Gobble, Gobble

Gobble, Gobble

Posted by: Darrin Parmenter, County Director, CSU Extension in La Plata County

The day of food is such a good day. When else do you have the excuse to put gravy on everything, and even if it mixes with the cranberries, you marvel at the surprisingly good combination it makes? And after a plate that held seven or eight dishes comes the pumpkin (or better yet, pecan or apple) pie?

When I lived in Montana, New York, and Florida, our (growing) family almost always hosted the day. Once in Bozeman, Montana my housemates and I served dinner for what must have been 200 people, most of which were uninvited snowboarders and ski bums looking for a free meal. Eight turkeys later, out came the aforementioned pumpkin pies (unknowingly) without sugar. The creations lasted about three minutes.

Thanksgiving, 2008

In all of these places, our friends were are family – plane tickets or driving 14 hours were typically hard to rationalize so we hardly ever travelled back home. But now that the family found its way back to Durango, we leave the cooking to my dad and his wife, and enjoy the company of siblings, cousins, and aunts and uncles. And to be honest, it’s nice to come home with a full belly and a clean kitchen.

But you know what the best part of the day is (no, not the gravy/cranberry combo)? It’s that moment when all of us all sit down – full plates and full glasses – and appreciate why we are all here. Sometimes sharing a meal is much more than just the food. It’s seeing my dad happy; my nieces and nephew growing up into mature, vibrant, and talented kids (and teenagers, ugh); my sister and her husband raising those impressive kids while making sure not to forget about themselves and what makes their relationship so important; and knowing my mom will soon take some time for herself and enjoy the rewards of a successful career (the kids are ready with their grandma-to-do list). 

All grown up...

And it is about watching my family become part of this community. This week I took my daughter to get her flu shot at the pediatrician’s office and we walked by one of those little scales for newborns. Ten years ago she could have fit on that scale, but today she is writing stories on an iPad, listening to music that I am not familiar with, and getting pumped for another ski season. I wish she would always be sitting at the kid’s table, but I know before long she’ll be asking to move up to major leagues – the adult table. You know, the one that has gravy.

Truly, life is good, and it is important to remember why someone decided to call it ‘Thanksgiving’. It’s a day to not think about the economy, politics, the cost of living, or even who has the best deals on Black Friday. Heaven forbid it may even be a day to forget about horticulture (gasp!). 

It is a day to share what you have with those that don’t, appreciate those across the table even if it is someone you just met. 

And give thanks.