Warm and Sunny with a football game playing in the background and two or maybe three men standing in the back of the room folding their arms watching a game with a bottle of non-alcoholic beer in one hand eyes glued to the TV to keep away from the masses of women and small girl children. All the women are cooking or talking about the latest sales in the produce department or whatever women talk about for hours and hours, but the funny thing is that they are all talking over each other and I am not quite sure if they ever even quite know what the other women in the room are saying because they are all talking at once. Suddenly there is a loud clamor as some of the children come out of the room running and squealing from a crazy aunt, who is threatening to spank them if she will not let them take their picture. This is the same aunt who can’t seem to wait until all the food is put out onto the table and eats it with her fingers before we all stand around the table to pray. We all get very excited about this, but that’s probably because we are being very dramatic. Then we eat a big meal that is fabulously prepared by notoriously healthy and amazing cooks, who don’t know that they probably belong in Oregon. Everyone goes around and shares what they are thankful for. After the meal the trampoline is used by the children and everyone except the few men in the room (who are still sitting or standing with their arms folded) sits and talks about everything you can imagine, for several more hours.
The day would have began with mother coming out of her room several times to ask if her shoes matched her outfit and then when the answer is “yes” she would go and change her shoes (again) and come back and ask again. When we are all ready we would drive in the car to Aunts house, me with a pot of mashed potatoes on my lap and sister with a pecan pie on her lap.
The day ends with pecan, apple and pumpkin pie. And lots and lots of coffee and aunties and grandmas talking late into the night.
I should stop now, this is making me homesick. I guess I’ll just go make my own memories here, and I’ll tell you about them later.
