Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving morning . . . is all about the Thanksgiving Day Parade to me.  I remember watching the parade as a child every Thanksgiving.  I remember my mom getting up early to bake and cook.  I am pretty sure we did not eat breakfast in front of the television . . . but once breakfast was finished there I sat in awe of the balloons, the crowd, and the city.  I grew up in a small town in Iowa - so this was a glimpse at a world very different than mine.   Years later, I had a friend who had grown up in New York City . . . she had memories of her father taking her to the parade each year.  I can imagine how  amazed I would have thought that was when I was a child.

I suppose that when I was very young - I watched the parade in black and white.  I can't really remember when we first had a colored tv . . . but I am sure I was in even more in awe of the parade the first time I saw it in color.

I can remember deciding each year which balloon I liked the best and looking forward to seeing Santa Claus at the end of the parade . . . knowing then that Christmas was not far off.  I remember enjoying Thanksgiving . . . for Thanksgiving.  We were not bombarded with Christmas for weeks before - stores were not open on holidays . . .(if you found that you forgot to buy something, you called a neighbor or family member - you did not run to the grocery store . . . it was closed.)   

I remember as the parade rolled on family started to arrive . . . aunts, uncle, and cousins.  What fun we had during those holidays.  It must have been hectic and noisy - even though our house had plenty of room for everyone.  My mom, grandma, and aunts were in the kitchen cooking and doing dishes.  I remember my dads and uncles sitting around the tv - and after we finished eating everyone played cards, ate some more, and visited.  I remember being so excited to have all my cousins around and I remember my uncle Bill always falling asleep on the sofa. : )

I am thankful for my childhood in that small town in Iowa.  It was a wonderful place and time to grow up.  I still enjoy the Thanksgiving Day Parade . . . I am up early like my mother used to be baking and cooking.  We have to move our meal up a few hours . . . one of my sons works in retail and he has to go to work this evening.  I sometime wish we could go back to that way of life when the stores were closed on holidays and the world was a little simpler.  But there are plenty of things to be thankful for still . . . the main ones being the people I will share this holiday with - family and friends.  Here's to a wonderful day!

Happy Thanksgiving!