Well, Thanksgiving is near! I can't believe how fast time is going by! I am still exhausted from my crazed passion for Halloween parties. Atleast for Thanksgiving I will be going home as always. I cannot wait to hop on that plane to Clarksville, Indiana next saturday. My arrival will be as always....pulling up to my parents yard and seeing every inch of the house and lawn covered with lights and Christmas cheer! Yep, my father has already started putting out the Christmas decorations so that he can flip the switch right on time for the Klingsmith/Johnson light up at 6:00 pm Thanksgiving night. In our family we believe that as soon as the turkey is done and dishes are piled in the sink...It is officially Christmas time. Our family holds it's holiday traditions so close to heart. Just let me back up a bit and I will share with you what a traditional Klingsmith Thanksgiving is like. Ahh yes, Banana pudding. As long as I can remember I would awaken to hear my mom in the kitchen rustling aluminum foil and pans as my dad fussed around trying to find the pudding pot. I would walk into the kitchen and see my mother washing the Turkey and dad cutting up bananas and mixing the hot boiling pudding on the stove. It just wouldn't be the same if I didn't sneak over and snatch a handful of nilla wafers. ha My dad over the years learned to get an extra box as for I am a huge fan. I love it that now my kids do the same thing. So ok, turkey is now in the oven a HUGE bowl of banana pudding is made, so now it is time for my mom to make her "85 lb dressing" most of you know this to be stuffing but for some reason we have always called it dressing. It is a delicious sage stuffing. My brother would bust my moms chops about how heavy it was. So yes there will be jokes of hurnias and pulled muscles flying around the kitchen. Yum, the kitchen starts to smell so good! But this is about the time my poor mother starts to get frazzled. It just wouldn't be the same if she didn't. I have started to help her more so she doesn't get too nervous though! At this point it is about 10 am and we are starving. The parade is on in the living room and the kids wait anxiously to see santas arrival on the big float. hmmm still hungry so we pull out the deviled eggs. This in itself can add some entertainment to the household! Enough said! We get the table as the kids run through the house as grandpa yells "gobble Gobble Gobble!" This gobbling will soon be replaced with his favorite fraze for December, "I've got fifteen schilings in me pocket." My dad a very fun man and full of life. You never know what is going to pop out of his mouth! I'll skip to dinner time. Table looks great and set on each plate chocolate turkey's from Schwartz's candy store here on Long Island. I have added a new thing to our tradition. I love bringing those chocolate goodies!! As we sit and eat we wait for someone to toss an egg noodle or pull some type of childish prank. I think I topped it the year I attatched a "toot machine" underneathe the table. May sound obnoxious and gross but if you just knew my dad and brother! It was very funny!! Dinner is done and everyone is stuffes with that 85lb dressing! It was time to grab the coats and head outside for the drumroll. Now if any of you have ever seen the Griswald family christmas vacation, then you can certainly picture us standing outside. Every year my dad and neighbor, "JOE" try to out do eachother with their light up! My father seems to think that pink lights donot belong in a string of christmas lights. Therefor, Joe always coats the side of his house that faces ours with pink lights!! Very much like "grumpy Old Men" those two! 6 pm on the nose both houses light up! What a beautiful sight! Seeing this every year as a child was amazing but now it really means so much more to me. My father, having multiple sclerosis, some how manages to get out there and get this done just for the tradition. I know the years of standing outside waiting for these light are close to an end. I take in every sight and sound that has to go with this and keep it in my heart. This will always be my favorite memory of my mom and dad! Lights are on and the oohs and awws are going on but it is always funny when someone has to point out that one light of millions that isn't working LOL!! Oh well, time to go in for another round or a bowl of that banana pudding, pumkin pie, mince meat pie, or that orange jello that my mom makes!! Awww I love Thanksgiving at the Klingsmith house. Can't wait for all of the fun moments and leftovers!! Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
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