Things I miss...Dad coming home hoisting the 20 pound Turkey the company gave him over his head as if it were the Heisman Trophy. All of us knew we better pay proper homage or would be served only dark meat. Mom was always up about 4am to start the big bird after a mathematic session to make sure it was done by 1pm. She never went back to bed, there were fresh pies to be baked, pumpkin, mincemeat, and lemon meringue for my brother Joe. Two dressings were always on the table, one sage and the other oyster, homemade dinner rolls, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and the creamiest gravy anywhere. You would think that once some of her boys got married there would be help, no way as mom would relegate the wives to setting the table and clean up after the meal. If, on the rare occasion we went to moms parents for dinner you could add pasta and wine to the meal followed by the annual beating of my cousins and my grandfather pulling me off, I guess that may explain the rarity of those occasions. Of course mom would give me a severe tongue lashing while out of the corner of my eye I could see the smile and thumbs up coming from my dad. One thing I am truly thankful for is being blessed with the memories of Thanksgivings gone by.