Thanksgiving is coming. Turkey, cranberries, stuffing, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. My mind goes to food when I think of Thanksgiving. I rarely think about the Pilgrims. But, they are the ones that started the tradition. The pilgrims went through some hard times. First, surviving the boat ride over the "pond" was no easy feat. They landed in strange surroundings where the living wasn't easy. It was hard work to even survive their first winter. If it hadn't been for the Native Americans, they probably wouldn't have survived. Yet, there is a comradery that comes from going through a difficult period and sharing the joy that remains. All that to say, I'm thankful I'm not a pilgrim! I enjoy indoor plumbing and not actually having to kill a turkey before I have to fix it! Not that I've ever had to fix a turkey. I have been fortunate, as I am not only directionally challenged, I am culinary challenged as well. I have made mashed potatoes that looked like glue, broiled brownies for a church dinner and made rhubarb cobbler that made us hurl. Hmmm….maybe that's why some of my closest friends are the ones that have eaten my cooking…eaten probably isn't the right word.... gagged down would be more like it…but I digress. If I had been a pilgrim, I would have either gotten lost in the woods or starved trying to boil water for soup. I'm thankful for the Pilgrims and the tradition of sitting aside a day to be thankful. But I'm even more so, I'm thankful I wasn't a Pilgrim!!
