Shopping for a Thanksgiving Table Cloth in India – 1993
Joyce Stan John Jamela and John / Trish Danielle Webb – 1995
Time to make cinnamon rolls
Stan Jamela Joyce Rachel John – 2004
Pies are Ready
Joyce, Sydney the Dog and Jamela
Stan Joyce Jamela – 2006
It is fun to make Thanksgiving dinner. Get up early start some cinnamon rolls, make a couple of pies; usually pumpkin and apple and cherry depending on how many people we have visiting.
I always like to put on the brown toned table cloth we bought in India with the images of flowers, elephants and what could pass for turkeys, but really are peacocks stamped around in circular rows.
I remember the day I bought this table cloth in 1993 while on a tour of the factory in India. The tour guide showed us the wooden blocks they loaded with ink and then pressed on the fabric for the repeating designed. I picked out this tablecloth not knowing that it would become such a part of our Thanksgiving tradition. The shop was stacked to the ceiling with tablecloths, bedspreads and all other assortments of delightful hand stamped and sew items. Once I made my selection of a strip of fabric that included the 60 inch round circle for the table cloth and 8 napkins printed with the same stamp, the shop keeper asked if I wanted the workers to sew up the napkins and tablecloth for no extra cost. As I do sew I debated for a moment if I wanted to sew them up myself when I returned from the trip or have them do it. I opt’d for them to do it thinking of all the other projects that I have good intentions of finishing some day.
We sure have enjoyed using it. In 2004, Rachel joined us from Boston on Thanksgiving. This was truely special as it was the first time John had brought his girlfriend home to our house. We had met her early in Boston in August, but bringing her home to Colorado was really special.
When we traveled with the Friendship Force we met some friends in Austrailia. Trish and John Daniel Webb joined us for Thanksgiving in 1995 while they were travel the US. John’s college roommate Chris also joined us that year.
Years ago before the tablecloth showed up our family would gather at my Mom and Dad’s house in Greeley. Some times we would join them for Christmas dinner instead of Thanksgiving. I does become quite an ordeal for the person hosting a family dinner even if everyone chips in to help.
When the kids were older we loved to ski and took several Thanksgiving trips to ski on fresh powder at Loveland. The turkey went in the oven with the timer set as we drove up an hour or so to catch some of the new snow in hopes there was enough to cover the rocks. By the time we returned home the turkey was ready to feed to a hungry family.
This year there were three of us, Stan, Jamela and myself. We took our standard photo before the dinner with our dog Sydney squirming on my lap impatiently waiting for us to finish up with this silliness. We had lots of turkey and trimmings leftovers which we’ll enjoy eating for a while.
It’s all about sharing some time together and remembering special memories from the past.