Slanted Thanksgiving Traditions

tilted so they tumbled southwest.

I am hosting Thanksgiving at my new house this year. My parents arrived just before midnight on Tuesday night. My cousin was here for a night and will be back tomorrow. My brother and sister-in-law and niece would have been here if ticket prices had cooperated. My sister and I totally cooked Thanksgiving dinner. HTD made fruit salad and rolls and pumpkin pie from scratch. I made a turkey and dressing and green bean casserole and mashed potatoes and gravy and...and...and... Pictures are forthcoming (what, like we wouldn't document the one time we actually cooked?).

The house has been filled with that unscented aroma of home, which is strange because in my mind, even now that I have a house of my own, home is still my parents' place in Nebraska. Having them here seems to have brought a little of that homestead magic to the Valley of the Sun. I think a large part of it is the holiday traditions that we continued down here. The food, the laughter, the good-natured teasing, Dad working on fix-it projects, Mom finding holiday bargains, decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving, watching/reciting National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation after the tree is trimmed - it all adds a bit to that feeling of home.

I love that a little of that warmth has trickled down to my house.