Thanksgiving Tradition
Every Thanksgiving, Dad made turkey dressing
from the family recipe. Saltine crackers, eggs, milk,
onion with poultry seasoning and sage. He used
a big aluminum bowl that when younger I thought
was special for the dressing. Later, I realized
it was just the biggest bowl we had. Mom peeled
and chopped onion. Dad crushed saltines
in their sleeves then added the rest.
Mom would taste test. In his later years,
Dad would add too much sage. He spooned
the stuffing into the cavity even in the skin
where the neck used to be. Sutured it up
with skewers and twine.
Mom got up early to bake the pumpkin pie,
put the turkey in to roast. Mom and Dad are gone,
my brother, Fred, is in Virginia. Really not much
family left. We don’t try to get together at Thanksgiving.
We both used to worked on that Thursday
or the Friday after. Christmas dinners in Virginia
are a major affair, beef wellington comes to mind—
nothing as simple as turkey with saltine dressing.
Old Mountain Press
