Turkeys and Rum Pie

Well, I did it. I got to Costco before they opened and was one of the first one thousand in the door. There was an angry stampede to the back of the store where the pies and turkeys are located. I barely made it out of the wine section alive.
I was outta there in an hour and it could have been even quicker if I hadn't strolled thru the book section...
I was thinking of past Thanksgivings and the one that stands out among many is the one where my mom and her friend, Lucy decided to make some pie recipes from a magazine. They were not the traditional pumpkin or pecan. I don't remember what all of them were but one. It was white and fluffy and looked dreamy. I wanted to try it so bad, but mom and Lucy were laughing a lot while making it, hmmmm... It was some rum fluff surprise or something like that. It looked alot better than it tasted to an 11 year old. I think all of the adults got their drunk on after eating that rum chiffon thing. We used to pack like 20 + people into my grandparents house in Victorville. In laws, friends, etc. that house is 1300 square feet. We filled the entire dining room table, breakfast bar and card tables set up in the living room. Sheri and I always had our own table with our very own condiments and always a foil wrapped chocolate turkey from See's. We had 7-up in recycled shrimp cocktail glasses because they were like small snazzy wine glasses. We had olives for every one of our fingers and fought over who's turn it was to say the grace. Lots of laughter, food and friendship. At grandma's you get to have all of the 7-up you wanted and got to play grandpa's "Pong" game that was set up on a t.v. tray with a cord running to the T.V. Fast action that game was. Sometimes it was warm enough to be outside and other times it was windy and cold. Good times. The other Thanksgivings that stand out are the ones that we didn't cook for. Like going to a buffet in Flagstaff, going to Bob Burns in the valley, though you are gipped of the leftovers, you are also free of the cooking and cleaning up. Thanksgiving is an often overlooked and under appreciated holiday. It is just one day and you don't have to shop for gifts, what could be simpler? For the last several years we have been made to feel guilty about what the pilgrims did to the native Americans, maybe that has taken some luster off of T-giving, I don't know. But it could still be about being grateful. Gratitude for what you do have, health, family and friends. So maybe you are cooking, bless you if you are. Maybe you are going out to eat, not too shabby. Maybe you are going to donate your time or some canned goods or something so that others will have something to be grateful for. Have a blessed day and don't take seconds of the rum pie if you are driving...