Families have all sorts of traditions when it comes to the Thanksgiving meal.

My family’s tradition kind of works like a potluck.

Everyone, or should I say every female who attends, brings a dish.

Of course, we chat among ourselves making sure every food group is covered.

For the past few years, I have volunteered to cook the turkey.

Some may think being in charge of the main course would be stress-provoking, but it is actually quite easy if you have a cooking bag and thermometer.

The biggest obstacle for me is remembering not to wait until the last minute to buy the frozen turkey.

It takes a while for a turkey to thaw, so there is no last-minute shopping for it.

My sisters-in-law’s jobs are to bring most of the sides, and mom’s job is cooking the rolls and offering up her home.

Hosting everyone in the house seems like the worst job since our family has grown and we now have four generations who attend.

But mom and dad still want everyone to come to their house for the day.

With all our busy schedules, I rarely even have the opportunity to catch up with my siblings and their families despite the fact they live in town.

And of course, it is always a treat when the out-of-town family comes.

As a child, we would travel to Cleveland for the holiday and eat at my grandmother’s house.

Like now, family would gather and the women would bring all the food.

My grandmother would cook fresh butter beans and creamed corn, and she always baked her famous chocolate cake.

I treasure my memories of those Thanksgivings spent in the Delta.

In the November/December issue of Vicksburg Living, the magazine we publish here at The Post, I interviewed Mindy Giambrone and her sister Rachel Hardy. They shared with me the history of their family china, crystal and silver that was used during Thanksgiving meals when they were growing up. They explained how these pieces were passed down them to continue using for Thanksgiving.

It was fascinating to listen to the sisters reminisce about their childhood Thanksgivings and watch their faces when recalling a memory.

For those of us who have been fortunate enough to grow up in loving families, Thanksgiving Days have been happy occasions.

But as we all know, there are some that do not have cherished memories of Thanksgivings.

Thanks to many organizations in town, most folks will not go without a meal. One of those that reaches out to those in need is the River City Rescue Mission.

On Thursday, they will be serving Thanksgiving dinners to all who come in.

Earnie Hall and his staff work hard making sure everyone gets fed, and not only do they serve a Thanksgiving meal at the mission, they also deliver food to the homebound and look for people on the street who are in need.

This year when I sit down for Thanksgiving, I will remember I have much to be thankful for, and I will also be thankful for those in our community who reach out to those less fortunate.

 

Terri Cowart Frazier is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. She can be reached at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.