Musings from the Miller: The turkies cooking ..........

[J Miller]

and I'm getting sick of the smell already. By the time it's ready and served I won't want any.

Many falls ago I got tired of turkey. Actually refused to eat any on several occasions. This year I told the wife, just get a turkey breast, there's just the two of us, we don't NEED a whole darn turkey. Even the cats won't help us eat that much. Well, wife got a breast only because she couldn't find a whole bird at Wal-Mart. Now it's cooking.
About the time it's done, I'll be ready for the 45 mile drive to the nearest Jack-In-The-Box for burger.

But ....... it's not really the turkey. All my family is in AZ, CA and WY and the AZ group is all meeting at my Aunts house in Yava. And for the 10th year in a row, we're stuck here, alone. I lost my last Uncle just a couple months ago. Both Aunts are really getting up there in years. If I don't get home soon, I may never see them again.
I wish it was just as simple as getting in the car and heading west, if it were I'd been back home a long time ago.

For those of you that have family and can be together, do it.
For those who can't be with your family, I know how you feel.

Joe

[gamekeeper]

I'm with you on that one Joe. Celebrations without family and friends can be pretty tough.

I hope you get a chance of at least a vacation in Arizona soon.

[2ndovc]

This is the first year that I can think of that we didn't have a house full.

Just the four of us. Nice for a change. Probaly won't
happend again for a while( with any luck).

Blondie and the boys are cleaning up now after another fantastic
dinner.
I just plopped down on the couch ( had to push Lucy the Great Dane over) listening to the last of Beethoven's 9th
all fat and happy with the world.

I very much hope that you make it home to see your family Joe.
If there's a will there's a way.

jason

[mescalero1]

I am alone.......................
and content........................
the Mescalero curse.................
I feel for you Joe..........................
wish I could make it better for you.................

[J Miller]

The turkey has been dished and eaten. Wifie forgot to dish up the dressing . I shared my plate with our 17 y o matriarch kitty. She just got up on the table and pushed her nose right into my plate. I cut up a bunch of meat and mixed it with the gravy so she could eat easier. Eventually she waddled away stuffed, went behind the computer and fell asleep. I got the rest. It was good.

I do not know if I will get home this year. The thing is, once I head west it's a one way trip. I'll not be returning to IL. So somehow it's got to be a real move. And soon I hope.

Joe

[Pete44ru]

A 25lb bird; scratch-made dressing/stuffing w/sausage/giblets/etc; 5lb smashed potatoes; 4lb baked/candied Yams; 4lb baked/candied carrots; 1lb Broccolli w/Hollandaise sauce; cranberry sauce; scratch-made bread rolls; pumpkin pie; chocolate cream pie; ricotta cheese pie; cherry cheesecake; vino; and coffee made all seven of us here fat/sassy & satisfied for dinner, and the best of all - leftovers.

Wish you were here.

.

[KirkD]

Joe, I hope your next Thanksgiving is a much happier one out west.

[DBW]

Joe, I know how you feel. I've got a brother in Plattsburg, NY... the rest of my family is scattered across Canada. Even my wife is up in Canada untilI head up there for Christmas. Because most of the family is north of the border the last time I celebrated T-Day here in the States was back in 1999 with my first wife. By 2000 we had seperated and headed towards a divorce.

Next chance you get Joe, get with family.

[kimwcook]

Hope your get home soon, Joe. Prayers and best wishes.

[don Tomás]

Youngest being deployed overseas (Sandbox) was a downer for us, but you know, he's healthy and doing good, me and my sweetie (bride of almost 24 years) are healthy and doing good and there's a lot of folks that don't have it that good. Thank You Lord...

[Griff]

Joe,

Now that the "doin's" are all over, hope that you're feelin' better.

I drove most of the nite on Wed to get to "grandma's house" in time to take her out to "Cracker Barrel" for Thanksgiving Day. There musta been some kinda notice goin' round, cause they were crowded and we had to wait for about 45 minutes to get a table.

Gotta love "MOM's", after I got here yesterday morning she tells me, "you didn't HAVE to make that drive just to entertain a little old lady!" Yea, right! She's sending me home with some other stuff of my dad's... and some of her treasured china for my wife and favored cousin. She doesn't trust shipping it to New Zealand, and said, "now you have an excuse to go!" What's funny, is that what's going to my cousin came from New Zealand when Mum made several of her trips home!

Several items of my Dad's were things I'd given him as gifts over the years... each has special memories, a couple of watches, a handmade duck call & decoy, handmade buckles from my horseshoein' days... Hope my son appreciates them as much. I 'spect Dad kept 'em just to make sure that I'd figure he appreciated them, whether he did or not! Actually, I know that ain't so, as he wore that Seiko watch and one belt buckle (when wearing jeans) every day for the last 30+ years.

Next year Joe... I just know it.