Thanksgiving thoughts

As I reflect back to past years when we were entertained by the Russell troupe on the fireplace stage....other Thanksgivings come to mind. I miss those days....when we were the young ones....with little ones. I was thinner....certainly more energetic...and all I was responsible for was a few pies....and helping out when needed. Now....we are the matriarch and patriarch of the family and I am not all that thrilled with the position or the responsibilities. :)

My plan....and hope was that the whole dressing deal would skip a generation....go from Mom to Katie or Amy...but it has landed here now. We have Dad's recipe...we did get him to write it down as he made it one year....but it will never taste the same ....much like Gran's famous pound cake. He believed in getting your hands dirty....digging deep into the cornbread and broth...and he always tasted it along....adding more sage. We will try to recreate it...and recapture it...but it will be his touch that will be missing. How do you add a dash of Dad to cornbread dressing?

Amy is home...and we are treasuring these two days with her alone. That doesn't happen much anymore so it is sacred time. We snuggle and giggle and try to catch up on all the nonsense...some serious....some whimsical....and lots of hugging sandwiches. She has been clipping pictures from magazines to create the perfect wedding. We don't always see eye to eye....but I am reminded it is her wedding...and it is. Her dilemma is sometimes she is elegant and other times fun with a touch of country....or other times shabby chic with glitz and glamor . Getting all of her moods and tastes and visions pulled together is a challenge. But...that is Amy....complicated but simple. It is what makes her so special. So her wedding will be her! And....that means is will be the most special wedding ever....with the most beautiful bride and the most handsome groom. I can't wait! What fun!

Katie and Charles are in Vegas taking a much needed little break and then coming here to spend the holidays with family. They will go back and forth and back again between the two families. We are so blessed because all the kid's other families are right around here....making it nice for us....probably tough for them.

Mom is coming. Jim and I have both lost a parent...his dad will join my mom at the table. Both feeling the loss of their mates. Mom's loss will be fresh...Papa's loss is constant. Dad's dressing...Gran's Waldorf salad....both will be reminders of the past....but we are thankful. Along with the memories of the past there will be a new addition to remind us of the future....Andy and Bobbie will have their first year with their little blessing. We are all thankful for the joy that Miss Shelby has brought to our lives. We have lost.....and we have grown....and that is the nature of the sandwich!

Old Oak Piano

The old oak piano sits in our living room taking up space. It is no longer used. It is now a lovely very large piece of furniture used for lifting up family photos or a nice addition to the room at Christmas. It lends itself well to decorations...and is certainly perfect for holding an aged Christmas carol songbook. Wonder what that old piano would say if she could talk? Lots of stories and songs housed in that ole' oak frame.

Jim and I purchased it nearly thirty years ago at a garage sale across the street when we lived on Mark Drive. The man that lived there brought old pianos back to life...this one came from the old Caddo school house in Oklahoma and has 1890 somewhere on the back. It never had the best tone...it was always a little twangy...but we loved it. It had character and a history...and we spent money we didn't have to make it ours. Right away it proved to be a challenge due to the weight of the music housed in oak. Jim insisted I decide the first time where I wanted it to sit...because it would not be moved ever again! I believe he has made that declaration on several occasions now.

I resumed my own lessons while the kids were babies...declaring that now that I was an adult I would master the piano. I didn't care for the lessons as a young person...not having the discipline for it...but now that I was older surely I could become a fine pianist. With my old sheet music...I became pretty proficient at a few old tunes. My plunking was for my pleasure only...nothing to brag about or perform for others.

Our family grew and as each child became "of age" we signed them up for piano lessons. Andy was by far our most musical one. He caught on to tunes quickly and memorized them easily. Katie...not so much. She was pretty good...but not disciplined at all with practice. She just wanted to play really well right away ( a feeling I recognized by the way!) Amy....absolutely hated it! My memories of her stomping out of the piano teacher's house still makes me laugh. With hair bouncing, she stomped to the car and slammed the door. She declared for all the world to hear that the piano teacher tooted and she smelled bad...and Amy was done with her! Needless to say...sending her weekly to face the gas chamber was not working and was a waste of money and time. We allowed her to quit. She never looked back...and we saved a few bucks to be sure!

For years and years the piano has been sitting quietly. She still gets her lemon oil bath monthly...but her notes are very out of tune. She sings off key and some of the keys no longer sing at all...like an old woman aging she creaks and squeaks. A couple of times we ran an ad in the paper thinking of selling her....but it felt like selling part of the family...so when we had no takers...we were fine with it. Our attempts were half hearted anyway.

And then....a new little Russell arrived on the scene. Miss Shelby Grace likes to plunk! What baby doesn't...she sits on my lap and we bang together. I still remember "I Dropped my Dolly in the Dirt" and chopsticks...but that is about all. It is enough for Miss Shelby. We "play" for many minutes. New hope for a new Russell. Maybe she will be our piano prodigy...or maybe she will just enjoy the joy of learning an instrument.

I am sure our old oak friend is relieved and revived knowing that she is of use once again. Her future is secure and with the help of a good piano man she will once again sing on key with the help of a child!