Whatchamacallit Wednesday

If this Thursday is Thanksgiving, and Friday is Black Friday, what do we call Wednesday? What about "Winging Wednesday", for those who are travelling? Or "Working Wednesday" for those poor souls who don't have the day off? "Whip-It-Up Wednesday" for those who spend the day in the kitchen prepping for Thanksgiving? "Who Cares" Wednesday for those who don't have to work, don't have to cook, and can do whatever today?

My Wednesday is a combination of "Whip-It-Up" and "Who Cares". I am being rather lazy today, playing with the kids and doing a little bit of general housework. Later on, Lord willing (once Georgia goes to bed), I will be more on the "Whip-It-Up" side, preparing dishes for baking tomorrow. On my list of items to prepare or bake today:
Orange sweet rolls (for our lazy breakfast tomorrow morning)
Corn casserole
Green bean casserole
Cranberry salad
Prep turkey for frying (hallelujah, I don't have to cook the turkey this year!)

Two things on the above list are Thanksgiving traditions for my family. One is the sweet rolls. For a couple of years now, Nathan, Georgia and I celebrate a holiday (or any day that Daddy has off work) by eating cinnamon rolls with orange frosting. We laze around in our pajamas, watch the Today Show or whatever parade is on, and lick our fingers publicly. It is a lot of fun. The tradition is not strictly for Thanksgiving, but it is still a tradition. I am making the sweet rolls from scratch (well, sort of scratch--using a prepared dough, but making the filling) for the first time, so I will let you know how that turns out!

The other item that screams family tradition to me is the Cranberry Salad. This is a dish unique to my family. I have never seen it anywhere else! It is chopped cranberries and apples mixed with mini marshmellows and some whipped topping. The end result is a fluffy, beautifully pink concoction unlike anything you have had before:-) When I was growing up, I did not eat cranberry salad much (my brother Seth ate enough for all of us!), but once I was out of the house, I could not imagine a Thanksgiving without it. I have made it almost every year since! Who knows, I might post a picture of the salad tomorrow so you can see it in its radiant beauty. What traditions does your family incorporate into Thanksgiving? Is there a particular dish, or activity that you do? I hope to post more tomorrow about Thanksgiving traditions.

Nathan and I stay here in NC on Thanksgiving and invite friends or lonely seminary students over for dinner. Last year I cooked my first turkey; this year we are frying our first! Our respective families, though, are shaking up tradition this year. My sister, Ruth, is hosting my side of the family at her house for the first time. I am so glad she is willing to take this on--please pray her house does not catch on fire! My in-laws are giving up the traditional extended family celebration to spend Thanksgiving out of town [in a restaurant:-( ] with Nathan's uncle who is recovering from open heart surgery. I admire their willingness to give up the familiar in order to bless and support their family in need.

No matter what you are doing today before Thanksgiving, I hope you will find the time to count your blessings, and to give thanks to God, our Maker, from whom all of our blessing flow.