Thanksgivings

My favorite Thanksgivings were at Grandma and Grandpa Sacrys. Grandma would let Susan and I help her set the table. I loved it. I never felt like she was worried we'd mess up but she was careful to show us how it was done with the fork on the left, napkin underneath, the spoon and knife on the right. We got to fill the coctail glasses with shrimp with sauce over the top; the glasses with ice for the water or juice and the fruit glasses with a fruit salad or jello. We'd put butter on plates and salt and pepper shakers on. When she served the meals the table was overflowing. We all joke about her "side dish" because we always had to have one and I'm not sure now what it was. If the mashed potatoes got too low she'd go out and start peeling and make more potatoes in the pressure cooker. There were always left overs. I remember more about the preparation than the actual meals. It seems like there was lots of laughter and fun. We all loved being together. I think there was lots of teasing too. The meal ended with Grandma's cranberry pudding with sauce over it. Or other desserts like pumpkin pie. Her butterhorn rolls were the best. Everything was good. The kids ate in the kitchen most of the time at the kitchen table. That was a fun place to be too. But as we got older we loved being with the adults. When the meal was over we kids would go outside and play while the women cleaned up. I don't recall what the men did. I never even thought about it being unfair. I'd still rather be inside with the ladies all working together, visiting and being together.