Thanksgiving on the Road

For Thanksgiving this year, we are in Lousã, Portugal heading to the Douro Valley. No turkey. No dressing or mashed potatoes. No oyster stuffing. No cranberries. No pun’kin or pecan pie. When I look back at our lives, there have been many different Thanksgivings, often not at home. 

I have always thought of Thanksgiving as the most American of holidays. You might think July 4th, but many countries celebrate their Independence Day. Some other countries celebrate a version of giving thanks, or celebrating the harvest, but for me, our Thanksgiving is always a bit unique, or at least the Norman Rockwell version is – the abundance, the gathering of the family, the good cheer, the feelings of blessing. 

As a kid growing up, that was pretty much how it was for us, except there were usually more people at our table. Our family of five, and of course Grandma. Usually Uncle Don, Aunt Diane and their three kids. Uncle Mick stopping by bringing one of Aunt Marge’s heavenly pies. Friends stopping in after finishing their own Thanksgiving Dinners. It was often a madhouse, and I mean that in the very best sense of the word. 

Things changed when I went to West Point. As a cadet, we had dinners in the mess hall, including my Plebe year when I put on 9 pounds in a single day*. Another year, I remember visiting Cathy in DC for a Friendsgiving – it may have been the same weekend as the Army Navy game, but I can’t quite recall.

 After we married and the Army moved us to Germany, things changed again. As a lieutenant one year, I worked in the mess hall cooking breakfast for the troops on Thanksgiving morning. We enjoyed our own dinner with several other lieutenants later in the day. 

 

 Some years in Germany, we had the bachelor officers over for dinner. And I remember several years when we took a four-day pass and travelled for the long weekend, including once by train to Vienna, Austria. We didn’t have turkey in Vienna, but I do remember going to a Karpfen Festival (Carp festival) and eating carp for the first time in my life. It was delicious.

 When we moved back to the States, we occasionally had a small group at the house, or perhaps as often, would have dinner for just the two of us with Cornish Game Hens. Of course, there was also the year with a houseful of weekend guests, and our septic system started failing**.

 For the past several years, it was more likely we travelled (again) or went to someone else’s home for the big feast. We always brought either Mom’s Oyster Dressing*** or Dad’s Cranberry Sauce**** as our complement to the meal. Going to someone else’s home always meant less work, but it also meant no turkey sandwiches the day after. 

 The one commonality for all those dinners and meals? Cath and I gave thanks for our lives and what we had. Sometimes there were group prayers. Sometimes everyone around the table said aloud what they were thankful for. And sometimes it was just Cath and I clinking our glasses and giving thanks with a toast. 

 I suspect tomorrow in the Douro Valley we will do the same. I don’t know what we will have for our meal, but I am sure it will be delicious. And at some point, we will clink our glasses and give thanks for what we have, despite the issues we have faced this year. 

 I hope you all can do the same. 

 I know many of our family and friends are facing challenges. Death of a spouse, cancer, sickness, questions and tests in their lives, a planet that does not seem entirely stable, and so much more. I pray each of you can find something to be thankful for in this crazy, mixed-up world. 

 PS. Try not to overeat. ;-). 

Addendum:

It turns out I’ve written a few Thanksgiving blogs in the past. You can read them here:

• * It’s not easy to gain nine pounds in a single day.  It requires a bit of focus and dedication to make it happen. I did it Thanksgiving Day my Plebe year at West Point – https://mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2019/11/21/gaining-nine-pounds-in-a-day/
• **This is a different kind of Thanksgiving story.  How often do you give thanks to a septic system company on Thanksgiving Day?  For Thanksgiving 2001, we had a family gathering.  We didn’t realize it would precipitate problems with our septic system on the day before Thanksgiving […].  Continue at: https://mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2020/11/24/sht-water/
• *** It was 2007 and we were back with family in Illinois for Thanksgiving.  After the meal as we were all talking I started thinking and then said, “You know, I believe this is the first time I’ve been home for Thanksgiving since…”  From the other end of the table, mom answered “1972” […] Continue at: https://mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2017/11/22/moms-scalloped-oysters
• **** Thanksgiving, that truly American holiday, is approaching and started me to thinking about Dad and his Cranberry Sauce. It’s a great recipe filled with bourbon, cranberries, shallots, orange zest and memories. I love the fact that I get to spend a little time with Dad whenever I make it […] Continue here: https://mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2023/11/14/cranberries-a-la-dad/