Our 1st Thanksgiving away from home.
After we moved to St. Petersburg, we couldn't afford to come back home. It didn't matter if we wanted to drive or fly; the funds weren't there. I told Sammy I sure wasn't gonna fly unless it was an emergency, like if Samson had died, and we needed to bury him in Mama Helen's back yard. One time when I was younger, we all went to an air show in Iuka. After the show, they were giving people rides in a plane. I thought I'd try mama and daddy out.
Me: Can I go for a ride?
Mama: Goodness Gracious, NO!
Me: (one down, one to go) Can I go for a ride, Daddy?
Daddy: What did your mama say?
Me: She said, no, but I really want to. PLEASE!!!
Daddy: Now you ain't gonna ride in one of those little old planes, NO!
Me: (you see I really didn't want to, but I really had to act like I did so I start begging.)
Daddy: See if Mother (Mama Helen) will go with you, and I'll buy you both a ticket.
Mama Helen: (she was always up for something) Come on, I ain't scared.
Me: (I wanted to back out so bad but I just couldn't.)
We get in this little plane; it had two seats in the front and two in the back. It ended up being the pilot, Mama Helen and me. I should have known better. Before we ever got on the plane, Mama Helen had that pilot over to the side shaking her finger at him. I don't have a clue what she said to him, (best that I didn't) but he said yes ma'am, yes ma'am. We load up and up we go.The two of us did pretty good till he started taking us over the water (Bear Creek).
Mama Helen: Sh-- (the dashes are ANOTHER story) TURN HER AROUND! You didn't say we would be going over any water and we can't swim.
Pilot: (Turns us around back toward Iuka. He then turns around in his seat) Lady, where do you wanna go?
Mama Helen: WELL SH-- FIRE! WATCH WHERE YOU ARE GOING!
Me: No words, just shaking.
Mama Helen: Just make a loop and bring her down.
Pilot: Thinks he is gonna have a little fun with her so he pretends something is wrong with the plane.
Mama Helen : OMG!!!! @#$%^&*()_+(French)
That is why I said I'd never fly home unless it was an emergency. That did me in.
Anyway we couldn't come home for Thanksgiving so my parents, brother, sister, and Mama Helen came to see us. That meant I had to cook the turkey, and I was no good at cooking. Our first Thanksgiving together, Sammy had to work. When he came home we had us a scrumptious turkey tv dinner, and it came with dessert, too. Our second Thanksgiving we got to go home 'cause it wasn't that far of a drive. This is the third one I'm trying to tell you about. Mama Helen writes me the week before and coaches me on how to cook a turkey. I hadn't cooked one since. I remember two things that didn't go her way. Mistake #1: I needed to rinse Tom the Turkey off. Well either, Tom was to big or my sink was to small. He didn't fit, so I put him in the bath tub. Sammy calls about the time I'm washing him off.
Sammy: Whatcha doing?
Me: Giving Tom a bath.
Sammy: What do you mean giving Tom a bath?
Me. Well he was to big for the sink so he is resting in the bath tub.
Sammy: OMG!.... Whatever you do don't tell Helen!
Now I know what you're thinking, he was sitting in a pan, not on the drain. That wash cloth was nasty, ha! Mistake #2: In the letter she tells me to get the inners out (You know that mess on the inside. And I wasn't a big fan of that, but I did as I was told). She told me to rub some stuff on him, but I can't remember what it was now. Let's say it was butter. She told me what to set the oven on, and I had to keep him buttered. Lord, I was nervous 'cause she was a good cook. I just about wore that letter out, and this is the part that got me. She said, Tom should be done by the time they get there. FOURTEEN HOURS?!?!? I didn't know you cooked anything that long. Seven turkey tv dinners sounded pretty darn good to me..... just in case.
So they arrive. We all hugging each other, but not Mama Helen, no. She by passes us and heads straight for the oven. I was so proud of Tom; he had the golden look when she pulled him out. She starts examining him.
Mama Helen: He looks good so far.
Me: He should I did everything on that letter.
Mama Helen: Ok, give me the jibblets.
Me: Oh no! I forgot to buy that. What is that any way?
Mama Helen: That's the stuff that was inside.
Me: Heck, I threw that mess in the garbage.
Mama Helen: @#$%^&* (French again)
Me: I don't know why on earth they put stuff like that inside a turkey.
Mama Helen: Goes to looking inside Tom and pulls out a bunch of stuff, like a neck bone or something else.
Me: (eyes wide) Where'd you find that?
Mama Helen: Inside where I told you to look.
Me: I'm telling you I pulled something out, but it didn't come out of that end. I didn't know a turkey had two holes!!!
Mama Helen: Started laughing and was still laughing when they started home a few days later.
Mama and Mama Helen fixed all the other extra stuff for the dinner. I, myself was tired. After all I'd washed Tom and my back was hurting. Never mind they just drove 14 hrs. No, really, they told me to get out of the way.
Gosh that was the best food.Sammy and I ate like we had never seen food. Well, not that kind anyway. Mama Helen: You did a good job. Tom was a little dry, but you will do better next time.
Me: Ain't gonna be no next time, I'm done!
Dear Lord,
I'm so thankful for all my Thanksgivings past. I'm thankful for my family and friends who have surrounded me today to make this day a little easier. I know I'm blessed and I know in my heart lives life's greatest treasure. Amen.
Me: Can I go for a ride?
Mama: Goodness Gracious, NO!
Me: (one down, one to go) Can I go for a ride, Daddy?
Daddy: What did your mama say?
Me: She said, no, but I really want to. PLEASE!!!
Daddy: Now you ain't gonna ride in one of those little old planes, NO!
Me: (you see I really didn't want to, but I really had to act like I did so I start begging.)
Daddy: See if Mother (Mama Helen) will go with you, and I'll buy you both a ticket.
Mama Helen: (she was always up for something) Come on, I ain't scared.
Me: (I wanted to back out so bad but I just couldn't.)
We get in this little plane; it had two seats in the front and two in the back. It ended up being the pilot, Mama Helen and me. I should have known better. Before we ever got on the plane, Mama Helen had that pilot over to the side shaking her finger at him. I don't have a clue what she said to him, (best that I didn't) but he said yes ma'am, yes ma'am. We load up and up we go.The two of us did pretty good till he started taking us over the water (Bear Creek).
Mama Helen: Sh-- (the dashes are ANOTHER story) TURN HER AROUND! You didn't say we would be going over any water and we can't swim.
Pilot: (Turns us around back toward Iuka. He then turns around in his seat) Lady, where do you wanna go?
Mama Helen: WELL SH-- FIRE! WATCH WHERE YOU ARE GOING!
Me: No words, just shaking.
Mama Helen: Just make a loop and bring her down.
Pilot: Thinks he is gonna have a little fun with her so he pretends something is wrong with the plane.
Mama Helen : OMG!!!! @#$%^&*()_+(French)
That is why I said I'd never fly home unless it was an emergency. That did me in.
Anyway we couldn't come home for Thanksgiving so my parents, brother, sister, and Mama Helen came to see us. That meant I had to cook the turkey, and I was no good at cooking. Our first Thanksgiving together, Sammy had to work. When he came home we had us a scrumptious turkey tv dinner, and it came with dessert, too. Our second Thanksgiving we got to go home 'cause it wasn't that far of a drive. This is the third one I'm trying to tell you about. Mama Helen writes me the week before and coaches me on how to cook a turkey. I hadn't cooked one since. I remember two things that didn't go her way. Mistake #1: I needed to rinse Tom the Turkey off. Well either, Tom was to big or my sink was to small. He didn't fit, so I put him in the bath tub. Sammy calls about the time I'm washing him off.
Sammy: Whatcha doing?
Me: Giving Tom a bath.
Sammy: What do you mean giving Tom a bath?
Me. Well he was to big for the sink so he is resting in the bath tub.
Sammy: OMG!.... Whatever you do don't tell Helen!
Now I know what you're thinking, he was sitting in a pan, not on the drain. That wash cloth was nasty, ha! Mistake #2: In the letter she tells me to get the inners out (You know that mess on the inside. And I wasn't a big fan of that, but I did as I was told). She told me to rub some stuff on him, but I can't remember what it was now. Let's say it was butter. She told me what to set the oven on, and I had to keep him buttered. Lord, I was nervous 'cause she was a good cook. I just about wore that letter out, and this is the part that got me. She said, Tom should be done by the time they get there. FOURTEEN HOURS?!?!? I didn't know you cooked anything that long. Seven turkey tv dinners sounded pretty darn good to me..... just in case.
So they arrive. We all hugging each other, but not Mama Helen, no. She by passes us and heads straight for the oven. I was so proud of Tom; he had the golden look when she pulled him out. She starts examining him.
Mama Helen: He looks good so far.
Me: He should I did everything on that letter.
Mama Helen: Ok, give me the jibblets.
Me: Oh no! I forgot to buy that. What is that any way?
Mama Helen: That's the stuff that was inside.
Me: Heck, I threw that mess in the garbage.
Mama Helen: @#$%^&* (French again)
Me: I don't know why on earth they put stuff like that inside a turkey.
Mama Helen: Goes to looking inside Tom and pulls out a bunch of stuff, like a neck bone or something else.
Me: (eyes wide) Where'd you find that?
Mama Helen: Inside where I told you to look.
Me: I'm telling you I pulled something out, but it didn't come out of that end. I didn't know a turkey had two holes!!!
Mama Helen: Started laughing and was still laughing when they started home a few days later.
Mama and Mama Helen fixed all the other extra stuff for the dinner. I, myself was tired. After all I'd washed Tom and my back was hurting. Never mind they just drove 14 hrs. No, really, they told me to get out of the way.
Gosh that was the best food.Sammy and I ate like we had never seen food. Well, not that kind anyway. Mama Helen: You did a good job. Tom was a little dry, but you will do better next time.
Me: Ain't gonna be no next time, I'm done!
Dear Lord,
I'm so thankful for all my Thanksgivings past. I'm thankful for my family and friends who have surrounded me today to make this day a little easier. I know I'm blessed and I know in my heart lives life's greatest treasure. Amen.
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