Thanksgiving Memories

I know it bugs most people to have Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving, but if you come to my house, you'll just have to get over it!!

For me, Christmas decorations are part of Thanksgiving. I know many of my readers will be able to reminisce with me about Thanksgiving growing up. Every year, my family would travel 2 hours to a tiny little town called Richland, GA. It's just outside of Columbus.

On Wednesdays, our friends, the Griggs, would come up from Florida, and we would ride together - arriving that evening. We all stayed in the Snipes' antebellum home. Each family had a room, and all the kids piled up in the den in our sleeping bags. We stayed up late - playing tricks on each other and all the games you can think of playing when you were a kid.

There were five families all together EVERY year! I have great memories of Thanksgiving, but one of my favorite is how Mrs. Kay always had her home decorated for Christmas. The tree was lit and decorated. The banisters were wrapped with greenery. The Christmas dishes were out, and it felt like Christmas had arrived.

Every morning, the men would get up early to go hunting. I joined them some times, but my loyalties were torn between hunting and hanging with the girls. The guys went hunting every afternoon as well - that is except for Friday!! On Friday, they went in the morning, but they stayed home that night to watch all the kids because the women went shopping in Columbus. Sometimes we went and watched movies and shopped, but the smaller ones usually stayed behind with the men who cooked chilli for dinner!

We dreaded leaving on Sundays because, for the most part, we wouldn't all be back together until the next Thanksgiving. We have remained friends with everyone, but Thanksgiving just hasn't been the same since all the kids grew up and started getting married. We all have our different traditions each year. I still love Thanksgiving, but nothing will ever replace those memories for me.

So for me, Thanksgiving ushers in Christmas is the most special way. I guess that's why it has always been my favorite holiday. But the best part about Thanksgiving is spending it with family and friends. There is nothing more depressing than a Thanksgiving without a house full of people!