ben wakeman : : Journal

Thanksgiving

November 29, 2005

So we did it. We had the big Wakeman Family Thanksgiving celebration at our humble abode this year. Forty-one bodies were in our house at one time on Thursday. Catherine nearly killed herself getting everything ready, but I think in the end everybody had a remarkably good time as family gatherings go. There were no feuds, no awkward moments, no crying jags, no poked eyes or bruised egos. We rented 3 banquet tables and 30 chairs, roasted a 25 pound turkey and Catherine baked 6 pies.

Catherine stands before the very large table before everyone arrives...

In the last few weeks, I have been nostalgic for things from my childhood that I have not made a part of my life for many years. Football for instance. When I was a kid, I lived for the Miami Dolphins. Hans and I had complete uniforms from the coveted Sears catalog and we would suit up, playing until dark in the back yard. I played all the way up into highschool and then I walked away and never looked back. I never even watched football after that. Anyway, I decided this year to buy a ball and have the first annual Wakeman Family football game on Thanksgiving. It turned out to be a lot of fun. Passing the ball to my Dad and watching him tip-toe catch and dive to stay in bounds was worth the price of admission.

The Thankgiving gathering.

Everyone pitched in and brought so much wonderful food that I don't think anyone left hungry, or wanting for something that was not at our table. There was Turkey, a Ham, mashed potatos, stuffing, fresh cranberry dressing, corn pudding, squash casserole, sweet potato souffle, green beans with walnuts, rice with pomegranite sauce, salad, ambrosia and more delecacies that I'm sure I'm forgetting. It was wonderful to have everyone around one table.

The Eatting begins...

After dinner I made a fire on our back patio and it was such a beautiful night that many folks (including myself) retreated to the outdoors to escape the rather tight confines of our small house. I think it was a rare thing to have such a beautiful day coincide with such a peaceful and joyous gathering on a scheduled holiday. It had all the potential to be a trainwreck --- but then, I guess most things do if you look at life from that perspective.

Though we are still recovering from it, I think our Thanksgiving gathering was worth all of the effort and made some vivid memories for everyone. God, I hope someone else has Christmas covered this year ;-)