Gobble til you wobble

Thanksgiving F words: Family & Food

Family gathered for Thanksgiving 2022

Thanksgiving is a day when families, friends, and even strangers gather together to reflect on the things they are thankful for and gobble til they wobble. Traditionally it is celebrated with a turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pumpkin pie. Wooh! In my family, we also add apple pie, because I love apple pie. If you think about it that's a lot of food! I am thankful that Thanksgiving only comes once a year.

Apple Pie

I am not a lover of turkey or any food served at Thanksgiving, besides sweet potatoes and dessert, but I do like the family getting together. Traditionally we get together with my dad’s family and spend Christmas with my mom’s family. I love the way my mom makes sweet potatoes with brown sugar, walnuts, and of course toasted marshmallows. The apple pie let's just say delicious,

Homemade apple pie with cinnamon crust

is not store-made, and has to be homemade the night before. I wish I could have an Italian Thanksgiving. Give me my pasta, meatballs, garlic knots, and pizza and I'll be set. I tend to fill up on appetizers and desserts. I love the smell and the feel of the kitchen at Thanksgiving time. Our Thanksgiving is small. We celebrate with my father's family, his sister, and her family. It makes seven in total. Every year dad tells the same story about how Nana forgot to defrost the turkey and they had to eat dinner at a local place. It brings back fond memories of my Nana and Tappas who left this world many years ago.

Nana, dad, Tappas and me in my Tigger Christmas hat

Thanksgiving at Disney

Nana and Dad, sharing a Turkey leg at Disney on Thanksgiving

I remember one year the entire family went to Disney for Thanksgiving. I don’t remember the experience but I do remember the crowds and that we went to several places trying to find a traditional turkey dinner only to come up short. I didn’t care what we ate because I don’t like turkey. We finally found a place where all of us could sit down and eat but for the life of me, I don’t remember what we ate. Dad did share a turkey leg at Disney with Nana. I am thankful for being able to spend time with Nana and Tappas.

Shout About Movies

DVD of the game Shout About!

Every year before dinner we all gather around the TV, not to watch football but to play Shout About! For those of you who don’t know this game, it is a DVD game about old movies. There are four discs each with three games. I am sure we have played every game but every year we select a game to play. Discussing whether or not we have played the game the year before. We divide up into teams, usually boys against girls, and begin to shout out. It's a fun game where we all laugh and joke. My Uncle and cousins are movie aficionados. They love old movies. It makes me sad that they have not made newer editions to include movies I have at least seen. If you are a movie buff it is lots of fun.

Family Tradition

Dad, me and Uncle Jay

Some of my other favorite traditions are on Thanksgiving weekend, starting on Black Friday. I go shopping with my Auntie, she usually sleeps over so we can head out to Woodbury Commons! After we shopped all day, we go home. Usually, we call my other Aunt

Me and Aunt Candi

and compare hauls to see what each of us got, and who got the better deals. Of course, that was when we patiently waited for the ads to be released and spent after Thanksgiving dinner circling the things we wanted to get and making a plan of attack. Now they have been having Black Friday deals since November 1. Before you ask the answer is YES, we did go on thanksgiving day after dinner when the stores were open before COVID. It was tradition, we all went. I know what the majority of you are thinking, why would you do that to your family, it's the holiday, but that wasn't the case for us. My entire family would go out. We would make it part of our family's tradition. One year we all went to Walmart near my Auntie’s house. This was the year of the George Forman grill. My father was so happy to of found one and put it in our basket. This was also the year that my cousin and her daughters got Subway sandwiches. I don’t think they liked turkey either.

Black Friday Shopping

Me and Auntie in front of the Woodbury Commons sign on Black Friday

I am super excited this year because some of these traditions are going to be rekindled again. We had to stop them for a while because of the pandemic. Now this year, we are restarting them, except for Thanksgiving night because ever since the pandemic, the stores are closed but they open up really early on Black Friday and yes, I am going to be one of those crazy people who is out shopping at 8:00 am with my Auntie and mom. I am super excited about it because we have not spent Black Friday together since before the pandemic. Even though I have to get up really early, and anyone who knows me knows that I am not a morning person, I make an exception for two days a year, Black Friday with my Auntie, and the day after Christmas with Nana, Aunt and mom, I do not mind because I enjoy spending time with my family. Thanksgiving weekend has become one of my favorite weekends of the year because usually on that Saturday or Sunday, we put up our tree

Mom and me in front of our tree

and decorate it while we listen to Christmas music while mom tells me stories behind each ornament as we put them on the tree. Bring on the Christmas carols! Yes, I have a CD in the car and it is ready to be played!

I am Thankful

Kalyn and me on Thanksgiving during the pandemic

I just wanted to take a minute to say how thankful I am for the people in my life. You know who you are! The ones that encourage me to follow my dreams. The ones that enable me to lead my best life. The ones that took the time to help me learn. The ones that tell me the truth even when it hurts. The ones that take time to talk to me and check in with me. The ones that spend time with me because they want to. The ones that include me in their lives. The ones that make me feel important and special. The ones that remind me of my value and keep me grounded The ones that share stories with me. The ones that make me laugh and cry. The ones that are family by blood and the ones that are family by choice. The ones that forget I am disabled. But more importantly, the ones that love me.

I would love to hear about your family traditions and how you gobble til you wobble.

Thank you for reading until the end!

This is the view from my wheelchair, where miracles can make a difference. Always Strive for the Impossible. Come back next week to see what happens when toilets explode and nail polish ends up on sneakers and The View From My Wheelchair.