The holiday season is upon us. This week is Thanksgiving, the ultimate holiday for gluttony. The official kick-off of the holiday season...at least in my mind. Now that I am an adult (and I use that term loosely), the holidays are somewhat bittersweet. Don't get me wrong. I love the holidays. I always have. So many happy childhood memories...
When I was a child, no major holiday was complete until we had dinner at my grampap's house. (People sometimes laugh at me because I use the term "grampap." That's what I always called my grandfather. This is my story, so deal with it.) Now where was I? Oh yeah....dinner at grampap's. My parents and I would arrive at my grandfather's house; Mom with her lemon meringue pies and Dad...well, I don't know what he was doing. All I know is that mom had pies. Not just any pies...I mean the best lemon meringue pies EVER. Now we're getting off track, so focus!
Anyway...as soon as we opened the door, I ran straight into my grandfather's arms. He was always there waiting with a big hug just for me. I don't think anyone could love their grandfather as much as I loved mine. I remember the feel of his arms around me, his big booming laugh, the scent of ivory soap on his skin, and the smell of the ham or turkey roasting in the oven... I can still hear the laughter of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Blissful chaos. It was loud, crazy, and wonderful.
The kitchen bustled with activity. Grampap always made the turkey or the ham. My mom and my aunts would share in the rest of the cooking. My job was to set the table. I liked to do that because it gave me the first shot at the black olives. Aunt Janie and I always got in trouble for eating all the black olives, but we just couldn't help ourselves. We always had tons of food. Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, ham gravy (the best thing ever invented), home-made horseradish, corn, a veggie tray with radishes, cucumbers, and green onions, cole-slaw, warm crescent rolls, real butter, pumpkin pie with real whipped cream, lemon meringue pie... The food was the best I've ever had. Maybe it was the cooks or the quality of the ingredients that made the food taste so good...but I think most of all....it was the love we all shared. No one ever left grampap's house without a full belly or without feeling loved.
Those days are gone now and Grampap is no longer with us, but the memories we made will live in my heart forever.
