Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Day before Thanksgiving

I'm sitting at my computer, as usual, completing some projects. Slicky, my long haired black cat, is sitting just below me on his papers near my feet. He has a fondness for colored tissue paper, the kind you put in gift boxes, and likes to both play with it and lie on it for some reason. Right now he is reclining on light and dark pink paper, plus some white. Seems very content. It's nice to know he likes to hang out with me.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and though we usually go to Julie and Neil's house, my niece and her husband, we won't be this year. Her sister-in-law wants to do Thanksgiving instead this time. That's too bad, because it's fun at my niece's, and my sister and her husband show up, and my daughter and her fiance, and I get to see my niece's children, who are growing up way too fast. But my niece thinks she may have another holiday party possibly, so we can all get together then. But, the way it gets over the holidays, it may not happen. Time just seems to fly during this time.

So tomorrow it is just my husband and I, then the day after Thanksgiving my daughter and her fiance are coming over. He promised to visit his own parents on Thanksgiving, which is fine. He is very good about spending time with both of our families. I am instead making a small ham tomorrow, and keeping it fairly simple. Then the day after Thanksgiving I will roast the large turkey I bought. So, in a way we will have two Thanksgiving dinners. Also, my bicycle group usually does a Thankgiving day ride, which I always miss because of other plans, but I could actually go this time if I want. But I may not, as I like to watch the Thanksgiving parade on t.v., and see Santa Claus show up on his sleigh, doing the HO, HO, HO thing.

I only attended the downtown Thanksgiving parade once (except another time as a student band member when I marched in the parade). My daughter and I rode down in a charter bus that picked people up from the community center near our home. Angie was in high school then, and it was a cold cold day, and we were dressed warm but still freezing. I even brought chemical heater packs for our toes and hands, but it barely helped. When the bus parked, we walked down a little ways, maybe a half a block, and stood and watched it all. Then after Santa passed by, we hurried back smiling to get on the warm bus. But all the smiling quickly stopped as we watched the bus start pulling away. Angie and I just looked at each other and started running. We were downtown after all, thirty miles from home, and no cell phones back then, or even payphones, plus all the stores were closed.

It was awful! We would run, almost catch the bus (moving slowly through traffic) then the light would change from red to green and the bus would start up again. We ran after that bus for two or three blocks, waving and screaming. Finally, just before the bus was about to turn onto the freeway ramp, we came alongside the driver's window and yelled and pointed at ourselves and then at the bus. He did stop then and we got on. The only excuse anyone could give was that it was so cold that everyone got back on the bus long before the parade ended. And no one did a head count. No excuse. Needless to say it was our last parade, but I do still like watching it on t.v. :)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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