Turkey with all the Fixin’s

We had a special guest at our Thanksgiving table.  My grandpa!  He’ll be 90 years old in March.  He lives in a retirement village near us, but we fail miserably to visit like we should.  Spending the afternoon with him last Thursday made me so aware of this.

My mom and dad brought him.  The younger kids were epecially excited for our Thanksgiving “party” and scurried to the door to meet him.  “Hi, Dwight!” he carefully navigated our mudroom with the help of his walker.  “That’s Josh, Dad.”  my mom corrected.  If he were able to see clearly, he’d have know the difference between Dwight and Josh; but macular degeneration is making that impossible.

We guided him to our red cushy chair- best seat in the house.  “Oh boy Von, oh boy!”  He seemed pleased with his chair.  Naomi immediately began to “show him around” as it were.  “Here’s Livy,” she said carrying the dog over to his lap.  She then graced him with her entire portfolio of  sketches and artwork.  He smiled, “Oh, that’s nice!” he said again and again.

I didn’t quite have lunch ready on time, but was ready within a half hour.  “Are you hungry, Gramp?”  I asked.  “Oh, a little, I don’t work up much of an appetite anymore, just sitting around.”  We helped him to his place at the table.  He lifted his plate close to his eyes.  “This reminds me of when I was a boy, Von.  My ma and dad bought these when I was about 5 years old from VandenBerg Furniture Store on Grandville Avenue.  We only ever used them on Sundays and holidays.”   Vintage yellow trimmed dishes AND and the history beside them!

While I was not an eye witness to his plate, I could hear his excitement over the meal. I think that living through the Depression makes him so much more appreciative. “How’s the food at at the home, Gramp?”  “Oh- it’s okay- they just don’t use alot of seasonings, the food doesn’t taste like much of anything.”

Having a pie company means that you have a little bit of everything for Thanksgiving dessert.  “We have pecan,”  Oo- Dad- she’s got pecan!”  “Oo!”  “We’ve got pumpkin,”  “Ooo- pumpkin!”  “And we have apple, and wildberry cream.”  He opted for a small piece of pecan,  and pumpkin.

After dinner was probably even more special.  We relaxed together in the living room to reminisce.  I learned that the little brown suitcase on my table was purchased in the 40’s when my grandma moved to New Mexico with Grandpa, after they were married.  He told us about an aunt who helped take care of him and his siblings, when his “ma” was ill.  She apparently wasn’t fond of her role in their lives.  “My ma would give me directions to give Nellie, each day. “I would say, Nellie- my ma wants you to make us kids breakfast.”  “She’d turn around and look at me, Shut your face- she’d say!”  “I turned to my little brothers and sisters, sitting at the kitchen table, they were all giggling!”  He laughed at the memory.  So did we.

Our guests left around 4pm.  Grandpa continued to rave about the wonderful day all the way home.  He’s bragging about my cooking skills far and wide.  I’m so glad that he was able to come.  I have so many happy memories of Grandma bustling around the kitchen in her apron, loading up the table with homemade corn relish, spiced apple slices, pickled beets, canned applesauce, turkey, and yes- pie.

I hope all of you enjoyed your pie with family  too!