It is over for another year! Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of the entire year, has come and gone. This year was unusual because my broken shoulder is still healing, and my stamina is somewhat impaired as my body uses up energy healing itself. Nevertheless, I pulled it off. My family really pitched in, cooking and helping me in many ways. I also took advantage of professional kitchen help during the party.

There were 22 relatives, including an infant great-grandson. I had two tables for my guests. 12 at the dining table and another table for 10, in the center of my large living/dining room. This year, I placed my two lemon trees in terra-cotta containers and my two hibiscus in turquoise pots along the French doors to the terrace. It was too cold to set the bar up outside, but we moved enough furniture around in the kitchen to make room to serve drinks there. And my lovely kitchen is roomy, bright, and cheerful. There were tall orchids on the center island under the sky lights.

We had guests ranging in age from 84 to 3 months old. My granddaughter Grace and her husband, Gill, came in late with their baby boy, David. Everyone was dressed up for the occasion. Two of the men, David and Charley Jr., in kilts, and one, Charley Sr., in plaid trousers, one, Murdoch, in hunting clothes. Murdoch went fox-hunting earlier in the day. I had to wear clothes I could dress myself in, with my broken shoulder. A colorful Kaftan was perfect with a black poncho. Of course, I wore turquoise jewelry and a headband decorated with turquoise to hold back my long hair. After years of criticizing older women for wearing their hair down, I am forced to allow my hair to fall down my back. There is no way to put one’s hair up on top of one’s head with only one working arm. Even a pony-tail is impossible. I meant to ask one of my daughters, Lilla, to braid my hair in a French braid, but that just never happened. Oh well….

My oldest grandson, Elias, arrived at my house the day before Thanksgiving to help me cook and to bring food he had prepared ahead of time. That made such a difference in my level of organization and my calm state of mind. That night, Wednesday, we ordered Thai food to eat after cooking all day. On Thursday, most families brought side dishes. There were some overlaps in the menu since at least three people brought large casseroles of sweet potatoes, and no one brought the green beans I was hoping for. But my youngest granddaughter, Tilly, who I thought did not cook, was selected by her sister, young Helen, to make a huge macaroni and cheese dish, which was simply delicious. That was a first for me, as I have never had mac and cheese at a Thanksgiving luncheon before. Then there were the turkeys! We had three different ones. I had ordered a smoked turkey from Greenburg’s Smoked Turkeys in Tyler, Texas. My oldest son, Charley Jr. roasted a large bird at his house and brought it over. The most original one was magnificent and artistically carved, boned, and stuffed with a sort of pate made from the leg meat of the bird. And there was a turkey gravy that was the best I have ever tasted, also made ahead of time by my grandson, Elias, who is a true chef.

My daughter-in-law, Andrea, brought pies, and my other daughter-in-law, Susie, brought salad, while one of my granddaughters, Delilah, set the tables and decorated them. My grandsons, Charley and Bear, did the ‘eating part’ very thoroughly. In the end, I used small china place cards, which I wrote on with an eyeliner pencil, so that those at the table of 12 knew who should sit next to whom. On the main table, I used a minimalist centerpiece of magnolia leaves and tiny vases with a few flowers, including roses, in each one. It was effective and low enough to talk across the table, and festive and easy. The other table had a tall silver vase filled with fragrant lilies, sitting in the middle, surrounded by magnolia leaves. I have such large, attractive magnolia trees that it is always easy to make a floral arrangement with them as filler. I love those trees.

Guests trickled in and greeted each other enthusiastically. My daughters, Helen and Lilla, and their husbands, David and Chris, arrived looking very chic and sporty. They all appeared genuinely happy to see each other. So many of my grandchildren are close in age, especially now that they are mostly grown up. My youngest grandson, Jack, is 11, and he was here last weekend, but was not able to be with us on the actual day this year. He will be here for Christmas, though. Tom, the next youngest, is nearly 15 and looks practically as old as the rest of them, now. People always ask how I can remember all of them and their birthdays. I tell them that they arrived one by one, so it is not that hard to keep track. Every one of them is special to me, and they are a diverse lot, each distinct. There were several missing this year, but next year will be more because we will have nearly all of them here.

My ex-husband, Charley, said a blessing before we ate. Later during the meal, I made a small toast to them all, at the urging of my son-in-law, David. He told me it was important to do this, and he was right.

Everyone wanted to see the new puppies. We tried to bring the guests in one or two at a time, but one group arrived while another was already there, visiting the puppies. The mother dog got upset and nipped one of my daughters-in-law, upholding a long tradition of dog bites on Thanksgiving. Sigh. Things do not always go as planned for my family gatherings. Little blood was spilled, ibuprofen helped alleviate the pain, and everyone was a good sport about that episode.

Finally, everyone left full of food, wine, and good cheer. Yet another family tradition completed, and lots of hugs and smiles on the way out. I collapsed on the couch in front of a roaring fire. It was a super day, and I can’t wait to do it again next year!

Copyright©. 2025 Bonnie B. Matheson