Lies in a Season of Tribulation by Launa McNeilly

Day after tomorrow I will start making my pies. Usually we have an apple, pumpkin, and a mincemeat and so thats my plan. I am teaching my two daughters to make crust so that they will carry on the homemade pie tradition. I failed to do this with the first couple daughters. My eldest daughter is bringing over the prepped apples for me to, as she put it, "do what it is you do" to make her pie for her. She is quite content to let me make the pie and is not interested in learning. She is an excellent cook and baker so I was a bit surprised that she has no interest in making pies. I missed my opportunity to teach pie baking with her.  My second daughter, who has been married for several years and has children, finally learned how to bake a turkey a couple years ago. I am not sure what she does about the pies. These last two will leave this home knowing my secrets of making crust whether they want to or not. I am firm in passing on my great grandmothers pie baking talent to at least two of the five girls.

Thanksgiving morning is an early one. My husband always gets the biggest turkey he can which means that it has hours to cook before it is ready to eat.  I get up, make coffee because nothing good happens without at least one cup of coffee. Then I am ready to start my stuffing. If the bird is too heavy for me to handle I make my husband get up and bathe the bird. It gets stuffed on both ends and slathered with butter. I usually cut little slits in the skin and stuff butter inside. In my house, you don't count calories.  Once the bird is in the oven we go back to bed and when we get up the aroma is incredible! One of the great things about cooking for Thanksgiving is you don't need the scented candles to make your home smell wonderful. I won't bore you with the rest of the dishes that I cook but on the holidays the cooking takes on a different sense of inportance. The sense of family , togetherness, sharing, and tradition  makes those meals special.  My children do not all come home for the holidays but I have sent them off with what the day means and hopefully some skills in the kitchen. My boys that are married have wonderful wives that have learned the art of holiday cooking. They will eat well. My married daughters have no complaints from their husbands so either the men like their cooking or are smart enough not to say anything.

The season is one of sharing. Don't forget to give to those that are less fortunate than ourselves. The economy is bad for most of us but that is even more reason to share what you can with those who are hit the hardest. Try to remember why we have the holiday and all the sharing that went on back then. When it all settles, family is our most inportant asset.  Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving day with family, friends, and most likely, football. Enjoy!