Drive safely, eat wisely and walk more - Happy Thanksgiving all

My favorite holiday of Thanksgiving is approaching. It is a time of fellowship, family and food. A lot of food.

While retailers want to steal (operative word) the holiday with Christmas sales, do your best to moderate your zeal and spending. Nothing says Happy Birthday Jesus like a mountain of debt in January.

So, a few things to remember about this holiday:

-drive safely expecting delays will happen (on I-95 take it to the bank you will be delayed);

-eat wisely with small portions sampling Aunt Edna’s broccoli casserole or your mother’s sweet potato soufflé (note serving several calorie loaded casseroles at one time is truly a test of willpower);

-help with the clean up – don’t let the cooks do the clean up (that means you too macho man or phone holding teen);

-walk later to help with digestion (plus it frees space for a turkey sandwich lathered in mayo later);

-don’t talk politics unless (and only then) you know the entire room would agree with most of what you say (if you do, two pinches of tact will help); and

-tell stories about those who are no longer with us; remember them well – your kids, no matter how old, like hearing stories like this giving them a sense of belonging.

To this purpose, my father loved to cook outside and would take the time and effort to smoke a turkey and ham for Thanksgiving. He would put them on before going to bed, tend to them during the night and take the smaller ham off in the wee morning and turkey close to lunch time.

My mother was casserole queen – turkey dressing and various casseroles with broccoli, squash, green beans and sweet potato as the star attraction. I would tease her into making a few broiled vegetables without the cream of whatever soups. Of course, she learned the dressing recipe from her mother.

One of my grandmother’s brothers would use his cane to poke you in the shoe while you were sitting in the “parlor” to get your undivided attention for his next story. One of her sisters would tell the kids, let’s play marbles meaning the board game Aggravation. But, my grandmother could hold her own with the storytelling.

On my wife’s side we miss one of her brothers who would invariably express his love for this rooster picture in our den, forgetting each time he and his wife gave us said picture. His wife would be in tears holding back the laughter each time.

So, drive safely, eat wisely and walk more. Also, spend and speak judiciously and remember those who cannot be there. Happy Thanksgiving.