November 20, 2006

Food Security

According to our own USDA, hungry people are no longer hungry. They just have low food security.

There is high food security at our home right now. No, I'm not gloating. I am grateful. We will be hosting the family Thanksgiving feast. The weekend was spent planning and shopping for the event.

Changing traditions is the theme of the week. Out with the old, in with the new, saving pieces of the past as ballast.

Out with the old: no more Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa's house. No more travel naps in the car for The Boy on the way to their home. No more Hal grumbling over carving the bird. No more eating off my mom's beautiful china with sterling silver utensils. No more interesting seasonal centerpiece and handcrafted tablecloth, placemats and napkins. No more playing dominoes in the evening. No more family bonding while clearing their expansive lawn of fallen leaves the day after.

In with the new: Thanksgiving at our house. My sister and mother will be joining us, as will The Boy. We will eat off our ancient Corelle plates with our stainless steel flatware. Our serving dishes will not match. Luckily there will be but five of us, otherwise our glassware would not match either. I wonder who will carve the bird. Might be me. I had dreams of putting everyone to work clearing our lawn of fallen leaves, but I've tabled that fantasy. We're all more in need of rest.

Ballast: Our turkey will be lovingly smoked by Smokey Joe's as always. I will make the same cornbread dressing and asparagus casserole my mother always made. We will watch football together and perhaps play cards.

We will drink a toast to Hal's memory with cheap white wine. I will recall his crooked smile and bushy eyebrows; the wine decanter with the decorative knot collar he crafted; the way he always pouted when losing at dominoes and laughed when he won; the motion he used to push his bangs out of his face; him sitting in his recliner with his glasses on his nose and a newspaper open in his lap, peering over at the television set every now and again; and his quiet snore when he drifted off for a nap.

Yes, this year marks the start of a whole new generation of traditions. I hope you enjoy yours, whatever they may be. And may your food security always be high.

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15 comments:

sporksforall said...

Happy holidays.

New traditions based on the best of old are a hallmark of the creative cultural experience--she says authoritatively.

Meantime, "low food security" is about on par with the Japanese evacuation of people for a 16 inch "tsunami."

May everyone's breasts be plump and juicy. Turkey breasts.

Gina said...

I'll raise my glass to that!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday, Suzanne.

Middle Girl said...

As the landscape changes, so too does tradition.

Like the food and the company, it shall be all good.

Happy, Joyous times to you all. :)

Rainwolf said...

Awesome post. I hope everyone has a great time.

KMae said...

Sporks with the plump, juicy breasts,
HAHAHAHAHAHAAH!!!!

I just KNOW your new Tgiving tradition will be the BEST YET!

Anonymous said...

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the family. Sounds like a start to a wonderful new tradition.

Anonymous said...

I'm scared for the day when the tradition becomes mine to make. I'm really scared. Seriously and truly.

But on a happy note -- what a wonderful and upbeat post you made! So cheerful and bright!

May you have a Happy Thanksgiving, S & W and family!

Happy Holidays :)

Robin said...

Low food security. Ketchup is a vegetable. Let's change the subject: happy holidays to you guys. xo

Anonymous said...

Happy Thanksgiving Suzanne!

Anonymous said...

Happy Thanksgiving Suzanne and Wendy.
Raise a glass to new traditions.
(and you should really reconsider that group raking idea)

SassyFemme said...

This is a year of changing traditions for us, too. Wishing you both a very lovely holiday surrounded by the love of family, and good food.

Anonymous said...

Happy Thanksgiving, Wendy and Suzanne. May the year ahead be full of grace and gratitude, whatever traditions are born.

tiff said...

Ah - traditions; made to be broken.

Y'all sounds like you're on the same dish plan as we are. In our house, just recently, HUSBAND got so sick of mismatched plates he went out and bought more. I kind of liked the randomness of the old ones.....

Anonymous said...

Happy holiday!
Change is abounding, and it sux, but it goes on.

Finding new traditions and making them feel right is the key, having loved ones close (in proximity or in heart) is the only way to do it.

Remember Hal and all the good times, eat well and stay out of the shops on Friday :).

as for Low Food Security-EGADS....I think the government speaks another language, I know they live in a different reality!

May we, someday live in times when no one goes hungry.

Hope you and Wendy and all of your loved ones enjoy each others company this day!

agoodlistener said...

Yes, we've had to make new traditions with all the parents out this way having passed on. Some of the family members seem less inclined to participate, which is too bad. Hope yours was wonderful.