Jan, over at RevGals offers this Friday Five:
I've been home from Russia for less than a week, and in less than a week it is Thanksgiving Day in the USA (Nov. 24). So for this Friday Five, answer these questions (and if they don't apply to you, list five things you are grateful for):
1. Where will you be on Thanksgiving Day? With whom? I will be at home with my sweet husband. Because he is still taking all nourishment through a tube, attending an event where it's all about eating would be unkind to him, to say the least. Also he's not feeling great a lot of the time, so going somewhere seems like a bad plan. We are just going to chill. I hope to get at least a little deep cleaning done (don't want to go overboard) and maybe start decorating for Christmas. I have vacation on Thursday and Friday.
2. Are there any family traditions or memories associated with Thanksgiving? Oh my, yes. We always (in my memory) had all the Butler family over to our house. I remember many Thanksgiving mornings helping chop celery & onions for dressing, or setting many many card tables with various sets of china and silverware, or raking leaves in the yard to get ready. There would be 30 or 40 people there. That same group would gather for Christmas at my Gramma Beth's house and later Aunt Emily & Uncle Oliver's home on Lake Jackson. What a wonderful gift: a solid feeling of belonging to a solid family full of love. (Really. That group really did get along. No joking.)
3. What will be on your Thanksgiving menu? Well, we are eating a lot of dressing (my personal favorite part of Thanksgiving) with giblet gravy (made by Ken). We each eat it as we are able. :)
4. Are you trying anything new this Thanksgiving? Staying home and not entertaining.
5. What is the weather forecast for this day (next Thursday)? Sunny. High 62, low 47. Can't beat that! Looks like I may be doing some lawn cutting, too.
Bonus: Prayer, poem, song, or whatever you choose to exemplify your image of Thanksgiving (giving thanks).
At Butler gatherings we say grace before meals by standing in a circle, holding hands, and singing this:
(While I like this inclusive version of the words, using only the word "God" to represent God, know well that the Doxology as the Butlers sing it refers to God as Him. And we have a Father, Son and Holy GHOST. No newfangled wording for us, thanks.) (That's TRADITION for you.)