Text 1251, 119 rader
Skriven 2005-02-27 23:47:00 av DAVE COBLE (1:123/140)
Ärende: Buford's Thanksgiving
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I remember those boyhood Thanksgivings of so long ago back in the
hollow. Pap'd pull us older kids outta school sometime in late
September to help bring in the crops. Sure as rain, though, we'd have
to go right back as soon as Thanksgiving was over, and we couldn't
miss a day because we never knew when the welfare peoples would show
up and pass out winter clothes.

Us youngens'd go out and pick the corn and spade the potatoes and
shell the beans and clean out the orchards and gather in the eggs and
milk the cows and pick some more corn and tomatoes and lettuce and
cabbages and pickles and pumpkins and such! Course, nuttin'' the hogs
was already done, as we recalled the pre-pork treats!

Every year, Pap'd grab his shotgun and head out into the woods. He
knew going over to Slankley's Pond was the best place to do his
hunting. Sometimes he didn't come back for a couple days, but he
always showed up in time to cook what he caught for the main course
for Thanksgiving dinner.

I remember the year before I found out he had his still back there at
Slankey's Pond. Guess him and Old Man Slankey must've shared it,
although I don't recollect seeing him after Pap started heading back
there.

Pap showed up Tuesday afternoon, and even with his glassy eyed
weaving and bobbing, we could tell his sack contained the main part
of our Thanksgiving dinner.

What a dinner it was that year! We had REAL meat for the mince meat
pies! My sisters spent a week chopping up the pork bits and beef bits
and chicken and, from a neighbor, a shank of mutton.  We didn't
expect that, but he said he decided to slaughter that lying sheep and
didn't have enough room to store it. I still don't know what he meant
by that! Course my one sister who's also a cousin accidentally
whacked off one of her fingers, but after it was boned properly (the
finger, not her) it seemed to add a bit of extra flavor.

Course, mama always made her famous pumpkin pies that everyone just
loved! She'd roll out the dough as thin as she could, then she'd flip
it right into the pumpkin shell that had been cut in half! Next, she
put all the pie fillings in there! MMMMMmmmmmmmmmm, can't find
pumpkin pies like mama's anymore!

Course, Thanksgiving being a religious type day, we all traipsed down
to the church in the gully just like it was Sunday. Pap would put on
his Sunday Long Drawers and sit on the porch as we walked down the
cowpath. Pap said you should always look your best on the Lord's day!

Well, this year, it was a bit different, cause, on Thanksgiving Day,
Pap not only put on his Sunday Best Drawers, but actually put on some
pants and knocked some of the dirt off of his shoes! He was actually
going to go to church with us! We actually were the first to arrive.
Old Pastor Jenkins was in a state of shock since he'd been by the
house at least twice a week since I can remember to try and get Pap
to go to church. Pap no sooner set foot on the bottom step when the
building started to shake, and suddenly fell down! Pap just looked up
at Pastor Jenkins and said, "I Told ya so!"

Pastor Jenkins looked at the debris, but wasn't phased. He held the
sermon right there on the church lawn. A few families were a bit
upset, but when it came time to sing the hymns, Pap was right in
there with the best and loudest of them as he snored through Old
Rugged Cross,  Jordan River, and Heavenly Lord! I never knew a man
that what could snore on key like Pap could.

After church, we made our way back up the cowpath to the house. We
knew it wouldn't be long before the rest of the relatives would show
up. My one sister, Becky Ann Marie Bob, was going to be there with
her new husband, Uncle Clem! Pap's folks were gonna be there, as well
as their folks, too. It could've gotten a little crowded, but Grandma
and Grandpa had the same parents, so that saved a couple seats.

Course, we all sat around the big table as Pap said the
blessing: "Thank God the food's ready!" and we'd all dig in.

That year was a really good year. Pap was able to bag 3 rock bass,
two trout and a carp for dinner. Maw was great in fixin'' them up as
she brought the tray of fish sticks in for Pap to carve! Pap could
carve fish sticks like you wouldn't believe! He carved mine into the
shape of a sail boat, and my brother, Uncle Jimmy Joe Bill Bob, had
his carved to look like a Model T Ford! Pap was real good with that
knife of his, as we already knew from watching him nut the hogs!

That year was a little extra special, too. We wuz the first family in
the hollow to get ourselves a TV set. Sure, the finance people kept
comin'' around to try and get it, but I hadn't seen one since the day
Pap nutted the hogs. That guy in his black suit walked up to Pap and
said he was there for the TV. I don't know what Pap said to him, but
whatever it was made the man turn green while Pap showed him that he
could nut a hog just by throwing his knife!

Anyway, we'd had that TV for about a year and a half, so we were
already getting into the habit of, after dinner, huddling around it
to wait for the football games, but like I said, this year was
special because we had electricity! We'd never seen a football game,
but my cousin, twice removed, Uncle Bob Joe Jimmy Bob, said he saw
one once.

I'll tell you, I ain't never seen a football game like that one they
had on PBS. I guess it was the Vikings that were playing, because
they all wore horned helmets and sang a lot when they weren't killing
anybody. They even had women folk on the field, and boy, could those
fat ladies screech! I couldn't understand a word they said, but I
recollect the hounds were trying to sing right along with them!
Football games today seem kinda tame, although I can understand the
womenfolk's screeching a whole bunch better. They's a lot skinnier
than the women folk I saw in that first football game, and they don't
wear as much. They jump around a lot, too. Pretty soon it got dark,
and we knew the moon'd be a rising over the mountain in a few hours.
It was almost like old times as we kids all bundled up into the old
feather bed in the loft, but you'd be surprised what that my sister
and her husband did! It kept me awake most the night, 'til I finally
told them to go do that in the barn like everyone else!

Yup, that was probably my most memorable Thanksgiving day ever!

Too bad you're only young once!
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