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Thanksgiving in the Hiller household is a joyous occasion, no matter what else is going on in our lives.  The food is wonderful, of course, but before we dig in, we stop to express our thanks for our many blessings.  We take turns sharing the many things for which we are grateful.

Then comes the food...usually too much to fit on the table, but we manage...followed by the oohs and ahhhs.  The best of all comes from our son Adam.  With a look of ecstasy on his face, he pronounces one item to be the best I've ever made, and it's usually the one thing that I did NOT make...the brown-and-serve rolls, when I'm feeling overwhelmed...or the canned jellied cranberry sauce that inevitably finds its way to the table.  Adam has not been home for Thanksgiving for several years, now that he lives on the east coast, but at least one of his sisters has taken up the gauntlet on his behalf.

When it comes to Thanksgiving, we all have fond memories.  Be it a special guest, the origin of a family tradition, or a particular reason to be thankful, please share yours here.

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The following messages have been posted since 11/24/97

Name: dianne hatman (diannehatman@aol.com) Date: 11/06/01 03:42:37 PST

Memoir:
The excitement of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a lazy afternoon in front of the tv with footbal, family play time, spending the day with family and relatives and of course the huge dinner my mother so elaborately assembled with such love.

My family means everything to me and I am so blessed to have two beautiful parents, brothers and sister who I adore. Not to mention a terrific husband and two young angels.

I am so grateful for everything God has provided to me.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Name: Rhonda (Txsroze@Hotmail.com) Date: 11/02/01 03:05:33 PST

Memoir:
My fondest memories of Thansgiving are the ones of my childhood, the family would gather at my grandmothers home and celebrate, there had to have been at least 50 or more of us there. The kids would be outside playing, while the women where in the kitchen cooking and the men where in the living room watching football on tv, the memories of the laughter in the air and the smell coming from the kitchen are things that can never be replaced in my mind, as time has moved on we have lost alot of my family and I have grown older, now I do all the cooking and there may be 3 of us here to celebrate the holiday, the days of all the big celebrations are over, but I do have one thing to celebrate this year and its my first grandson I hope I can leave an impression in his memory as my family has in mine.

Name: Rhonda (Samuel51@bellsouth.net) Date: 11/06/00 09:00:30 PST

Memoir:
Spending time with the family, but I can remember one Holiday when I cooked the ham in the wrapping. My grandmother and mom laughed so hard at me. The ham very juicey.

Name: Jeffs Family &vbf (djeffs2@pacbell.net) Date: 11/25/99 07:12:26 PST

Memoir:
Happy thanks giving to all and to all a good night lol
Fr:Bonita Reid ilu all xoxoxoxoxo

Name: Susan Hayden (sberryh@apex.net) Date: 11/18/98 08:30:29 PST

Memoir:
Ten years ago, it became my responsibility to have the Thanksgiving meal and for my sister to have the Christmas meal. A cook I'm not! This was the most stressful assignment I had ever been given but was determined to pull it off. In Paducah, we were fortunate for many years to have a wonderful family of chefs that owned a restaurant called "The Ninth Street House." I had known the family all my life so when the Thanksgiving holiday approached, I called on them for help. For six years, I took my holiday dishes to them the day before Thanksgiving and they filled them with "uncooked" dressing and sweet potato and green bean casseroles and claimed them as my own work! (This restaurant also published a cook book so all receipes were available to me but I had no faith that I could produce the finished product!) In fact, I would only have to bake them on Thanksgiving day. On the seventh year, they discontinued the green bean casserole and had "cooked down" seasoned green beans instead. (I really didn't care what type they were as long as I didn't have to prepare them.) My sister went on and on about how delicious the green beans were and wanted to know I made them...I told them that Annette (my best friend of 41 years) had to make green beans for her holiday meal and made enough for me to serve at mine. It is also a holiday tradition for my sister, mom, Annette, and I to go shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend at the St. Louis Galleria Mall. On this particular weekend, my mom and I went to one section of the mall and my sister and Annette to another. While they were together, they discussed Christmas plans and Annette told her that she had to plans for Christmas eve...so, my sister invited Annette to her house for Christmas eve dinner and she accepted. Annette ask what she could do and, you guessed it, she told her to bring the green beans she prepared for me on Thanksgiving. All I can say is, thank goodness she has known me all my life! She just told my sister, "of course." When we got back together, Carol told us that Annette was coming to Christmas dinner. Annette smiled and said, "Yes, and all she wants me to do is to bring my green beans!" I managed not to react but it was a very funny moment. Annette could not believe that I was still managing to keep my Thanksgiving dinner secret! Three years ago, the restaurant closed and has left me scrambling for prepared dressing and gravy. I have learned to make the sweet potato casserole successfully and now make my own famous "cooked down" green beans. This year...I find myself at your web site looking for the best dressing and gravy receipe that I can find as this will be the first year that I actually will "prepare" my Thanksgiving dinner all by myself!!! To date, only my husband, two children, and Annette know of my secret of the last ten years...someday I'll tell and we'll all have a good laugh! But, for this year...just wish me luck!

Name: Clara (cootie354@aol.com) Date: 11/11/98 07:46:59 PST

Memoir:
It was Thanksgiving 1971 and I was finally ensconced in a new apartment, feeling truly capable and independent! My mother always had prepared the most exquisite Thanksgivings for us (four daughters) growing up--part of her heritage as a New Englander, she said. Anyhow, around my birthday (early October) I asked if, that year, I could prepare the meal in my new place for her and my three sisters. She agreed immediately that it was a wonderful idea. I started to plan right then and there, collecting some of her recipes, including pilot cracker stuffing. Oh, how I researched! How I cleaned! How I shopped! How I scheduled! How I prepared! There was no time for nonsense, such as television, that week before my first Thanksgiving. I was a veritable embryo Martha Stewart... made a cornucopia centerpiece, individual place settings, freshly pressed linen tablecloth and napkins, sparkling glasses, bouquets of bitter berry, miniature squashes, leaves--everything was lovely. I had arisen very early to prepare the stuffing and put the 25-lb turkey into the oven. And it wasn't until then, with Mr. Tom in the oven, that I looked out the window and noticed that snow was falling. Hmmmm... I looked more closely and saw that a fair amount of the white stuff had collected. Suddenly panicked, I turned the television on, only to hear a "special report" about the blizzard conditions in central Connecticut, which were to continue throughout Thanksgiving Day and night! Surely they'll come, I thought. I hurriedly dialed my mother. "Oh, no, Clara! I'm so sorry, but we can't drive in this weather." Of course, that was the only choice she could have made. We all chatted a while and when I hung up, I knew the enormous Tom and I would have a very memorable day. So, I cooked him to perfection. I took photos of the table and decorations and of Tom in all his bronzed glory--center stage. It was actually quite funny, and in my family at least, provided an opportunity for "telephone torture." That's when your sisters call you about every 15 minutes to ask if Tom's alright, if the turnips are done, and on and on! Everything went into the refrigerator until the Sunday following Thanksgiving when Mom and The Sisters arrived, bearing freshly made cranberry sauce, Macoun apples, pumpkin pies, and "rocks" (spicy, nut and fruit cookies). We had a memorable day with lots of laughs at Clara being snowed in with "the 25-lb turkey" for two days!

Name: Miranda (mparnell@linknet.net) Date: 11/10/98 19:24:40 PST

Memoir:
Our daughter had just left home for college and her own place at the beginning of November. She had baked biscuits shaped like turkeys for brunch and proudly gathered with the rest of the family for Thanksgiving back home. We delighted that she was back home with us and so grown up. My mother-in-law came through the kitchen door with her contributions to the Thanksgiving dinner and calmly asked "What's this?" pointing to the opposite kitchen counter. We all turned to look. To our horror we saw a small votive candle, in a decorative tin, flaming up to the cabinets and the whole tin on fire! I ran for the lid, smothered the flames, and moved the doused candle outside. We were disappointed to see that the countertop was burned through the formica to the wood underneath, but how thankful we were that the kitchen or the whole house had not gone up in flames! As our daughter jumped in her car to run to her house she called " I think I might have left a candle burning! I'm going to check. I'll be right back!" What a lesson on safety as well as thankfulness!

Name: Carol Hord (chord@wyoming.com) Date: 11/26/97 12:40:31 PST

Memoir:
When I was 21...MANY years ago...my step-mother was having Thanksgiving at her house (and my Dad's). There were 4 of us, only 1 at home...so we were all visiting and twittering..Mom had the turkey in the oven, and we pitched in to help....we couldn't find the neck and giblets to cook for gravy...Mom said that turkey didn't come with any...on the table, carving the turkey, we found the neck and giblets just where the packer had put them. She was mortified, embarrassed and even in tears to be so dumb about fixing a turkey, especially in front of 4 girls...we enjoyed the meal anyway...with milk gravy...which she also couldn't make so I did. My grandmother had taught me when I was younger, yet. Now that Mom has passed on, I can tell this tale...but don't forget where they are...and if you have never fixed a turkey, the neck is in the cavity and giblets are under the neck skin...be sure to remove them from the bag, too! Happy Holidays!

Name: Carol Hord (chord@wyoming.com) Date: 11/25/97 16:38:15 PST

Memoir:
One Thanksgiving, we were jobless, no money, 3 children, the youngest by son, was 4. We were trying not to feel so desperate...so bravely I entered the kitchen...the menu was hotdogs, beans, cornbread, jelly and piccalily made in the summer. My little son smacked his lips...all of his favorite things to eat. He said, "Gee Mom...wonder what the POOR folks are eating?" So, I started counting my blessings and each of us recited a blessing, around and around the table several times. Thanksgiving is recognizing your TRUE wealth, possibly thru the eyes of a child! We had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving, thanks to a child's view. Hugs to all, and love abounding.

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