Sara Reyes | Giving Thanks...

I'd like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all our US readers. It's one of the national holidays much loved in our home. And as in many homes, I imagine it follows a set tradition. I must admit I never had the problem of deciding which family to go to for Thanksgiving as neither my husband's or my family were options for the holidays and so we decided with our very first married Thanksgiving to do it "our" way. It's evolved over the years as our children aged to delightful adults until it's a very comfortable day, full of our little traditions. In other words, I get to supervise now and they do most of the heavy lifting and cooking, although I still get up at dawn to supervise the muffins being made and the turkey stuffed into the roasting pan.

Then we settle down with coffee / tea and warm muffins to enjoy the Macy parade on television. I discovered the parade when I was in college and it's been one of my favorites over the years. My children are accustomed to watching the elaborate balloons and the marching bands while the house fills up with the smells of baking and roasting. Since the advent of video recorders and DVRs it's been possible to take pauses for cooking and still enjoy the festivities around the nation. We also invite friends who may not be able to go home to help celebrate with us. Of course, in our house, everyone has to help cook, even if you don't know "how" there is some type of prep or clean-up that can be performed. Plus we send them home with a big bag of leftovers!

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