Thanksgiving was amazing this year. Jim (aka Emeril) really outdid himself. He even created a menu for
all the food.
The day started with Jim's mother, sister and niece coming over for a great feast. After a mix of
appetizers (Pepperoni, cheese and crackers-Richie's favorite, the usual chips and dip, veggies and
dip, and shrimp) we delighted in the main course. Jim had deepfried a turkey and baked a ham in the
oven. We had homemade stuffing, tortellini salad, (my two contributions to the mix) mashed potatoes,
homemade baked beans, butternut squash from the garden, cranberry sauce, and several varieties of
bread (herb, corn, pumpkin, and banana walnut). We watched the traditional Lions thanksgiving game,
which was even better this year since the Patriots were playing!
Jim's family left and my family arrived. This comprised of Mom and Dad, Greg, Carla, Adam, Jayson,
Eric and Greggy, Pouchi, Billy, Michael and Nicholas, Foster, Marcus, Stephanie, Marky and Zachary,
Robbie and his girlfriend Meredith, Heidi Beth and Saraiah (Strawberry Shortcake herself), and friends
Brian and Jonas. I don't think I missed anyone but there was quite a bit of traffic in the house.
Unfortunately, Michelle, Larry and the girls were unable to join us. All were invited for what we referred to
as Round Two...a Roast on the rotisserie, leftovers from the main course and Jim's unbelievable
ensemble of desserts which included peanut butter pie, bailey's chocolate macadamia nut and toasted
coconut pie, squash pie, apple pie, pumpkin cheesecake, indian pudding and grapenut pudding. We
watched the Dallas game in front of a nice fire and ate til everyone was green. Jim was making "coo coo
juice" (pineapple drinks) for the guys downstairs who had jumped into a game of cards. The children
were pretty much everywhere playing computer games, playstation, and whatever other toys they could
find.
Some of the kids wandered upstairs to my music room and started a "band". You could hear the
array of instruments including keyboards, bongos, electronic drums, whistles and flutes and of course
singing on the microphone. They had a ball playing and we had a ball listening. Obviously, it was not a
quiet evening, but everyone seemed to have a great time. We finally split the party up at 10pm...poor
Jim, after days of cooking had to work in the morning...which didn't at all seem fair. I was thankful I
didn't have to.
A CHRISTMAS CACTUS & THANKSGIVING Carol Howlett
The Howlett Christmas Cactus started blooming the week before Thanksgiving and some of the blossoms were in full
bloom with many more coming. Maybe by Christmas we will have a picture like we did last year.
We had the Thanksgiving meal here this year with all the good things that go with it. Besides Doug and I we had Doug
& Lisa, Chris & Angel & Gaitlyn, Rob & Willow and 3 Howlett dogs (Chloe, Diesel, & Norma). I made a double layer Pumpkin
Pie which went over very well. I am enclosing the recipe for anyone who might like to try it.
Mix cream cheese, 1 tbs. milk and sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups whipped
topping. Spread onto bottom of crust.
Pour 1 cup milk into large bowl. Add pumpkin, pudding mixes and spices. Beat with wire whisk until well mixed.
(mixture will be thick.) Spread over cream cheese layer.
Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Garnish with remaining topping. Store leftover pie in refrigerator. Makes 8 servings
Helpful hint: soften cream cheese in microwave on high 15 to 20 seconds.
We wish a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy Happy New Year 2003
to all the Muse Readers.
AN AWESOME THANKSGIVING Lori Turner
My Thankgiving. It was so AWESOME, I flew to Plymouth, WI to visit with my
cousin and her family. I have not seen my cousin in 24 years and it was a
fun celebration and it was so good to see her. We are so much alike and we
had many laughs about that. I told her somehow we were twins separated at
birth a year apart. She is 1 year younger than me. :-)
I will fly to Minnesota from 12/18 to 12/22 to spend it with Darrel.
Looking forward to that trip.
Take care and HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
THANKSGIVING Wendy Morgan-Littlefield
Uncle Bob and Aunt Nancy,
It was soooooooo good to see you both at Thanksgiving,
I enjoyed talking with you very much.
I will send pictures as soon as I download them.
SPECIAL THANKS Meri Murdock
After battling a slight kidney problem for a few days,
Thanksgiving was the first day I was able to really eat. So it was perfect timing. Either that, or
it was a sign from above for me to remember and give special thanks that day.
Thanksgiving was really fun. I watched Sean and Tim play a very amusing computer game,
and then partook in a sumptuous feast prepared by Ian. After dinner I played Uno with the
boys, and the next get-together is to include Risk.
A TRULY WONDERFUL CELEBRATION Nancy Murdock
When Bob's nephew Dan Leskinen invited Musers in the area to spend Thanksgiving with his family, we accepted immediately. And are we ever glad we did!
I decided to bake from scratch my annual pie, our family favorite dinner rolls, and a couple of other things. Niece Wendy (another vegetarian) was bringing mushroom gravy and squash, so that narrowed the choices to no more than 40. In the end, we were almost an hour late leaving to pick up Colleen McKay, because the corn custard was still in its liquid phase when I took it out of the oven. Holding my breath, I scooped out some and ran it through the microwave. Yes, that worked, and it didn't even boil over - much. I also put the heat way up on the regular oven, took out the tray of hot water, and put another portion in to see how it would do in two smaller casseroles. We finally got going, with an apple pie, mince pie (I made both the mince and the crust), LOTS of corn custard in four containers, plain dinner rolls (the ones with cinnamon and raisins had to stay home because I missed hearing the timer), and the best stuffing I've ever made.
It was an easy 40 miles or so to Dan and Carolyn's home. When we arrived, I knew we were going to have fun. Dan had written to tell us what each person's job was, and it was impressive to see how perfectly they pulled it off. Our coats disappeared upstairs. We admired the table, set for 24, with take-home ornaments painted for each person, and a seating plan propped up at the head. The football game was on the TV, flanked by the appetizers. The two large dogs, four cats, and a caged rabbit (in the living room) all blended with the extended family.
I had wondered if I'd be able to warm any of my stuff, with a huge turkey in the oven, but the turkey was being cooked by one of Carolyn's siblings. Very handy, moving to her old hometown. A reunion is a piece of cake compared to one that spans the continent. Wendy (whom we rarely see) and I visited as we moved dishes in and out of the oven. Thankfully, Carolyn is not territorial; she didn't even tell us she had a cake to bake until there was a lull. What a great hostess!
Dan, who had taken the whole week off to get ready for this magnificent event, happily added lots and lots of potatoes to the mixer to mash as he chatted with new arrivals. This was one cooking task he had assigned to himself, along with the baking of cardamom- scented Finnish bread, which he gave each family as we were leaving. He was also the one who had set up four tables, which he placed end to end, so that we all sat together. It was truly amazing! I wish he'd been around when we used to do Thanksgiving dinner in Minneapolis for the Darby family and ourselves. We never did figure out how to make the card table compatible with the dining table to seat us all together.
At the head of the table, Dan asked each of us to say something we were thankful for, and he read a Native American prayer. And then he led us in the Lord's Prayer. It was a perfect beginning to a Thanksgiving meal.
And what a meal it was! We all ate more than we had planned, of course. How can you turn down Dan's father's famous rutabaga dish, or Colleen's brownies with Ghirardelli chocolate pieces, or the chocolates someone passed, or the mushroom gravy thickened with arrowroot, or the multiple pumpkin pies, or the frosted cake (to name a few)? And of course I had to sample all my own items to be sure they were okay.
We had a wonderful time visiting with people we knew from long ago and people we had never previously met. There were lots of beautiful children and very young adults. The next generation is coming along very, very nicely. We felt truly privileged to be there, and we will never forget this Thanksgiving. It will remain in a special place in our hearts forever.
OVERHEARD ON THANKSGIVING Bob Murdock
After we sat down for the feast at Dan and Carolyn's house, we were asked to say something we were most thankful for. Calder, 14, said in a very clear voice "I'm thankful for Play Station 2!"
Dan told me that he's a program manager with Adelphia, a nationwide communications company. He has been with them four years, the last two in PA.
Carolyn works in a nearby nursery home and is also a maternity nurse. She enjoys taking friends and family to Baltimore, especially the Inner Harbor.
Stephanie, 16, plays flute and sax in the school band. She would like to be a pediatric surgeon.
Calder, in 8th grade, plays soccer. He also loves difficult math problems - and of course, the computer.
Alizabette is 10 and a fifth grader. She's into Girl Scouts and cheerleading.
Annabelle, 6, is in the first grade. "She's full of life," said Dan.
Paul Leskinen, Dan's dad, came all the way down to Hanover, PA from his home in Athol, MA. He moved there after retiring from his longtime job with a dairy co-op at Cornell University. He said it's great to be back, in close touch with relatives and old friends. As I talked with Paul, I looked down at my left and noticed for the first time a big caged rabbit, right in a corner of the living room! They sure don't make much noise. Its name is Smokey, said Calder.
Calder told me that they have six other pets: Liam, an English sheep dog; Akela, a Siberian husky; and four cats: Mia, Big, Summer, and C.J.
John Littlefield, Wendy's spouse, looks wonderfully fit. He should, as the owner and instructor of a martial arts school in Ithaca. John uses the techniques of Ho Kwan, who was world champion in Tae Kwon Do. John has a 4th degree black belt in Hwardo.
Wendy cooks at Kappa Delta, a Cornell sorority. She stays fit by working out with John every morning and taking Martial Arts classes at night. Wendy and Jill have started an area Type 1 Diabetes support group.
Annie, 16, is a straight A student in the 11th grade. She's really into dance: jazz, ballet, lyrical, hip-hop. In college (Penn State, maybe), she hopes to study art or fashion design.
Jill, 13, (8th grade) is also straight A's. She's studying ballet, plays softball and has or is working on a 1st degree black belt.
Wendy loves to grow exotic vegetables and fruits. She has a big organic garden. Come and see it in August, she said. That's blackberry season, too.
Carolyn's parents, Ed and Jean Calder, were there and I had a nice chat with Jean. I asked how long they had been married. "We celebrated our 50th anniversary on March 8th this year," she said. They have seven children. The ones who came to this gathering, besides Carolyn, were Nancy Calder; Terry Calder with his wife Mary Beth and sons Daniel and Matthew; and Geri Fiore with her husband Michael.