Happy Day-after Turkey Day

I hope everyone enjoyed their Turkey Day!  It was very new for me, this is my 3rd one here in Texas.  It is different from what I'm used to.  Seems people down here in southern Texas tend to deep fry their Turkey day bird.  This time, my fiancé baked it.  He makes a very delicious fried one but I admit I was a little nervous this time as was he.  I noticed some interesting looking "spices".  I say spices like that because I don't put spices on my bird itself.  He had a bowl full, including cayenne pepper.  Okay maybe paprika may be acceptable but it was weird.  A red turkey!?  He melted the butter because, at last minute, it was too cold for him to work with.  Then he poured the butter on top of the turkey.  "Hmm!", I said as I tried to offer my assistance.  No stuffing to help season the poor thing.

The outcome was okay.  I was rather surprised as I expected a little kick from the cayenne pepper.  We were unimpressed and the bird looked leathery and dark golden brown.  Surprisingly the skin wasn't tough.  There was just no flavor.  Our son thought it was delicious!  We moved on to the Ham.  I made the ham, while I was taking it out of the package I noticed I bought the wrong kind.  Well, actually HEB made it - I just warmed it up.  The seasoning packets said it was Honey Maple.  I don't particularly like honey maple, I was expecting Brown Sugar.  I warned everyone before eating.  As expected I got a bit dizzy and then had to leave it alone.  My fiancé, son liked it a lot though, they said it was delicious!  I took a nap, then we all went over to visit family and eat.. ended up bringing food home.  Our first Thanksgiving together was the most successful, everyone loved it and we had a nice little crowd at our little apartment.  I made the brown sugar ham and my fiancé made everything else.  We reflect back on those memories with lots of warm fuzzies!  Lol!!

Well here it is already, Black Friday.  It seems we made it through the new Blue Thursday, does Thanksgiving now have a new meaning?  Gosh, I sure hope not.  Christmas, Easter are too commercial.  Thanksgiving has been about the only major holiday we have in the U.S. without a price tag attached to it taking over the whole purpose.  Christmas and Easter are like; "Ohh yeah, it's about our Lord, Jesus Christ!  I almost forgot about that!"  and Thanksgiving has been where most people can expect a day or more off of work, out of school to spend with family, friends and eating food made from the heart.  People reflect on what it is to be Thankful for the many blessings bestowed on us.  We even respect the day so much that we wait until the day after to put up the Christmas tree, etc.

But this year, I barely recognized it was Thanksgiving or Turkey Day as I affectionately call it.  It may be even more appropriate now.  Instead of watching the big Thanksgiving Day parades on TV or stuffing our bellies with turkey, ham, stuffing a/or dressing, gravies, yams, mashed potatoes, pies, cakes, chitterlings (for some), all sorts of different culinary delights, many passed down and some new and improved.  Instead of people spending that very special and honorable day with family, they spent it in a long line out in the cold with many people camped out in front of department stores and malls awaiting the Blue Thursday sale.  That was their Thanksgiving Day.  Why change old tradition?  Why can't we let Black Friday be what it has always been without interruption.  Were the markets trying to hold down the overly large crowds and chaos that's always expected the day after?  If so, it failed because it ended up being an out-of-control fiasco anyway! Truth is, no matter what day you hold a Black Friday on there is going to be large crowds, a lot of news-making barbaric behavior.  So if it's going to happen anyway, then just let things be.  That's my opinion.  Leave our Turkey Day alone, it is the only day our country has that's not governed by the almighty $1.

To conclude, I woke up this morning to find that our son had made us a Black Friday deal.  He had brought into our room his red police lamp (it resembles the light in K-Mart's Blue Light special), a Black Friday greeting card complete with a real Game Stop powerup card and a $1000 bill made of paper.  He said, "mom you can color the money if you want to!"  He turned on his light and stood there with a big precious smile.  I know it is the day after Thanksgiving, if nothing else signifies it.. this 11 year old just did.  It's going to be a good Christmas, I do thank the Lord for it.  But, we need to back up a little here.  Even though Christmas is commercial, that's not how I want it to be for my family.  I'm thinking wholesome-ness for Christmas, the old-fashioned way.  And that means reflecting on the real meaning of Christmas.  Our Lord Jesus Christ, the nativity!