Here in Happy Camp, we'd always look forward to our FIRST snow of the season on Thanksgiving....but, alas, only cold weather here this year, a little rain, and then finally frosty mornings starting Saturday. Our dear friend Bonnie joined us again this year and we had a lovely visit, but we missed her son Talon, who is now old enough to drive to his girlfriend's to have Thanksgiving dinner with her and her family! My how fast they grow! This is the kid who sat on my kitchen counter to dive into the birthday cake I baked for him when he turned ONE! :-) Happy times! Well, his mom and I had a great time fixing dinner --and she filled me in on all his latest doings. I'll see him at Christmastime.

Dinner came out great, as it always does using Mom and Dad's tried and true recipes. I still pull out the notes I wrote down during my phone call to Dad in 1979 for all the instructions and tips on preparing the perfect holiday meal. I pulled out my scrap paper as Dad started: "Write this down first", he said, as I took pen in hand: "DON'T PANIC!". This is the first thing I read each year before I start reviewing the yellowing notes on the original scrap paper that I had on hand that November day so long ago.

I remember Mom gave me her version of her pumpkin pies and how she does the stuffing and turkey (the same way her family has done it for generations, and I saw the same method in a Sunset magazine one year when they covered recipes from the 'Pennsylvania Dutch' area)....and then Dad gave me HIS version of how HE likes to set the temperature, use a different amount of this or that, etc., always just a tad differently than Mom would do it! It was great fun and I am glad I have these bits of paper to help me remember and relive all the fun [and, yes, sometimes stress] of our holidays past at home with them.

I never copied the notes over for that "final draft"...I like using the originals--it's like being on the phone with Dad all over again, every year!