These two events are kind of close for me. Some years like this year they are the same day. I was born on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The story told is that the doctors were going to plan my mother’s second cesarian on Monday and they planned to go duck hunting on Sunday. I decided I wanted out so doctors missed their duck hunting trip, and I was born early Sunday morning.
I don’t
remember much of anything specific about birthday celebrations or Thanksgivings
growing up. Mom would bake our favorite pie or cake for our birthday. Cakes got
decorated fancy and pies got fancy top crusts. I vaguely remember either
Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner at friend’s home when I was 14 yo. Two years
later we spent Thanksgiving at my boyfriend’s home. Watching the football games
was more fun with more people. Sometimes Dad would invite a single younger
member of his unit to join us for Thanksgiving. Mom made cornbread, and the
dressing often had chestnuts in it. I liked eating the crispy skin while
putting things away. I like eating drumsticks and wings and as youngest I
usually got my choice.
First or second
year of community college, I dressed up especially nice on my birthday and had
plans after classes. I ended up coming home after first class sick. That messed
up my birthday and Thanksgiving that year. Mom gave me some Pepto Bismol and
that added vomiting to my symptoms. Actually, felt better after getting
whatever out of stomach.
My brother’s
birthday is a week later. Being close to Christmas, birthday presents were not
a big deal, we both waited for gifts at Christmas. Then after reading The
Hobbit and The Ring trilogy I decided to be like a Hobbit for my birthday and
started giving gifts on/for my birthday.
One year while
living in Sunnyvale I decided to do up a Thanksgiving dinner. I spent a lot of
time on phone with my mother over the week and day. That was my one and only
attempt at full fancy dinner. I don’t remember who or how many people were at
the table. I mean I don’t even do a regular dinner well, way over my skill set
to do holiday dinner. Guess it turned out ok as no memory of fabulous success
or major disaster. Another year my parents came to visit me, and we went out
for dinner, even with reservations it was a long wait and not worth it. [thinking
more about this and I’m not sure it was Thanksgiving, it was a holiday weekend
is all I’m sure of]
Uncle Robert
and Aunt Patti lived in San Jose for a while, and they would invite the local
family members for Thanksgiving dinner. My cousin David and his family and
cousin Jeff S. I took some fancy Jello salad for my contribution at least once.
Those were nice dinners and time. It was especially interesting talking with Cousin
Jeff. I tried to get together with him outside of that and never worked out.
My parents were
living in Florida, and I was in California when dad had major heart attack and
ended up dying mid-November. I was able to get off work and flew home, made it
before he passed. Ended up close enough to Thanksgiving I asked if I could stay
until then and help settle mother. We had a full turkey dinner. Mom tended
toward Southern cooking and cornbread was part of holiday meals. She made it
from scratch. That year she forgot the item that makes it rise. We had thin
cornbread. It tasted great and toasted up good too. We laughed about it.
My neighbor in
San Jose, Frank M, invited me along to go to a friend’s home for Thanksgiving
once. That was fun. We played some games and had a delightful conversation.
Another San
Jose Neighbor, Laura H, invited me a few times to Thanksgiving dinner. There
were a lot of children. Dinners were kind of noisy and fun. Afterward we would
watch a Christmas movie or two.
Had a couple of
nice events for my birthday while living in San Jose. One year a friend, Carol
C, came down and we went to a ‘sing it yourself’ Messiah after walking around
the Christmas in Park displays. That was way cool. I mostly kept up with where
I was suppose to be for the Hallelujah Chorus.
Another year
three of us, Carol C & Laura B & me, met up and attending a family
Saturday English version of the opera The Magic Flute at San Francisco Opera
House. That was cool. We rode BART into SF and ended up hailing a cab to get to
Opera House. Always wanted to do that. I’m not a big city person but seen that
so much in TV and movies. Carol’s and Laura’s birthday are earlier in the month,
so it was all of our birthday celebration.
The Harvest
Festival was in San Jose the weekend after Thanksgiving and the Christmas in
the Park displays opened the Friday after. That was my usual celebration. I
love walking around craft fairs. I like buying from the makers directly. I was
introduced to Mexican hot chocolate at the CiP. My Uncle Robert and Aunt Patti
joined me one year walking around the craft fair.
I think it was
the first or second year I moved to Sequim, that Gay had Sherri and I come over
for Thanksgiving / Bday dinner. One year attended a GF dinner at a friend’s
home, Erica B. That was nice not having to worry and wonder.
Four years ago
I invited some friends to meet at Seattle Temple and help me seal my brother to
our parents on my birthday. That was nice. I brought some delicious GF cupcakes
to have in the cafeteria after session. While there found out one of male
members needed a ambulance ride to hospital for what turned out to be a kidney
stone. He was our ride to temple. The temple workers got things figured out so
we would have a ride home, just had to wait for the end of their shift. There were
two of us, Wanda F and I, that rode with the Jim & Janell H. Josh &
Rachel T were in area visiting family and joined us. Big drive for friends Jim
and Christine J coming from Vancouver Wa.
Looking through
Facebook memories more usual birthday celebrations were going to see a movie, a
couple of trips to Temple, or out to dinner. This year I did creative birthday
party making glass on glass mosaic pictures, with Janell, Candy, Cindy, Sharon,
Sharri, and Gay, Susan Z was our instructor. We grout the work on 1 Dec.
Wonder what
I’ll do next year. Next year I will have lived longer than parents and brother.
Whale watching? Victoria?
Update: 1999 at LosCon I went from shoulder length hair to short and spikey on my 50th birthday. They were doing a haircut service to make wigs for cancer patients. I thought it would be a cool significant thing to do for my 50th. I think I told one person beforehand. Loved the reactions from people when I came back from that trip and new hair style.
For my 70th the celebration was months long, starting with a party at Forever Twilight in Forks. That was the big thing. I think I did something kind of special once a month, movie, dinner out or something, with different people.
Thank you for the reminder Christine. How did I forget the hair cut?
