I’m a little late reading this, but thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless. 🤣🤣🤣 You have such a wonderful family. Your Mom was quite a character. Makes for a loving family. It sounds like this was another perfect Thanksgiving for you.
I had nearly the same experience with my mom & "Helter Skelter." Yours made me laugh out loud. My mom stared hard at the book & said in arch Mom voice "Pam, why are you reading THAT?" which made me look at the cover & realize what great marketing it was & yet again, how horrible Manson was - so mission accomplished, Mom! I had the very slightest resentment toward my mom for that incident (along with a million other unwarranted, perceived slights) but that one: no more. Thanks, Connie!
Being older now, I am always horrified when I see someone reading that book. I always wonder if that reader will understand the pliability of young women & what a cautionary tale it is. It they're male, I see them reading it & I wonder "To what end?" Horrifying.
But good juxtaposition! Beautiful Thanksgiving tales & slices of life...but not cranberry. We always had the conversation that no, the indentations were not to slice on. Something about slicing on the can lines reinforced the fact that it came out of a can & that was a no-no. My dad would always laugh. Laughing at the cranberry sauce was a Thanksgiving staple.
My grown-up Thanksgivings were as a single mom. Ran out of propane one year. With a propane cookstove, that was a big deal. No place was open on holidays to fill the tank. It took wrestling a 100lb. propane tank up a hill, leveling it with wedges & then tying it off to a birch tree, all after an unsafe & illegal ride in my station wagon with the tank, to have it filled & to change it. Checking it was a big deal & I did it regularly. I was in school & working & my kids were teens with activities, so everything always had to fall into place.
Ahead of time, the next year, I checked: all good. Ran out again. Unbelievable & the only times ever! The turkey was in the oven & not done but the side dishes & pies were, thank goodness. My daughter put her arm around me & said, gently, "Come on, Mom, let's go." On reflection, I see she was 14 at the time & was always "Let's go."
The grocery store was empty except for a couple clerks & two men wandering around different aisles, both with gigantic yellow bags of Lay's potato chips under their arms. Must've been halftime. This was good, because it gave me something to laugh at besides myself.
We bought a little rotisserie chicken, put it on the big platter, put the vegies around it, & took a picture. Lots of empty space. Told this to a childless friend & he said, "Well, at least you know when you're going to run out of propane!" Not helpful.
It must be so very nice to be able to tell tales, & tales of value, for a living. I know you've worked hard for it. Thank you for the poignancy & clarity of your writing. My parents would've loved it. We all gain from it.
Thank you for this story! My stepmother was the home ec teacher, was always tough to be in her classroom as a student! Thank you for sharing the rum cake recipe! Made it last night and so excited to try it! Maybe new family tradition! No pumpkin pie this year!!
Oh the requisite Jr High Home Ec class! I remember sewing a gym bag out of a bath towel and making potato soup, lollipops (?) and goetta, which I’d never heard of (I was transplanted from PA to OH) and hated! Thanks for stirring up old memories. Happy Thanksgiving!
I made my family’s Thanksgiving dinner from 2006 through 2021. After my mom passed in 2022 and I didn’t have much family to make it for, we started having a Friendsgiving. Our house was filled with 30 people last night. I made some of my favorite dishes and they brought some of theirs. And it was different, but also really wonderful.
Seven hours basting your rum cake sounds about right. My ex-mother in law made her’s at thanksgiving and basted it twice weekly until Christmas. That was a tipsy rum cake!
One of your best columns. Yes, I know that plop of the canned cranberry (I'm all for it.) I used to buy the canned "drug" in miniature, single-serve cans, so that I could eat the whole thing. I remember being at a friend's house and the dish of cranberry sauce was right at my plate. Of course I ate the whole thing, only to find out that was for the table. Thanksgiving to you too.
I’m a full-time 👩🏻🦽user (R hip gone) so my wife and I can’t get to the place our adopted family of 30 years gathers. The two families have two kids each, all now in their early twenties. For the last four years, the “kids” have brought Thanksgiving dinner to us before they all sit down. Their visit is short because the chef wants to serve their dinner, but it warms us for a long time.
I’m a little late reading this, but thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless. 🤣🤣🤣 You have such a wonderful family. Your Mom was quite a character. Makes for a loving family. It sounds like this was another perfect Thanksgiving for you.
I had nearly the same experience with my mom & "Helter Skelter." Yours made me laugh out loud. My mom stared hard at the book & said in arch Mom voice "Pam, why are you reading THAT?" which made me look at the cover & realize what great marketing it was & yet again, how horrible Manson was - so mission accomplished, Mom! I had the very slightest resentment toward my mom for that incident (along with a million other unwarranted, perceived slights) but that one: no more. Thanks, Connie!
Being older now, I am always horrified when I see someone reading that book. I always wonder if that reader will understand the pliability of young women & what a cautionary tale it is. It they're male, I see them reading it & I wonder "To what end?" Horrifying.
But good juxtaposition! Beautiful Thanksgiving tales & slices of life...but not cranberry. We always had the conversation that no, the indentations were not to slice on. Something about slicing on the can lines reinforced the fact that it came out of a can & that was a no-no. My dad would always laugh. Laughing at the cranberry sauce was a Thanksgiving staple.
My grown-up Thanksgivings were as a single mom. Ran out of propane one year. With a propane cookstove, that was a big deal. No place was open on holidays to fill the tank. It took wrestling a 100lb. propane tank up a hill, leveling it with wedges & then tying it off to a birch tree, all after an unsafe & illegal ride in my station wagon with the tank, to have it filled & to change it. Checking it was a big deal & I did it regularly. I was in school & working & my kids were teens with activities, so everything always had to fall into place.
Ahead of time, the next year, I checked: all good. Ran out again. Unbelievable & the only times ever! The turkey was in the oven & not done but the side dishes & pies were, thank goodness. My daughter put her arm around me & said, gently, "Come on, Mom, let's go." On reflection, I see she was 14 at the time & was always "Let's go."
The grocery store was empty except for a couple clerks & two men wandering around different aisles, both with gigantic yellow bags of Lay's potato chips under their arms. Must've been halftime. This was good, because it gave me something to laugh at besides myself.
We bought a little rotisserie chicken, put it on the big platter, put the vegies around it, & took a picture. Lots of empty space. Told this to a childless friend & he said, "Well, at least you know when you're going to run out of propane!" Not helpful.
It must be so very nice to be able to tell tales, & tales of value, for a living. I know you've worked hard for it. Thank you for the poignancy & clarity of your writing. My parents would've loved it. We all gain from it.
Sent this post to a friends who made the cake. She said it was a hit!
Thank you for this story! My stepmother was the home ec teacher, was always tough to be in her classroom as a student! Thank you for sharing the rum cake recipe! Made it last night and so excited to try it! Maybe new family tradition! No pumpkin pie this year!!
Looks and smells amazing!!
Oh dang, apparently can’t post images @Substack.
What a lovely tribute to your mom. Thank you for sharing your not-so-typical holiday tradition. I'm very moved.
This was a wonderful column. I am going to try the rum cake this year, thank you for the recipe. A blessed Thanksgiving to you and yours.❤️
Oh the requisite Jr High Home Ec class! I remember sewing a gym bag out of a bath towel and making potato soup, lollipops (?) and goetta, which I’d never heard of (I was transplanted from PA to OH) and hated! Thanks for stirring up old memories. Happy Thanksgiving!
I made my family’s Thanksgiving dinner from 2006 through 2021. After my mom passed in 2022 and I didn’t have much family to make it for, we started having a Friendsgiving. Our house was filled with 30 people last night. I made some of my favorite dishes and they brought some of theirs. And it was different, but also really wonderful.
Love it.
I always say the same thing. But it’s true. I love your family stories. So happy you share them and tell them with such love and humor.
Seven hours basting your rum cake sounds about right. My ex-mother in law made her’s at thanksgiving and basted it twice weekly until Christmas. That was a tipsy rum cake!
One of your best columns. Yes, I know that plop of the canned cranberry (I'm all for it.) I used to buy the canned "drug" in miniature, single-serve cans, so that I could eat the whole thing. I remember being at a friend's house and the dish of cranberry sauce was right at my plate. Of course I ate the whole thing, only to find out that was for the table. Thanksgiving to you too.
Love these warm tales of your family!
I’m a full-time 👩🏻🦽user (R hip gone) so my wife and I can’t get to the place our adopted family of 30 years gathers. The two families have two kids each, all now in their early twenties. For the last four years, the “kids” have brought Thanksgiving dinner to us before they all sit down. Their visit is short because the chef wants to serve their dinner, but it warms us for a long time.
Connie everything is exciting with you. I love your stories.
“Like you were there” and your brother whining “where is it, I don’t see it”😂😂
Happy holidays!