Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

Like most people, I guess, some of my fondest memories of Thanksgiving were the ones I spent as a child.

Most of the prep work for the dinner was done the day before. My job was to cut two huge loaves of stale bread into perfect cubes (early knife skills) for the stuffing.

Then my Mother would wake up incredibly early and put the huge turkey in the oven. I still don't understand that, as turkeys don't take THAT long to cook.

Meanwhile my Dad would set up the two long tables he made from wood that rested on homemade sawhorses. Then we'd cover them with tablecloths (at the time, I thought they were linen but, looking back, I think they were bedsheets).

Somebody would take the old cornucopia and use it for the centerpiece, filling it with fruits, nuts and grapes.

My married brothers and their kids would start to arrive and finally (FINALLY) we would sit down to eat.

Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy were my favorites, but there were always extra side dishes. My Mother always made her signature dish: some sort of jello with fruit in it (sometimes cherry with fruit cocktail, sometimes lime with, say tangerines).

It was a running joke that my Mom always forgot "something" in the fridge and didn't discover it until afterward. Hey, don't laugh, I do it myself!

Then, we feasted!