A few reflections -

Raining and dreary in Ahia this morning. Frank Sinatra is singing "Five Minutes More," on the TV, best shows are "music" during the day. Takes me back, I am sitting in the living room of 319 South Brown in Dayton, Ohio. Big front door, beveled glass, had no idea how thick it was until they tore down the house and a family friend, Gary Geringer, who had stayed with Mom and Dad when he interned at Miami Valley, made it a point to salvage a piece of it and sent to us. Glass was almost an inch thick.

Progress and a "freeway" took the old place, it goes directly over where the house stood. I spent 12 or 13 Thanksgivings there, seems like much more, but just that many. Mom had decorations for each occasions. Thanksgiving was no exception, Pilgrims, turkeys, Indians, all festive. We generally had guests in for part of the day. Had a large dining room, long table, had three inserts. Mom loved such occasions, she loved a "good time" and Thanksgiving was one of them. I remember too, many neighbors and friends would drop in for a visit, just to sit and talk. I am thinking too, that there was the old Philco radio, on, broadcasting a football game or two.

Dad had one of those "contour" chairs next to the Philco and was "in charge" of that. Thanksgiving signaled in the season, Christmas would be soon, Halloween, Thanksgiving and then Christmas, great memories of the Winter season.

I am doing the cooking this year, have a slew of work to do, but looking forward to it. Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, dressing, cranberry sauce, that I am going to make, escalloped corn and baking three different pies, apple, mince meat and pumpkin. Ambitious, but I hope I can pull it off. Hopefully, what little family we have here will spend the day ... NO TV for the day. I used to love the parade, but it no longer is a parade, it is a TV show, it used to be a parade which they televised .... may watch some football though ...