This week seems to have pretty long. I mean its Wednesday and Still feels like Friday is so far away.
On the positive Side, Matts last day of work and Thanksgiving is TOMORROW! Which Means tonight I start my food prep. I always like to start ahead so Im not speading the day only cooking! Not that I mind cooking, infact Ive taken to really enjoying cooking. Something about this time of year that makes me get into it a lot. Did the same thing last year as well. My passion as really started to mold, as Ive been finding and trying all kinds of recipes. Like I attempted homemade oven bread last night. Forgot one step but its still came out terrific and tasting but very filling.
Cooking big meals Always reminds me of holidays at my parents house. Parents waking up early to put a GIANT turkey in oven, or at Christmas I giant Roast. The same sides, as usual. But pretty much everything from scratch, fresh mashed and drippings gravy. Sometimes even Grams yummy buttermilk biscuits, which I still cant seem to make myself.
I think of My mom setting tables nicely and My family coming to eat. Mostly Christmas time was when we had the WHOLE family together, taking turns at whos house it would be at each year. Traditions that lasted a while. But as most of us cousins grew up, and families battled their separate issues, things began to change. No more yearly whole family apple picking or trips to the Beach. No more family road trips down south, and family dinners were a thing of the past.
Not that with my own family, we eat at the table every night together. We dont. I tend to feed the kids before Matts finished with Work. But on Holidays course we change it up a bit. Setting the table, having kids help. Listening to the football games and sipping Champagne and...Beer.
Being thankful for our time together, and thankful for the lives we have lost but will never Forget. Last thanksgiving was hard. As we lost a young man who was never really given the chance to blossom. A hard up hill battle he fought from with in himself. But we loved him, and cherished even the brief moments we had with him the last few years we had lived in orange County. Ricky Vidal, will always be Remembered, and always be in our hearts and Thanksgiving will never go by with out a shout out from our family to him, and his Wonderful parents and sisters.
Course, thinking of holidays like I said reverts my memories to greater Foody days. Times when my father still spoke to me, and my parents had happy faces. Many people feel that because my father worked too much, that his absense made John and I, grow spiteful. Which, any spite I have has nothing to do with him working too much. My memories I do have with him are fond. I can remember the times of Driving in his lap from the top of Canterbury Knolls to our driveway. him "letting" shift sometimes. Riding in his Jeep with the tops down and doors off...once it even started to storm. Listening to him watch the Yankees game every summer. Knowing he used to watch Basketball all winter and root for the knicks. How he dressed for the School Christmas plays. He being an usher in church. Making Sunday morning Breakfast with him. Him defending me to neighborhood kids, and He did that for John as well. Bike riding! Him playing racket ball with mom. Always the one to Cook our special birthday dinners, allowing us to have anything of our choice. My favorite was his Fliet Mignon with Fresh garlic butter and baked potatoes. He gave me the credit for his version of Buffulo Chicken, that he first made during one of the super bowls we watched together. Watching movies like The Karate Kid "wax on wax off" and the old one about a basketball kid...except I can not for the life of me remember the name of that movie. He always was singing the Cats in the craddle song, and had tic-tacs for us during Church every Sunday. I know his facial expressions, I know hes not serious with a laugh when its a closed mouth snicker with his eyes closed tight, shaking his head. But his real laugh his mouth is wide open, he throws his head back and will touch his stomach. I know when hes mad he talks fast, quiet and gets down to eye level, maybe by leaning on his elbows on a counter or table. I know when hes not really wanting to agree with you he folds his arms as he talks and looks to the right. Mostly when its a conversion where he feels he can not be wrong in. I know he makes pizza dough every friday night...(hey dad tip, make the dough the night before COver it but make sure theres a little hole so its ready friday before you even get home, will make the dough user to use and go farther and taste Awesome)He makes Chocolate Chip cookies that everyone loves, but Jessica took over that because She likes hers fluffy not flat and changed how the ingreds, go into the mix. he makes brownies with Semi sweet and bitter chocolate, Puts ONIONS in everything meaty (blah) likes his eggs runny and bacon fatty. Tea vs Coffee. He did have time to help me with my history homework, sometimes my math. Taught me how drive, and would set up cones for parallel parking. Hes got a bit of clepto ness and is a sure pack rat. Wears his Tshirts tucked in, and a leather jacket when he wants to look "dressy" Has had the same style forever and that includes his hair. Falls asleep everywhere and at just about every family function. Made us (john and i) do chores and outside work sometimes. Lets us have Dogs when he didnt. Cooked pizza and cookies for my movie nights with friends. Bought my Friend a Car to use, let her paint the Dinning room DEEP purple. Attended EVERY single baseball game of mine. Cheered me on in Basketball and under stood how much I hated Karate and that Weirdo mr koons. He gave me bad guy creeps. Thinks I never knew how much he really swore while I was growing up. It all sounds...like Dad. Sounds like MY dad. Johns Dad...but sadly The twins have a different experience. The best thing I remember and what Im thankful for on this 23rd day for a thankful Reason, is knowing that I got the best years of dad. Knowing that reguardless to how some feel hes a better dad now, to the twins, then he was to me, I know that they are dead wrong. It was fatal mistakes me made later in my life that ruined any relationship we had. Its the lieing he keeps doing, its the cutting me from his life because of Bold statements I made. I know different then everyone else. Im not one to talk about emotions that often. Im not one to always like confrontation and hold back a lot. But Ive always been good at observing and reading people and body language.
So heres to Him, far away in NY. Maybe...things one day will change again.
Im thankful for the time I did have. Im thankful for what I learned with him, from him and about him.
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