Tradition! Tradition!

It's time to start thinking about our Thanksgiving traditions. Ok. I'm done. That didn't take long.

Sad to say that we really don't have that many traditions. We don't watch football. We don't even play it. Usually we are entrenched in soccer tournaments. But this year Brent and I stomped our proverbial foot down and said, NO MORE. We are reclaiming our family day to spend time lounging and gorging.

Well...okay...I realized we aren't completely lame. We do have a few traditions:

1. Every year at Thanksgiving we go around the table and tell something we are thankful for. (Hey, I never said we pride ourselves on originality) But, I'm always caught unprepared. Go figure that one! The celebration has only been around since the 1600's. I know the plan and still don't think to plan ahead!! DUH!! So I end up saying something like, "I'm thankful for indoor plumbing." A wonderful luxury to be sure. But still...

Here is an idea I love. Start a thankful jar. It's not too late. You still have 16 days. Keep a jar on your counter next to a pad and pencil. Anytime you or your family think of something they are grateful for, write it down and drop it into the jar. Then during the feast, read the entries.

Another of our traditions is to read Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving. What a fun story about the poor fate of the turkey, introduced to us by my mom. Even teens and adults still enjoy picture books.





Another great book is the Ox-Cart Man. It isn't exactly a Thanksgiving book - but it has a Thanksgiving-y feel to it and reminds us of being thankful for of our abundance. In the book, the father brings home gifts for his family: a pot, a knife, a needle and a bag of peppermint candies intended to last the whole winter. It was originally a poem by the US poet Laureate Donald Hall.






Thanks to Design Mom for the idea and photos

Oh ya....and then there is the tradition of Autumn Cheesecake. Okay, truthfully, it hasn't so much been a tradition in the past...more like a tradition of wishful thinking. Sing this with me: I'm dreaming of a cheesecake turkey day (Has a nice ring to it...)

If I could just get someone to make it.