Skipped my walk this morning knowing we would be out and about, shopping for our Thanksgiving dinner. Kinda weird….. for the past 17 years or so… I have been responsible for our Thanksgiving dinner. An event that included [as the years wore on] 4 Daughters, 3 Son-in-laws, 8 Grandchildren, inevitably 2-8 friends and the occasional straggler….. Have had up to 32 folks, which had our house almost bursting at the seams…… Crowded ? Yes~! Mad house ? Absolutely~! But lordy what fun….. watching folks chat with each other, some they hadn’t seen since the previous year [or longer] —- good times. Do I miss them ? Yes~! Do I want to move back and continue it ? Oh, Hell no~! It’s time for my girls and their families to start some traditions of their own….. and I want to be around to at least see and/or hear about it…..
Here on the island… tomorrow, (Thanksgiving) is just another Thursday, as Thanksgiving is a strictly an American holiday. I tried to find some place on the island that was serving a traditional Thanksgiving meal ( I figured since us Americans contribute greatly to the economy of the island, there might be some place that would have a Thanksgiving meal) ….. but didn’t find anything even close…… so my bride and I set out to get fixin’s for our own Thanksgiving here on the island…… It took several stores, but we now have what we need for our own personal Thanksgiving meal. For the first time in 17 years or so – I looked for the smallest turkey I could find (versus the biggest)…. I found it, or so I thought. Came home with my 3 pound turkey, which I figured would be perfect for my bride and me. Throwed it in the pool (to defrost) and commenced to drink and skinny dip and listen to some wonderful old timey music…….. Turns out, a pool in the sunshine and 85 degrees thaws a 3 lb. turkey REALLY fast….. I took my bird in to rinse it and put it in the fridge…… as I cut it open, I did not have a 3 lb. bird… but 3 lbs. of breast meat and dark meat (and a small packet of gravy)…… I feel mildly better in light of a little turkey didn’t die just so we could have turkey…., but still – So tomorrow, I am going to grill our Thanksgiving bird [meat] (we do not have a conventional oven in the kitchen)…. we have almost all of the other standards….. smashed taters, corn, green beans, peas, stuffing (albeit Stove Top)…. won’t have rolls, cranberry sauce or my beloved ‘tater balls’ – but we will celebrate the holiday and for all the things for which we are thankful. Near the top of the list – Living on a tropical island in the Caribbean, doing whatever the hell we feel like, whenever the hell we feel like it, will be in the top 5 things on that list….. Our family being number one…….
If our family is so important……why did we run off and leave our family behind ? I’m sure that’s crossed at least a few minds……… Fair question……. we decided very early in our life…. that we wanted to have our family, get them well on their way and still be ‘young’ enough to enjoy some of our life together. Might sound pretty advanced for a couple of 21 year olds….. but that is exactly what happened, and that is exactly what we did……..do we have times we wish we were still ‘home’ to be with our family ? Absolutely~! Do we regret our decision ? Not for a second…… we knew a long time ago, we were not going to be the dotting type of Grandparents, that lived for our Grandkids….. do we love them ? Hell yes – but – we raised our kids… and feel like we did a pretty good job of it. It is time for our kids to live their lives…with their kids… and Oma and Pa-Paw can still be around to enjoy it here and there…. it might be romping around on a Caribbean beach, but there are worse ways to spend that time….. but we’re enjoying whatever amount of time we have left on this planet — on our terms……
So, get together with your families…. or your spouse, or friends or a crowd or all of them together…. think about the good things in your life and be truly thankful for the time you get on this rock hurtling through space….
I hope you all have a truly wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving……
B.
