Thanksgivings Past

This was a unique Thanksgiving for the Harbins.  We don't usually celebrate in the way we did.  In fact, we have never celebrated like this before.

All my Thanksgivings except one have been spent with family.  When I was a little girl, we lived with my grandparents until I was in the 3rd grade.  Then we moved across the alley from them.  I had an aunt that lived in Oklahoma and usually she would come with my cousins and we had Thanksgiving at my grandma's house.  This continued until the cousins got older and got married.  Sometimes they would have to go to their husband's family and occasionally we would go to Oklahoma to celebrate.  But always - with family.

Then came the horrid year.  The year my mom died.  She died a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving.  My grandmother was living in Childress and wanted to go home, so Ciara and I took her to Vega to her house for Thanksgiving.  My aunt and uncle from Amarillo came.  Grandma was sick, so the day wasn't much.  Before the day was over, my aunt and uncle took her to the hospital in Amarillo and left Ciara and I there alone.  A few weeks later, she died.

The next year, I decided to do Thanksgiving by myself.  United had this big dish sale where you traded in these tickets you got for buying groceries there for plates for $0.99.  They had grapes on them.  I loved them and bought the platter that matched.  (I have since discovered I hate those plates.  One blew up in the microwave.  I sold a whole box full at a garage sale.  I do still have the platter.)  I fixed all the food for me and Ciara.  I put the lovely turkey on the platter.  I remember it was one of the loneliest holidays I can remember.  So much for always wanting to stay home for the holidays.  It was the pits.

Since then, I have spent the holiday at my relatives in Oklahoma.  I knew I wouldn't be able to travel this year, so I began planning for the holiday.  I decided that I wouldn't try so hard to make it special and just treat it like a well deserved break from school.  I didn't put any expectations on the holiday.  I was blessed to began going to a church that had a Thanksgiving meal on the Sunday before, so that was my big meal.  I cooked a turkey the week before and we ate off of it for a week.  I had leftover turkey from the meal at church also.  I bought another turkey, but haven't cooked it yet.  I got sick of turkey!! 

This year I had two options.  I chose to go over to a new friend's house.  She invited several people.  We were all loners, I guess.  Most had kids, but they were out of town.  Some had no other place to go.  We all brought food.  We had a lovely meal.  Then the guys went to the living room and watched football and the girls sat at the table and talked.  It was so nice.  I ended up staying much longer than I planned.  I am so thankful that they included me in their plans. 

Thanksgiving night I was one of those midnight shoppers at Walmart.  I loved it.  I didn't have much money and got what I went after and a lot more.  I loved seeing all the people there.  I had a disappointing experience with someone who was more interested in shopping than our friendship.  Win some: lose some, and she lost a friend.  But mostly, I had a good time.  Friday night, we went to Wellington to see Tangled.  It was such a cute movie.  I love going to the movies over there.  Saturday, I finally got C to clean up the living room and we put up the tree.  Then C went skating and I had a long phone conversation with an old friend.  Sunday we had an awesome day of worship with our church and a special ceremony at night learning about Christmas customs and then we decorated our church.  I was so glad that Sasha, Brendalynn and Duphree went with us.  It was such a wonderful Thanksgiving.