Traditions

For the first time in my adult life I am not going to be cooking Thanksgiving dinner.  I haven't quite figured how I feel about not cooking.  Cooking holiday meals has always been my "thing".  I love to cook, but I am also a control freak.  I want things done my way!

This year, we have decided to vacation for the Thanksgiving holiday. My husband thought it would be a nice idea to have Thanksgiving dinner catered.  My husband ROCKS!  As a stay at home wife, and homeschooling mom, cooking for 3 days is really not a vacation.  I broke 20 years of tradition and placed my dinner order today.

Not long after I placed our catering order my eldest daughter came into my bedroom.  As is the case with most kids, she is nosey and asked:  "Who were you talking to?"  I cheerily told her that we trying something new for Thanksgiving, I was not going to be cooking.  For a minute there was silence and then with a slightly shrill voice she said:  "You're not making cheesy potatoes?!!"

So it looks like I am going to be doing some cooking after all.  Apparently my children have started to appreciate my holiday side dishes.  My cheesey potatoes should really be called Made of Gold Potatoes because they are made with 4 kinds of imported cheese.  A  medium size serving dish normally costs about $16.00.  Other requests were quick to follow:   "corn pie"?  Green beans?  Sweet Potato Casserole?

As much as I love cooking, I love eating.  I love being with my family and cherishing the special times we have together.  We will not be heading to the malls or the outlets.  We will not support the commercialization of our American history.  I am afraid that we, as Americans, are about to loose Thanksgiving to greedy retailers out to make quick profits.

How much are "we" willing to sacrifice for the proverbial dollar?  When did it become OK to go out at 8AM on Thanksgiving to go buy underwear?  It wasn't that long ago when I ran out of mustard and I could not find an open grocery store.  Faith and family has lost its position in American society.  If we are not carful we will soon loose sight of the basic principles this country was founded upon.