Welcoming the holiday season with a touch of nostalgia...

I can’t believe it is already that time of year again.  I took out the good family dishes and silver feeling like I had only just done it a couple months ago.  My goodness this year has flown.  I haven’t blogged as much as I would like to, time just doesn’t permit.  The intention is always there but then sleep wins out over blogging.

So, here we are again, the beginning of the holiday season.  I’m always filled with such nostalgia during the holidays.  As I took the silver out of the drawer, I thought of my grandparents Harley and Kay.  My grandfather absolutely loved stuffing, or dressing as some of you call it, but would never eat until everyone else had loaded their plates.  He would always say “I’ll wait to see if there’s enough for everyone”. Of course the bowls of food were overflowing, but I think it was part of the tradition.  Every year I use my Grandmothers silver with an “S” for her family name Smith.

  All the grandparents would come to our house for the holiday meals. My memory of my maternal grandparents is that they would always stop at the local town store, Dudleys, and come in with fresh Vermont cheddar cheese wrapped in brown paper.  My grandfather Harry was the cook and always brought his delicious Waldorf salad.

  My mother would spend hours making everything from scratch only to have to turn around after a half hour of eating to have to clean everything up.....that is of course until the adults would get into a lively discussion, usually about religion or politics.  After dinner, the men could usually be found asleep on the couch while us ladies would clean up. 

(Why was that?).

Then of course there was my Dad.  I miss Dad every day, but it is intensified at the holidays.  He was always a quiet man, but he did enjoy the holidays.  Dad would always shop for my Mother on Christmas Eve, then bring her gifts home for my sister and I to wrap.  We often wondered what he would do when we moved out, thankfully it was right around that time that gift bags came out.  Nostalgia is a part of the holidays.  It’s how we choose to handle it that is the thing.  Though you always have those memories that sting a bit because those family members are no longer around, you can also smile because you have those happy memories with them and you in turn are making memories for your children.  Tradition and nostalgia are important.

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to your and yours!

Until next time.....