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Okay posters, It's that time of year again -

What are you doing for the holiday?

Since I cooked a turkey and all the trimmings last year, this is my year to make reservations!!! YEA!

Problem is I don't think I will get DH to agree to a weekend in Ashville. So I have to find something really good here at home.

What are your plans?

Thanksgiving is the holiday I love the most -- friends and family gathering together to sit down to share a table full of food which stars a roasted turkey, but . . .

My daughter's in-laws have once again invited us to be part of their family celebration and so we go for we can share Thanksgiving with our daughter and her husband and they can share Thanksgiving with their son and his wife.

Sigh -- and I have turkey plates to use!

But it's more about being together than it is about having it here!

Martha

quote:

Originally posted by Linderhof:
Sigh -- and I have turkey plates to use!
Martha

I'm often at someone else's house for holidays, but I love holiday themed dishes, so I've decided that I will start using holiday dishes for the week of the holiday. I won't set the table as elaborately as I might for a large gathering, but will enjoy seeing my spring plates during Eastertime and my turkey plates during Thanksgiving week. I've always used Christmas plates for the whole month of December. I might even hunt out some bargain Valentine's, St. Patrick's Day and Halloween plates.

Grsacie -- I have begun using the turkey plates for most of November! Especially when I have company!

Martha

I don't have plans for T-day yet, but I do have turkey dishes. Maybe we could post pictures of our dishes. Do you think we all have the same ones? Mine are blue & white, but I can't seem to find my camera!

As our kids are getting older they are just now beginning the time of spending the holidays with their cherished friend and his/her family. So we don't know for sure who's invited where.
For sure DS2 will be with us as his girlfriend is coming home the weekend prior and heading back to the SW. DD & her boyfriend will be entertaining his family.

Last year I decided to drop inviting my husband's family to celebrate with us here. They just don't get how to be gracious guests.
Cell phones at the table, arriving an hour ahead and not offering to assist, leaving before dessert and pouting about the time I get the food on the table (it's always stated on the invite.) MY ne BIL kids are just plain fussy eaters. They won't eat fresh produce; or unless it came out of a can or box.
Refuse to use canned soup, instant potatoes, boxed stuffing mix, Pillsbury tube dinner rolls, gravy from a jar and Mrs. Doe's pumpkin pies. I hate to skip serving a lovely fresh leafy green salad.

My Thanksgiving dishes - I have two sets both by Johnson Brothers - Friendly Village is a brown hued print and His Majesty a red tone print of turkeys.

I use my seasonal & holiday dishes everyday for a month or two and have been doing so for years.

I so understand so many of you ~ guess that's why I keep coming to this board!

Yes, Thanksgiving used to be such a special and fun day ~ laughter, the good smells of dinner cooking, finally sitting down for the great feast AND, invariably, my Mom looking around the table and saying, "something is missing - I forgot the rolls!"

I do miss those days and, btw, Mom never forgot to MAKE the rolls, it was always the last thing in the oven but she would forget to plate them as she slid into her place at the top of the table ~ closest to the kitchen, of course!

My Dad, Mom and FIL are gone, DH's mother is still here and a better friend to me than I could ever have hoped for in a MIL ~ she's 91 and I still talk to her every other night because I want to; not because I have to....

So, this year, DH and I will most likely go to his sister's again ~ and she is a most gracious hostess, readily shares her kitchen and we all pitch in cooking the dinner ~ the food is always spectacular but I miss the fun my family used to have.

Wonderful dinner but there is no football ~ the television is relegated to the basement in their home; instead we talk about current events, politics and such. Thankfully, most of us are on the same page there, so no arguments or fights but it just isn't FUN.

After the pie is served, everyone settles down to watch a DVD movie and no one talks for two hours (DH and I usually skip out about this time) ~ I miss the poker games, the chatter and laughter, the claims that "you cheated" and the year we dragged a recently widowed family friend out of his bed, declaring that he was the ONLY person who could referee the poker game.

And the talk about dishes? Boy, that takes me back... think I will take Grandma's Turkey Platter to SIL's house this year! Thanks for the idea ~ it's a beautiful platter probably about 100 years old and just as pretty as ever!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Idaho Resident,

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Resident:


Wonderful dinner but there is no football ~ the television is relegated to the basement in their home; instead we talk about current events, politics and such. Thankfully, most of us are on the same page there, so no arguments or fights but it just isn't FUN.

There may be some spirited discussion and/or some moping for Thanksgiving follows on the heels of this year's e l e c t i o n and not everyone will be happy! (GRIN)

It may be more spirited than you think!

Martha

I just remembered, DS and her husband moved back to the area and she is hosting Thanksgiving. That means no waiter, no table service, cooking side dishes, helping clean up, noisy television, etc, etc. Even worse, I will have to host Christmas Eve.

I should have stuck to my guns last year.

Even worse, in the past my remedy was to schedule a trip over Thanksgiving, if DS hosts this year, I'll have to host next year.

I am really not an ogre or a hermit, it's just I don't enjoy Thanksgiving. I think it is because it was never a big event for our family. Then there were the years my grandmother came!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Charming,

Linderhof and Lurah, I like your idea of using the dishes for the whole MONTH of the holiday. I do that with Christmas dishes, but I never thought to do it with my turkey plates because I only have four.

I don't have special holiday dishes so will use my antique set as usual for Thanksgiving. Not sure if DD and her family will come here or we go to their vacation home. We alternate with DSIL's family (I mean they do) when it is not our year we are alone and have recently not made too big a deal out of it and just eat alone, rather than go out.

Since we have lived so far from family and since my Mom died we never spend any holidays with my siblings. Their children are all married now and have their own families so our family time with each other is past.

Now that I personally do not want to do the work of a holiday I don't enjoy them so much. Christmas is too hectic cause DD does not wrap her cazillion presents till Xmas eve so she is wiped out the next day. And it is in general too much of everything.

This is last year's Thanksgiving and I see I did not even use my good dishes!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: lady of shallot,

I love this Thanksgiving picture which is a quarter of a century old. This dear little boy, my friends grandson, is now 24. (don't know if you would say he is dear now as he is a know it all!)

We used to include friends in our holiday celebrations.

Honestly speaking, I prefer to bake from scratch pies and take them to a shelter this T-day. Years ago, when DS was young, we three did just that and it was so special. We mingled with the folks and had a great time. This year, it's just DH and I since family (what's left of it) is too old or too far to come together. The last thing I need is to pig out on a lavish holiday spread these winter holidays.

Froo - that is such a wonderful idea. We have a Gift of Life House and Ronald McDonald and others close by. I think I will do that, too.

We do it randomly during the week, bringing cookies, etc. We always get a written thank you in the mail saying how much they appreciate it. they also like seeing my daughter and her assistant. (She is multiply impaired.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: nance425,

We've already begun sharing our Thanksgiving with others. We have our "extras" prepared and have been sharing them with younger families. We know that it can't always be on ONE specific day to do this. So we're happy to share throughout the year, we're thankful EACH day. One of our favorite young eaters puts a smile on our faces everytime we hear...."mmmmmmmmmmm". That sums it up, right? Then, you have the other favorite eater who is too "mature" to make those yummy sounds and speaks with his eyebrows and forehead. Yep, I pay attention. And it just makes us smile. Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving season!!!!!

I am Thanksgiving central in my family. Host, cook and bottle washer. Usually have about 30 people, all family. Truthfully, I would like to sneak out of all the work, but it would cause a riot.