Thanksgiving 2009

Since I moved to Vermont I’ve generally spent Thanksgiving with Thelma. My non-Vermont friends and family aren’t inclined to drive up here, not that I blame them. They have family/ friends close by to visit. Thelma and I have been friends for years, and with her husband, sister and mother gone, she doesn’t have nearby family connections either, since her grandson George and his wife Mary usually do Thanksgiving with Mary’s family.

When Clif was alive, they went up to St J to spend Thanksgiving with Thelma’s sister and brother-in-law. Since Clif died, Thelma’s brother-in-law (Linwood) and his family have come down from St J. When Thelma’s sister Vera was alive, there were Linwood, Vera, and their two daughters. When Vera died (after a long, terrible, sad illness), Linwood became very withdrawn and his relationship with his daughters failed – only one, Debbie, has re-established a relationship with him. Then about 4 years ago Linwood seems to have become a church-goer and regardless of what you may think of that, it led him to finding a new wife and a new life, sponsored by his church.

Linwood met a woman who years ago would have been called a “mail order bride”, and she is a treasure. Maria is a feet-firmly-on-the-ground Filipino woman, who had her children and her sister living with her when she and Linwood got “matched up”. Linwood visited the Phillipines 3 times – because the church required it, and because Maria demanded it (no fool, she, about marrying a foreigner). Then Maria came for a visit, everything fell into place, the kids and the sister arrived, and she and Linwood were married. They adore each other. Linwood, a “crusty Vermonter”, is actually a teddy bear, sweet, sensitive and sentimental to the core.

Until last year, when not enough people could get off from work at some time over the weekend, they’ve always all come for Thanksgiving. Thelma and I would cook and set up, Debbie would bring pies, Maria would bring some great Filipino dish, and 15 people would sit down.

Now all Maria’s children have grown up and moved away so this year there were only 9 of us. Linwood and Maria, and Linwood’s mother, age 90; Elaine Thayer (George’s sister), who moved back to Thelma’s after her life in Colorado fell completely apart; Linwood’s daughter Debbie, her young son, and her husband; and Thelma and me. Thelma believes in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, with enough different dishes so that in order to even taste everything you have to send your plate around twice. My creamed onions were extraordinarily good this year, if I do say so myself. But so were the turkey, the mashed potatoes, the sweet potatoes, the salad, the broccoli, the rolls, the stuffing, the squash, the gravy, the cranberry (thank you, Ocean Spray), the three pies, and Maria's citrus flan.

Maria’s daughter Divine married a NH man this past August. We saw about 200 wedding pictures! Divine’s new husband Mike could easily be Robert Lambie’s cousin. The photo of Divine and Linwood as they start the walk down the aisle is just beautiful, and as strong a statement of Father-Daughter love as you could ever want to see.

I have many acquaintances but only a few friends. I’m glad beyond words to have Thelma as a friend, and glad every Thanksgiving to be part of this “matched up” family.