Thanksgiving Memories (Our Mississippi Thanksgiving)

Christmas Shoppe Magic (Juliette Hill’s Christmas Shorts) by Juliette Hill

Also available on NOOK and in the UK!

November is fast approaching! I will be scanning my recipe books and files, sorting through my table decorations and, generally speaking, starting my month long preparation for fantastic holiday feasts!

I love traditions; honoring old ones and creating new ones. Perhaps, fueled by the wonderful holiday traditions that my parents created for me and my sister, I have always longed to create a family feast reminiscent of those I enjoyed during my childhood and into adulthood.

From about the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, my parents would take us to my father’s childhood home in Mississippi, over the Thanksgiving holiday week. My grandparents are no longer with us, but my dad’s sister still lives in the home, built in the early 1900s.

The house sits on a corner lot in a beautiful neighborhood of a sprawling southern college town. It’s traditional style sports a wrap around porch, complete with pillars and porch swing. The inside is magnificent, filled with antiques, books, portraits, period furniture and a grand piano. The windows are large, mostly floor to ceiling, with huge ferns welcoming all visitors.

The formal dining room is equally as grand with its beautiful mahogany table that seats 10 to 12 guests. The buffet server sits at one end of the room with a large fireplace and mantel across from the table. Usually, Thanksgiving dinner was served about 1 or 2 in the afternoon, with a cocktail hour preceding it.

Aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, friends would come and visit and many would stay for dinner. My aunt always had plenty of delicious dishes prepared for us as well as a huge turkey. The menu always included traditional cornbread dressing, squash casserole, green beans and so many other delectable and unusual dishes. For dessert one year, in addition to the our beloved pecan pie, we even had muscadine pie!

The best memories, though, are of the wonderful dinner conversations we always had. The younger and older generations would exchange stories about childhood memories, local history, music, art, trips, events and celebrations. It was about sharing with and caring for one another.

This solid foundation of respect for each generation’s knowledge, talents and wisdom has influenced my writing style and purpose. I hope to create characters and stories that carry on traditions of the past as well as offer new ones to future generations. Additionally, I integrate the change, growth and maturity of my characters as they are presented with each of life’s situations.

I hope that your holiday dinner or gathering, whether big or small, grand or cozy, will create lasting memories for you, and inspire your soul to share with others the blessings of the season!

Happy Gatherings!

Juliette