One couple was our neighbors, Peggy and Jim whose family is full of Irish friendliness, wit, warmth and always... laughter. Jim's family in particular was brimming with boyhood stories that boggled our imagination. I believe he had 7 brothers. Use your imagination. Peggy and I even delivered our youngest babies 8 days apart.
Then they left for California. I tried to smile through their move but my heart broke.
Then Caroline and Bill moved in with their children. They are both professors at the university but their extended families live in Arizona and Boston. We adopted each other. Our Thanksgivings and Christmases were celebrated in each other's homes. We took turns for Thanksgiving. We alternated who would cook the turkey, stuffing and gravy and who would do the rest. This worked out wonderfully because if you hosted, you just took care of the turkey, stuffing and gravy and didn't have to worry about the rest of the fixings. Caroline and Bill often invited visiting profs from other countries to the dinners. We enjoyed the exchange of ideas and learning. This family tradition continued for nearly two decades.
I now love celebrating our holidays with my brother's family here in Hawaii, and I know I'm being perverse by longing for those friends who kept our holidays warm and bustling for those 34 years we were away, but I can't seem to help it. I miss all the holiday parties at the neighbors and with our friends.
I miss the snow. Wait. Did I say that? Did I really say that? Well I do. Not the cold, just the glistening snow on our evergreens. I miss the fall farmers markets full of apples and fall fruits. I miss the fiery colors of leaves scattering their last hurrah to the wind. I miss my daughter, son in law and granddaughter in Illinois.
Then again, I don't miss frigid January or February in the Midwest. I'm reminded of that when we go for our evening walks in shorts and t-shirts. I'm going to end this post just because I don't know where I'm going with it. I guess I'm just reflecting on our past and our future as we near the end of the year.
I can so understand, Kay! When my son, Adam, insisted on my moving to Seattle, I recognized that it would be good for both of us in many ways. He travels so much and it's comforting for him to know that someone is here to take care of the house and his dog. And at the same time it was good for me -- saved me money, which at this time of life is necessary. He isn't married, doesn't plan to be, so our future is quite comfortable. BUT, I miss having my own apartment, I miss my friends in Portland, I miss the area that I lived in and my total independence. I'm not sorry I moved to Seattle, I do love it, love being near the water. Love the fact that blogging came into my life at a time when I really needed a distraction and now it is so much a part of my life. So, we have the good and the bad -- well, not bad, but different. But I guess we'll always look back now and then with a bit of sadness even as we enjoy the new things in our lives.
ReplyDeleteMy, my! I do go on and on!
Enjoy, Kay!
Sylvia
I hear you Kay! My family is in NJ and I'm in NC. Our 2 daughters are here in NC with their husbands so we always spend Thankgiving together! Occasionally we have gone to NJ but it is just too cold and the possibility of getting stuck in snow while there isn't very appealing. Have a great Thanksgiving with you Hawaiian family!
ReplyDeleteYou have some wonderful memories of past Thanksgivings, Kay. And to think you slipped and admitted you miss the snow! I love the snow, but then, I'm not the one in this house who's in charge of the shoveling and snow-blowing. One year a heavy snowstorm on Thanksgiving Day prevented us from going to my sister and her husband's for dinner. I was in tears all day. Snow in southern Maine on Thanksgiving is rare, though, so I'm not expecting it this year.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had a wonderful life there with your adopted families. I hope that y'all get to visit on the phone at least.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad tho, that you and your family are together again, especially since you have beautiful grandchildren!
Happy ThanksGiving!!
What wonderful Thanksgiving memories! Thanks for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteYou've made me remember the holidays of my teenage years; my sister, father, grandmother and one niece were always in the hospital for some reason or another. On one hand those were terrible days, but on the other hand, the camaraderie and true friendship that happens under such circumstances was a gift far above the price we paid by being there. Complete strangers would give children gifts; everyone supported each other no matter what their own troubles were, and I think I would never have learned the true meaning of Thankfulness or Christmas if I hadn't been through that first.
Snow is beautiful---but I'd be happy if it stayed in photographs LOL. I envy you the warm evenings!
You've inspired me to throw together a last-minute Thanksgiving party here. I'll have to explain it to the guests LOL, but you're right; the memories and the friends are so worth it.
I forgot to add that I understand what you are going through. When we moved way down south, I left so many good friends. It took me a long time to find my BFF; and luckily two of my very good friends had moved down here that I already knew from Austin!
ReplyDeleteI could send you some snow Kay. I think I will have some extra around soon..LOL... Being adopted in is a wonderful thing....
ReplyDeletethere are many of us who would love to be in hawaii for any holiday...it's difficult these days to be with all of our family as everyone is so spread out all over the country. I will be with two of my sons and their families but the other two live in NM and Seattle.
ReplyDeleteThe holidays are difficult for many people. It's all about family and friends. And some are far away as well as some have passed on. I appreciate that you share so many emotions and not just the happy ones. Many people can probably identify with your post. I know I can, Kay.
ReplyDeleteA very lovely and thoughtful post Kay. Wonderful memories of past Thanksgivings with dear friends and now many more wonderul Thanksgivings with your family in Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely memory, Kay!!!!! You are truly blessed!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to want to be in two places at once. One place always loses. I hope your holiday memories keep your Thanksgiving warm and full.
ReplyDeleteOh, I don't miss life in California or New York. Give me warm holiday weather any time! I love Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a warm and lovely Thanksgiving when it comes, to add to your wonderful memories.
ReplyDeletewell..hope u see them real soon..
ReplyDeleteWe have always had some family near enough to make the journey over the river and through the woods for. Because I live the farthest away I have almost always traveled for Thanksgiving and will again this year, a three hour drive each way. Sometimes I think the idea of having holidays shared with good friends and neighbors sounds great.
ReplyDeleteYou are socially adept and easy to be with!
ReplyDeleteAloha, Kay
Comfort Spiral
kay;
ReplyDeleteI miss those times too. I think my very favorite time was williamsburg. I could always count on you being there for me. You were only two doors down and I can still see you walking up my walkway.
Those are our memories to keep though and I feel so blessed to have them and a million more!
Now let's talk about the snow...yeah I did miss it whne I moved to CA,,,but just a little!
Love you !
Loved reading your thanksgiving memories....it is always very difficult to part from the people and the place you love.My dad was on a gov. job so transfer after every three years was a routine for us...we cried ,hugged exchanged promises to keep in touch .
ReplyDeleteIts nice that you remember those friends and days very fondly and are still in touch with many of them...but i think HAWAII is a wonderful,wonderful place to live and because you and Art live here KC gets a chance to visit this lovely place too....very soon she is going to proudly tell her school friends that for vacations she is visiting her GRANDPARENTS at Hawaii !!
I think I'm going to feel much the same over Christmas this year. Although we're only a three hour drive from our sons, I do miss them. We used to see the older boy every two weeks, and the younger every three weeks. Now it's about every six weeks. Now that isn't much of a difference I know, but it's enough to make me feel sad sometimes. And Christmas is going to be different too, after 20 Christmases in our old house. But different can be good, so I'm going to do everything I can to start building new traditions for our future.
ReplyDeleteI have most of my life lived far away from family. Now I am moving back home and wondering if I am going to fit back in, and how awkward it will be.
ReplyDeleteYou sound so wistful. It's hard to lose friends and family, for whatever reason. Still, the internet is a great help these days. Plus, you get to make new friends, like you.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if I might ask you to write a post about American Christmas traditions at some point. We know all about Halloween and Thanksgiving through tv and movies, but not much about how you celebrate Christmas. I have always been curious to see if we have similar traditions.