First Time Turkey Day

♪♫ Tradition ♪♫  (right now I'm picturing the scene from Fiddler on the Roof where the dad is singing his lungs out about that very thing)  Ahhhhh - the memories!!

Do you have specific holiday traditions for Thanksgiving?  I would wager a guess that you do; its almost unamerican to not establish clear traditions for the ins and outs of turkey day.  My family's traditions have changed since I was a child but there are still rules that must be followed and procedures that must be maintained.  For instance; since my maternal grandmother passed away, we no longer split our time between my dad's family and my mom's family.  We now have our own family meal at the Turner homestead.  Regardless of the new location; the table still has a bird, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, corn casserole, various pies, and whatever else we can squeeze onto it; we still sort through the black Friday adds while we wait for the bird to finish; and the guys still try to squeeze in a trip to the woods.  Tradition!

As to personal routines, I start the day early.  Many years ago the Freeland family started a tradition of playing football on Thanksgiving morning and eventually invited fellow KCBC'ers to join in the fun.  Lance and Dennis are now serving as missionaries in Africa but the tradition of playing football at the KCHS field continues.  When I bought my house in Kent City, I started making sticky buns and cocoa and bringing them to the game for the players and spectators to enjoy.  Once the game finishes, I head home and start taking down my fall decor to make room for my Christmas decor.  Then I'm off to mom's to help with the big meal.  Tradition!

This weekend will reflect a different sort of tradition that incorporates many turkey day standards.  Since high school the 4 Amigos (Rachel, Brenda J, Brenda A, and me) have gotten together each time an introduction is required (AKA each time a new guy needs to be inspected and approved of).  I've been the holdout in the marriage department so its been awhile since we observed this tradition.  However, its time for those who know me best (and have the most dirt on me) to meet Mark.  We typically go karoaking but this time that wasn't feasible so I decided to host a party.  With the holiday quickly approaching and my yearning for stuffing and gravy steadily growing stronger, I decided to make it a pre-Thanksgiving party complete with the holiday fixings.  Sadly, its been about 3 years since we were all in the same room so I'm hoping that this becomes an ongoing thing so we'll at least be together once a year.  Tradition!!

I have grand plans for Saturday but I also have low expectations for my ability to pull it off.  This will be the first time I've cooked my own bird - eek!!  I have a great cheer leading squad of people on speed dial so I should be alright. Besides, Mark will be there to help and he swears he has experience in the field of poultry preparation.  Still, as it stands I'm not sure whether I'm more nervous about cooking the bird right or gaining the full support of people who have stood beside me in so many other areas.  We shall see...  Wish me luck!  With both the poultry and the fella :)