Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Thanksgiving Traditions

This picture was taken Thanksgiving Day in 1964. That's my Mom and Dad, both in their late 20s and my Great Grandmother-- Granny, in her mid 70s. I was 6 years old.

The table was set with my Grandmother's homemade tomato juice, turkey's on the left and the plate of "brown-looking glob" on the right is actually grape jello with bing cherries-- A Thanksgiving tradition.

Another family tradition was to eat the pumpkin pie first. Grandpa said Grandma worked so hard making the pies that we should "Eat dessert first in case the house burns down."

We lived in this tiny house until I was ten years old but there was always room for the whole family and stray friends-- as long as they brought their own folding chair to pull up to the table.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. Aside from the great food, it's a time to reflect and give thanks. One of the many things I'm thankful for is the blogging community who has been so generous to me this year. May this be our first of many Thanksgivings together.

Pass the Pumpkin Pie please!

Welcome to The Fifty Factor - Joanna

And... Congratulations to Chrisy at Artdecadence for winning the Snuggie Giveaway! Chrisy has a gorgeous blog so check it out. And a million thanks to Kristina at P. at Pulsipher Predilections for her fantastic interview on Blog Comments!

51 comments:

  1. Oh, I am thankful for you, too!

    LOVE the family pic - thanks for sharing that!!!

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  2. What a great picture! I love the "pumpkin pie before dinner" tradition. I may suggest it to my family this year.

    Have a fabulous Thanksgiving!

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  3. I love that picture! It's so fun seeing that little slice of your childhood and reading about your traditions.
    Congratulations to Chrissy too!

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  4. Have a wonderful holiday. The picture is awesome. I have a really old one that I love to look at. So many family members in it that have been gone for so very long. Ahhhh...memories. Love it! I love Thanksgiving too, but it's always a little bittersweet because my youngest doesn't come home for Thanksgiving....only Christmas. He's a teacher and it just isn't enough time....plus the flights are terrible. I usually okay if I knew he was having dinner somewhere. :) It's the mom thing. We will be celebrating on Friday so my married kids can spend tomorrow with their other families. Have a wonderful day and I will have at least half of a pumpkin pie eaten before anyone even gets here....that's MY tradition!

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  5. Yes, me too - I'm thankful for having met you Joanna. And it has been so interesting just lately to read the blogs of my American friends as they prepare for Thanksgiving. Of course I have always known about it, but as we don't celebrate it, it hasn't been a part of my life. I feel now, with all the warmth that is obviously so much a part of this celebration, that it really is now!

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  6. Love it! Pie first!!
    Looks like a great party!
    I'm thankful for the blog community too.
    Happy Thanksgiving!
    ~ Elise

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  7. I'll toast to that. {CHEERS!}

    And my but weren't you a pretty child. You'll have to email me a recent photo of yourself so I can compare. Seriously. You've got my addy.

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  8. Great post. I´m so thankful for all the wonderful bloggers I´ve gotten to know as well. They are a genuine, caring, sweet bunch of people out there and I´m so grateful to have you on my list!

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  9. That's a lovely picture -- thanks for sharing. Enjoy your Thanksgiving - I will think of all my US friends while I slave - I mean sit here lonely at work.

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  10. thanks for the smiles this post brought to me. i hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving. i am thankful for you. smiles.

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  11. This is a wonderful photo of family back in the sixties. You sure were a gorgeous little cutie pie! Speaking of pie, I read your post to my hubby and he sure likes your family tradition of pie first!! We might just do that from now on. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family Joanna. You have been a wonderful blog friend to Attila and her family and you are a wonderful online blogger to all of us. Sincere thanks from me personally for all your wonderful comments on my little blog and for your award winning blog!

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  12. I totally get what your grandpa said. Well maybe not to that extreme. One time I was eating french bread and spegetti. I ripped off the crust and ate it first because I wanted to save the gushy yummy warm part for last. Well a few bites into my meal I knocked over my drink and I had nasty soggy bread. Always eat the good stuff first. :P)

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  13. Pie first! Sounds like a good plan to me!

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  14. I love the tradition of eating pit first. It should be mandatory!

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  15. Right back at ya, Joanna. But I'll pass on the glob blob. That's a good tradition to keep within the family. :) Eating dessert first, however, I think has real potential. I wonder if I can get away with that?

    Cheers,

    SLC

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  16. I love the happy expression on your face. Did you help set the table?

    I'm so with having dessert first..after all..there's usually more room after dessert for the rest of the meal and then if there's still more room, more dessert after dinner.

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. I hope it's a wonderful one for you!

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  17. A happy and blessed Thanksgiving to you too. That picture is so adorable. And dessert first is a real winner!! I am thankful for friends like you in my life!!
    Thanks and hugs
    SueAnn

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  18. what a perfect post for thanksgiving. your grandparents sound like they were a hoot! have a wonderful holiday joanna! besos-jane

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  19. You're such a cute kid. I'm guessing you still are.

    I think your dad was onto something there with the sweet tradition. I'm not sure I could get that to fly here, but it might be worth a try.

    I hope you enjoy your holiday and time with your family.

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  20. Oh my gosh, that picture is great!!! Happy Thanksgiving!

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  21. Beautiful memories, thank you for sharing and have a great Thanksgiving!

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  22. So beautiful. That image is just delicious. Enjoy!!!

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  23. I love your Grandma, what's not to love about a woman who eats the pie first. You and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

    God bless ya'll!!!

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  24. You were a cutie-patootie, Joanna! Aren't family traditions wonderful and fun. Your picture makes me want to go back and look through my old family pics. I will do that soon. Thanks for being such a supportive blogging friend. I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with warm family spirit.

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  25. I love that you ate dessert first. That is so cool. Have a great Thanksgiving!

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  26. Eating dessert first is just the best TG idea I've heard yet. Loved the old 60s photo. Your grandpa was way cool.

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  27. Happy Thanksgiving, Joanna! I am so happy to have you in my blogging life. I love your "eat the pie first" tradition and the photograph! Enjoy your holiday.

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  28. I don't think that thankful is a strong enough word for my blogging buddies!

    Have a great Thanksgiving!

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  29. I like the way your grandfather thinks, I might just steal that line this year!

    Have a great Thanksgiving!

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  30. Great picture and great traditions. Love the idea of eating pie first. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. I too am thankful for this wonderful loving community! XX Lori

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  31. Joanna, I love it, pumpkin pie first, what cool grandparents...just in case the house burnt down. Makes me smile. Have a wonderful time.

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  32. OMG! I love your grandparents!! Esp your grandfather~now thats a man! btw you were a very darling 6

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  33. It is funny when we go back and look at the houses of our childhood...they are so small! I cannot believe how many of us got into my grandparents house for every holiday and it actually seemed big. Thanks for the memories!

    Happy Thanksgiving!

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  34. Thanks for sharing your family photo. Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday. :)

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  35. love pies - we have a tradition of having pies instead of cakes for birthdays.
    I have eaten dessert first but only on some rare occasions - it's fun to change things around.
    all the best

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  36. Happy Thanksgiving!! Save some pie for me I'll be there in about 12 hours!! I wish!

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  37. This is a revelation dear girl...from now on I'll be eating dessert first 'in case the house burns down'!

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  38. (Cue the toast)
    "Here's to Joanna's grandfather - a man with the right set of priorities; and to sharing 'the first Thanksgiving of many' with her and the other fine, upstanding residents of Bloglandia! Happy Thanksgiving! (Cue the raising of our glasses) Cheers!

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  39. Oh - I just love eating dessert first. Preferably for breakfast!

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  40. Glad to be getting to know you...
    Thankful for blogs and blogging.
    Happy Thanksgiving to you...
    And I love love that picture!

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  41. Wasn't that a wonderful time of life? Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

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  42. Hope you have a wonderful day. I love that picture. Thank You for sharing!

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  43. What a great tradition! It wouldn't work in my house, though...we'd never get to dinner!!!

    Happy Thanksgiving!!

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  44. Arent you a cutie-pie?

    Hope you had a great day.

    Much love RMxx

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  45. What a yummy holiday picture! Hope this year is equally memorable, and no burning-down houses, either!

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  46. Looks like great Thanksgiving memories! I like the idea of eating the pumpkin pie first, because I never have room for dessert until later and the pumpkin pie is always gone, by then. Have a great weekend!

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  47. Grape jello with bing cherries- sounds delicious.

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  48. How funny, we started an eat dessert first tradition this year because we never have any room left for dessert.

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  49. I am all about having dessert first! I love that quote! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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  50. Our grandmas look IDENTICAL. Down to the apron and glasses. No kidding.
    But the dessert first tradition? That I never got to appreciate, you lucky gal.

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