"A Thanksgiving I Don't Ever Want to Forget" (Repost)
This happened when I was 12, but I remember it like it was yesterday.
Well, it was a good year. LOL
We lived in a big country house that had a very big eat-in kitchen, so
we did. Eat in it. But ultra large family gatherings, such as happened
at Thanksgiving, filled our home to overflowing. Naturally we managed,
but sometimes things didn't turn out as well as planned. Actually, from
us kids' point of view, sometimes better than planned. MUCH better.
Such as when Dad got too involved.
One such holiday, we were mostly all seated at the big extended table,
but us kids were relegated to two folding card tables at one end of the
big table. That big table was so crowded with fixings and elbows and
things, Dad decided to carve the very big Thanksgiving bird on our
kids' table. Maybe he didn't want to make his usual mess on the fancy
tablecloth. Anyway, that's where he dumped it, near the side that was
next to the main table. Just as he was beginning his first very
energetic turkey slicing attempt, the two legs under that side of the
our card table chose that moment to collapse in protest, sending the
turkey rolling under the big table, leaving Dad just standing there
looking lost. Then, from us kids' point of view, things got even
better.
Spot, our old black and white tomcat, had this thing about feet. He
liked them a lot. He tried to trip us when we walked rubbing against
them, and licked our feet when he could get at them, and did all the
other feet activities he could think of. There were a great many feet,
all kinds of feet, under the big Thanksgiving table, so that's where he
had parked himself, right in the middle of toe city, never expecting in
his wildest feline dreams he would be anything but safe from being
attacked by a gigantic dead bird at least 5 times his size. To say he
was surprised would be a gigantic understatement! Not sticking around
one split second, he streaked out of there, but he didn't get as far as
he probably intended.
Great Aunt Mabel had a very long dress on. Up it went the severely
startled Spot. Mabel shrieked and tried to back away, but she went over
backward in her chair. That would have pretty much ended things right
there, if she hadn't grabbed hold of the tablecloth as a lifeline, and
took it, and most of what was on it, crashing to the floor on top of
her. Except for the full gravy boat. Mom reacted fast and tried to save
it. Well, she did a little, all over herself.
Us kids recovered first, and had fits of hysterical laughter. I don't
think that helped any. Dad got over his paralysis and rushed over to
help Mom, and almost stabbed and sliced her with the big carving set he
was still holding. She avoided him like a star running back, and told
him to "Put those things down and go help Mabel!" He did that by
cowardly asking Great Uncle Hank to pull Spot, who was still struggling
to get away, out from under his wife's dress. I think Dad didn't want
to risk getting scratched. And slapped.
Hank got scratched, and slapped, and escorted Mabel to one of the guest
bedrooms to rest. Some of us kids were conscripted into the cleanup
crew, and had more fun than usual in such a job. The floor wasn't quite
as slippery as we made it out to be. When we got to the turkey, Dad
offered to rinse it off and resume carving it for our dinner. Mom said
"Absolutely not, we can't eat that!", so he put it out of the way on
the counter. Even after all that mess, we still had more than enough
food for a very good Thanksgiving dinner, and a memorable one, to say
the least. As for that runaway turkey, well, it didn't get far. We had
We let Spot have some of the turkey. Well, he asked. Revenge, maybe?
Anyhow, he never went back under the table as long as he lived. He
passed away 2 years later in his sleep. On my feet. Dreaming of the
attacking turkey that, in the end, didn't get away. Possibly. I like to
think so.
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I know it could have been written better, but I'm not a pro at this. I
hope you liked it, and may all your future Thanksgivings be as fun for
you as this one was for me, if not in exactly the same way. LOL
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Grant
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