OT - Thanksgiving - Traditions and Questions
Mates,
Soon after graduating from Michigan I realized that Thanksgiving was easily my favorite holiday, not the least of reasons being that most jobs I had gave both Thursday and Friday off. More importantly it is a uniquely American holiday celebrating our incredible fortune at being able to have the economic and religious freedoms that had never before existed in civilization - things that we all take for granted were truly radical accomplishments attained by our forefathers.
George Washington famously proclaimed: sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
So the holiday questions are these:
1. What are your favorite Thanksgiving traditions, and what are you doing for this holiday weekend? Family? Travel? Great meals? Maybe some football?
2. With the scheduling of CFB, The Game is now this holiday weekend. Are you going, and if so, will you be dropping by the MgoBlog fiesta?
EDIT: 3. It's morning time now, so what is in your cup?
I hope you are with family and/or friends no matter what.
Happy Thanksgiving and Go Blue, beat ohio!
XM
November 23rd, 2017 at 5:29 PM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 7:16 AM ^
The basic tradition around here is to wake up at a ridiculously early time to start prepping things, to cook through the morning, then sit down and get possibly mad at the Lions, then to migrate to the table and drink and eat and watch football until comatose. That last part, because I am a more or less an insomniac, doesn't happen until some late hour no matter how much turkey I end up eating.
Also, I did make a lasagna last night - someone has to help with those leftovers too in order to make room for today's leftovers. Let me know if you're interested.
November 23rd, 2017 at 7:37 AM ^
well i've got the family for those. i might be haunting the outside of the mgoblog party. will bring a wheelbarrow to carry away the extras.
November 23rd, 2017 at 7:20 AM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 7:26 AM ^
what time is Thanskgiving "dinner" for you? Growing up, my family was always of the mindset "eat early, eat all day." My wife's side, on the other hand (and mostly my mother-in-law, who truly believes she must follow all things Emily Post) has to have spaced out time for all parts of the meal, so they want it at like 6. I actually won this year, and we are eating at 2.
What say you?
November 23rd, 2017 at 7:29 AM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 7:33 AM ^
family. it goes with homeschooling and farm life, which are the determining events for the days. we have made a concious effort to have dinners earlier this fall, like, by 9 pm. but last night was a more typical time. i got the venison off the grill around 945 and we didn't sit down together until 10 or a bit after.
thanksgiving is no different in that regard and with more moving parts takes longer to get together. doubt we'll have started by 9.
November 23rd, 2017 at 7:27 AM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 7:27 AM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 8:03 AM ^
None of the traditions I grew up with didn't travel with me when I left home. Funny how that works... The wife and I try starting something neat/new/different each year for the various holidays, but none have really stuck. I don't get to visit Michigan as often as I'd like, either.
This morning I have a ham in the slow cooker, and we'll be eating sometime after the Lions game today. Always watch that game on Thanksgiving, except when we visited my wife's family (dad side). That wine & cheese crowd doesn't even turn on a TV, believing that the day should be spent talking with each other. Umm, we can't talk during football? What a bunch of nutjobs! Wife is nothing like her dad's side, she's all her mom (sadly no longer with us) - tailgatin', huntin', beer drinkin' rednecks...
Happy Thanksgiving Day, MgoPeeps!!! Go BLUE!!!!!!
November 23rd, 2017 at 8:13 AM ^
a Detroit Lions fan. Because seriously, people. Are you worried your lives will be too easy without them?
But I still get to watch my (almost) favorite team every Thanksgiving. That would be whoever is playing Dallas. It's the one thing that unifies our big get-together every year. Growing up in Texas, Thanksgiving usually meant Texas vs. Texas A&M, too, but college realignment scratched that fun. And gave us Rutgers and Maryland. Oh wait, getting ahead of myself, airing of grievances isn't until Festivus.
EDIT: Where do people stand on the biggest Thanksgiving rivalry of them all: Pecan vs. Pumpkin?
November 23rd, 2017 at 8:25 AM ^
2. Pecan
3. Pumpkin
November 23rd, 2017 at 9:11 AM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 9:12 AM ^
you know the rules, sopwith, no pecan/pumpkin debates. man.
but i'll go with pumpkin, especially when oldest daughter loads it with chocolate chips like she did yesterday in a kind of a cake/muffin formula. warmed up with butter.
November 23rd, 2017 at 9:32 AM ^
I have never heard of choc chips in pumpkin -- and a muffin/cake format also sounds intriguing. You may have to post a pic of this one of these days.
Or, you know, distribute samples. Whatever works for you.
November 23rd, 2017 at 10:07 AM ^
but the picture wouldn't do it justice. warm enough to make the choc chips soft and melt the butter. you'll have to come for a visit, sopwith, when oldest is home. she is the whizbang in many ways, cooking being among them.
November 23rd, 2017 at 8:54 AM ^
it was either do all the cooking and shuttle them both ways or go to there place. Dinner is at 1130 though so the staff can celebrate with their families.
The rest of the weekend is quite busy ...two hockey games, The Game,(beat Ohio x3), then to Crisler to take on the Highlanders on Sunday.
XM will you be at the Mgotailgate early? I will be in the Victor's Lounge till 9:20 (have to go since Ira gave me the passes in person) but could stop by to say hello before my report time of 9:30 at gate 10.
November 23rd, 2017 at 9:17 AM ^
on the way in. will be with oldest son this time. same lane as before? i actually don't think i'll be at the tailgate b/c i'm not sure when i'll get there. if it opened up earlier i would try to make it at 9-930, but i think the mgotailgate gig starts at 10. also with other folks in for the game we were pre-committed. its killing me not to stop in.
incidentally, i sure hope somebody jumped in on your gracious offer of that victor's lounge schmoozing. great stuff.
happy thanksgiving and we'll look forward to saying hello in person in about 50 hours!
November 23rd, 2017 at 11:09 AM ^
Two chutes west of the Granite M - I'll have something for son No. 1 ( It helps if you chant my name ---Caaa-rl---Caaa-rl, my groupies graduated 2 yrs ago and only chant for one game a year now)
November 23rd, 2017 at 9:17 AM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 8:42 AM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 8:52 AM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 9:18 AM ^
gotta be either somewhere in socal or maybe florida.
November 23rd, 2017 at 1:28 PM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 3:18 PM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 4:20 PM ^
water now down to mid-to-low 40's. even i don't have enough blubber for that swim.
November 23rd, 2017 at 9:03 AM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 9:14 AM ^
2)on Saturday for the game my dad (Ohio state fan) after I graduated from college in 03 went to the game every year through 2011. 3 kids later and one on the way we now watch the game at my house every year
3) big glass of ice water when I wake up. Coffee. 7 months sober last week
November 23rd, 2017 at 10:19 AM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 1:01 PM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 9:16 AM ^
We may start a new tradition of Christmas karaoke songs this year since we have the karaoke machine.
November 23rd, 2017 at 9:17 AM ^
Tradition #1 - Grandma's meat pie. She had no idea how old the recipe is, only that it was passed down from somewhere to her own grandmother. When the family get-together is big, usually my dad has to make two. Some years ago, the Free Press (I know) did a feature on non-turkey entrees and included the meat pie. The lady from the newspaper visited my grandma and informed her that for the photo shoot, she shouldn't wear anything with a plunging neckline since the photo would be taken from up above. My grandma said, I'm over 90, how many things with plunging necklines do you think I own??
Tradition #2 - Decorating the house on Friday. Black Friday can go fuck itself. Friday is when Christmas music goes on, the tree is hoisted and trimmed, halls are decked, etc. etc.
November 23rd, 2017 at 9:36 AM ^
My mother hated to cook, so Thanksgiving was not a real food holiday for us growing up. She was a Stove Top stuffing canned cranberry sauce kind of cook. I, on the other hand, love to cook. I'm into trying new things but my family isn't, so I keep it simple. I have a great recipe for roasted turkey breast with a honey mustard pan sauce, where the turkey, potatoes and green beans all get roasted in the same pan. I'm also making real cranberry sauce, baked spinach rice and roasted carrots. For dessert, chocolate mousse. We're done pretending we like pumpkin pie. After dinner, we always play Uno.
Hope you all have a restful Thanksgiving!
November 23rd, 2017 at 11:47 AM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 1:00 PM ^
Macy's Parade
Dog Show
Football
TURKEY!
Sleep
Football
More Turkey
November 23rd, 2017 at 6:16 PM ^
November 23rd, 2017 at 10:03 PM ^
Growing up in Michigan, obviously the Lions were a big part of Thanksgiving. However, since moving to Massachusetts, the high school rivalry games on Thanksgiving AM are the best. Been enjoying them for years and now is even more important with my son playing.
What a great tradition. Playing your rival on Thanksgiving, huge crowd, some tailgating, photos on the field and then head home for dinner. Makes for a perfect Thanksgiving day.
Wish we had that opportunity in MI. My hometown had a couple bars that were short walking distance from our stadium. Would've been lines before 7AM for a couple pre-game pops. Have to enjoy this tradition as a dad in the stands.
November 24th, 2017 at 2:21 AM ^