Cindy too, Gregory and Lizette as well. But not Barb and I. But we always have plenty of pies, the obligatory pumpkin, pecan, apple, rhubarb...very popular choices, and mince meat, an unpopular choice, much to the eating pleasure of John and I. Yup, we are the only ones who will eat it. Perhaps it's name is what turns people off, but we find it delish as did our father Virgil.

John's up early to start the turkey, here he poses with daughter Lauren, a student at UND who has found her way home, sweet home.

Forever on Thanksgiving Day

The heart will find the pathway home.

~Wilbur D. Nesbit

Son-in-law Andrew sneaks into a self-portrait. If I didn't take self-portraits there would be no photos of me on this day. Perhaps the rest have trouble focusing on such things.
Gregory has been framed. He a member of the Homeland Security team, wears a long sleeve T with images of the First American team to coin the phrase, Geronimo (Chiricahua: Goyaałé, "one who yawns"; often spelled Goyathlay or Goyahkla in English) He lived nearly four score.
Deep in thought. Hard to catch Lauren not smiling.
What's Thanksgiving without football? "Perfect", says Lizette. Here Alex and Sean, a Canadian friend of Lauren's check out, and check out the tube with Jack the Dog. Alex is a walking sports encyclopedia. If he could just figure a way to make money with all that info spinning round in his head.

Barbie joins the boys for awhile, sitting in some kind of weird chair with even a weirder foot rest. It's hanging from the ceiling, apparently by a sky hook.
Daughter Erin lives just a stones throw from her Uncle John. She's an RN at the local hospital and loves it. Doesn't love getting her photo taken all that much though, she has to sum up patience sometimes when it comes to her Father. Like her grandfather Virgil before her, patience is not one of her virtues. A blessing and a curse?
And there he is. The Patriarch. Dad. "Tops". Virgie J. A career soldier photgraphed as a young man. Looks like a buck sergeant in this photo. We miss him, his poetry, his harmonica, his mischievous grin, and his teasing the girls. "A very fine bird is the pelican. His beak can hold more than his belly-can. He holds enough in his beak, to last him a week. And I don't see how in the hell-he-can".
Two many cooks in the kitchen, more like six too many. Somehow they don't get in each others way, each having a job to do, having rehearsed it for years. Kathryn's job? Apparently to smile for the camera. And such a pretty smile it is. Looks like she got caught not working to me.
John explains to Barbara the proper use of an electric knife as he works on the bird. "Well, now everybody's heard about the bird." Coincidental, as a good share of it goes in the Trash Man. I suppose a menu item with sea food and turkey would be called Surf 'n Bird.
My brothers are much better cooks than I, well maybe not better. They just do it more often. I being a simple fellow, find cooking to be somewhat of a waste of time, putting in all those hours for twenty minutes of overeating. Why do we do it? For family, to be with each other, to share a sumptuous repast, I suppose. Here Gravy Gregory gets the lumps out, makes it thick, it's quite the trick.
A second self-portrait, sigh. I am truly thankful, I have found a Lazy Boy, and you know what that means. Being a lazy boy. Two too many cooks in the kitchen anyway. I shall supervise from here, pout, and spout bits of wisdom.

It is literally true, as the thankless say, that they have nothing to be thankful for. He who sits by the fire, thankless for the fire, is just as if he had no fire. Nothing is possessed save in appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensable ingredient. But a thankful heart hath a continual feast. ~W.J. Cameron
Niece Jennifer with Cody. Nice looking couple no? Both very creative, and sometimes very off-the-wall hilarious.
Something Jennifer must have said to provoke that guffaw? Mother and daughter take their seats at the table. Daughter and Mother in renewed bonding and support of each other in a trying time they will learn of in a week or two. Something indeed to be thankful for.
And the clan gathers at the table, ready to pass to the left, never right. A good crowd, tables stretched into the living room.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie

My brother John does his best thinking on his back, and spends a fair amount of time resting on hard surfaces, just peculiar that way...and in others. Here he studies the directions of how to build a castle of wooden shapes, having run into a knot. Not!
Lizette be amused at John's reading of directions for such things. John however has been taking things apart and putting them back together since a tiny tot. It's his thing, he'd just soon be fixing or building something, he finds it relaxing. Lizette on the other hand likes antiquing and devours books.
Relaxing after a full meal, Auntie and Nephew hold court.
Nephew a little uncomfortable and a bit shy yet with demonstrative affection. But he's coming round. He'll cease being a teenager near the summer solstice.
Little Ava. John and Cindy's first grandchild getting spoiled of course and playing shy. Why say I shy? 'Tis her first encounter with three brothers, two granduncles and a grandpa, in the same room. Ever wonder why they spelled the title of that song Loco-Motion?

My little baby sister can do it with me;

It's easier than learning your A-B-C's,

So come on, come on, do the Loco-motion with me.

Little Eva & Written by Carole King.

Cat hugger. Barbara loves animals, especially felines, and they love her. Who do you know who hugs cats? I've heard of the man who loved cat dancing, but the woman who loved cat hugging?
Brothers fill the dishwasher. All that time to cook and clean up. Almost done and ready to relax.
Lauren with niece. Is Sean thinking that someday..., sure and he's right.
Jennifer having eaten the better of two pies, decides to walk it off. Look at those eyes eyein' her Uncle Muncle. Aye, yai, yai.
Good question for men to ponder whilst looking at this strategically placed magazine cover above the upstairs commode.

Go now,

Don't look back we've drawn the line,

move on,

Its no good to go back in time,

I'll never find another girl like you,

for happy endings it takes two,

with fire and ice, a dream won't come true.

Sarah, Sarah

storms are brewing in your eyes,

Sarah, Sarah

no time is a good time for goodbyes ~ Jefferson Starship

Who are these four talking two?
Who are these two talking four?
At the apartment of Erin Marie. And with Thanksgiving coming to a close, how far off can Christmas be? Well a couple more posts 'cause Christmas "lasts from now 'til Christmas". Just to close it out, a Thanksgiving song. Is there more than one?

Over the river and thru the wood,

To grandfather's house we go;

The horse knows the way

To carry the sleigh,

Thru the white and drifted snow, oh!

Over the river and thru the wood,

Oh, how the wind does blow!

It stings the toes,

And bites the nose,

As over the ground we go.

Over the river and thru the wood,

To have a first-rate play;

Oh, hear the bell ring,

"Ting-a-ling-ling!"

Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day-ay!

Over the river and thru the wood,

Trot fast my dapple gray!

Spring over the ground,

Like a hunting hound!

For this is Thanksgiving Day.