JEAN'S THANKSGIVING

New York State of Mind was asked about my families Thanksgiving, so I thought I would answer.  I am glad that Thanksgiving is held on Thursday rather than Monday as Canada does as it gives us more time to prepare much of the dinner ahead.

Last Saturday at meeting (church) we prepared food baskets for those that we knew were not able to prepare a whole dinner or that could not afford a Thanksgiving meal at this time.  We made them up for both Old Order Mennonites and Englishers that we knew needed help.  After we got done, we loaded them into some of our buggies and some into a car driven by a Weaverland Mennonite and had our young folks deliver them to the people or families.  We don't want anyone we know to go without a meal anytime of the year, especially on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Our belief is that we should feed the poor and the sick.

At our home we will be having David's parents, my parents, brothers, sisters, their children, Katie's Great-grand parents, Grandmother Olive, Grandfather Albert and our immediate family.  So we should have about 90 or 100 people here, if everyone we invited comes.

I try to make ahead as much as I can like the breads, rolls, and muffins. Also I, Edward, and Grandmother Olive will make pies, cakes, and cookies for desert. The day before,  I clean the turkey and put it in the refrigerator.  I make the stuffing, salads, vegetables,  and fruit.  The men will take the furniture out of the living room and set up tables.  Susan and Katie will set the tables.  I will go around after the girls to make sure they have everything on the table.

Thanksgiving morning, the first thing I will do is stuff the turkey and put it in the oven.  Then, I or Edward will prepare breakfast.  If I am busy with the turkey when Edwards gets up, he will prepare the breakfast.  After breakfast we go to meeting (church).  Our meeting will be about how much we ask God for, but we also must remember to thank the Lord for all He has done for us.  When meeting is over, we will come home and the people will start arriving.

Every family that comes will bring some food with them-pie, bread, cookies, cake, etc.  All will be set out for our Thanksgiving dinner.  While we ladies are doing this, the children will play hopefully outside and the men will be together talking also hopefully outside.  Should it rain or snow the children will be in one of the children's bedroom's upstairs and the men will be sitting in the chairs in our living room.

Once dinner is ready, we will all stand at our places at the tables while David says a prayer.  Then we ladies will serve dinner.  It takes so long to prepare dinner, but it disappears so fast.  We ladies them do the dishes, and clean up the kitchen while the men remove the tables and chairs.  Then they move all the furniture back in.  Us ladies usually talk in the kitchen while the men talk in the living room or outside.  The children are outside or upstairs.

Later we bring out coffee or tea for the adults and milk or cocoa for the children along with cookies.  After we munch on those for a little while, we usually starting singing together.  We all sing at first, then we listen to the children alone.

When it starts to get close to milking time everyone goes home.  After our cows are milked I make a dinner usually of left overs from the turkey dinner we had earlier.  Sometimes it is a casserole dish that one of our guests brought with them.  We usually go to bed after an early bible reading as we are tired from the work that day.

School is closed on Friday.  Seeing this is deer season, David, Michael, Edward, David's Father, and Grandfather Albert (if Grandmother Olive let's him) like to go hunting.  Grandmother Olive doesn't like Grandfather Albert going hunting sometimes as he likes to think he is much younger than he is and does things he shouldn't at his age.  David or his Father keep an eye on him.

Katie, Susan, Grandmother Olive and I usually stay home in case we get a call from someone that wants their deer slaughtered and packed.  If I get a call, I call David on his cell phone so he and the boys can come back to do it.  Since we purchased our farm, this along with storing Amish meat, for them,  has proven to be a very successful business for us along with our farm. This extra money we receive, we donate part to our meeting, when they collect.  We also put some in the bank.  Sometimes we buy something extra that we need that we couldn't afford otherwise.

I hope you all have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING from my family to yours.

Be With God,
Jean

P.S. David told me to add that Jean neglected to tell that she and he went hunting on the opening day of deer season and Jean got a deer buck.  After they got it sliced up and packed, they gave part of it to an elderly Englisher couple down the road as they like venison but are unable to go hunting.  Jean made her family venison stew and it was delicious.  The rest of the meat is in their freezer. Jean is going to teach Edward how to cook venison.  None of the men got a deer that day - Jean got the only one.