HAPPY THANKSGIVING !

The first Thanksgiving is believed to have taken place November 1621. My first Thanksgiving was slightly later. I think most people enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanksgiving is a day that all people can enjoy and celebrate. The day has parades, football and turkey. It kicks off the holiday season. The day says another year is winding down. The new year is on the way and everyone hopes it will bring good things.

In the 1950's I remember my father taking me downtown for the Hudson's Thanksgiving Day parade. Sometimes we would watch the Macy's Parade from New York on television. later in the day Thanksgiving dinner. My uncle was a football fan. He had Detroit Lions season tickets. In the later part of the 1950's he would take me too the annual Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers game played at noon at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. This was the only football game played on Thanksgiving in the country.

I was in high school and college in the 1960's. I would sell balloons at the parade on Thanksgiving morning. Two for a quarter. After the parade I would walk from downtown to Tiger Stadium meet my uncle and the other people we would go to the games with on the second deck where we had seats. The walk was probably about a mile. After the game we would head home. A little later have Thanksgiving dinner at home or go to a relative's house. By the way I probably will not be selling balloons at the parade this year. To tell you the truth I probably wouldn't mind. Never hurts to make a few extra bucks.

Later in the 1960's I started buying a season ticket of my own with my friend Larry and a couple of other buddies. Remember "Larry was a character". He would start talking about New Year's Eve at the Thanksgiving game. He would push everybody to get a date for News Years Eve soon. He would say December is a lot more fun if you know you have a date

for New Years.

I got married in the 1970's. When you get married the dynamics of Thanksgiving can change a little. You have some new relatives and friends. You may take turns and eat with one side or the other alternating the years. You may visit more than one home on the holidays. I have heard that some people have two dinners one on Thanksgiving and another on the day after Thanksgiving. Many years both sides got together on the holiday making a very large Thanksgiving dinner. Some people like to eat early on Thanksgiving. Maybe 2:00 P.M. Others like to eat later. Some people go to a fancy restaurant or a country club.

Through the years we probably did all of these ways at one time or another. They are all good as long as you enjoy yourself.

Thanksgiving is a day to try and relax a little. I will probably sit on the couch and watch some football. The Detroit Lions still play the afternoon game but there are now other games in the afternoon and into the evening. We will have my son and other guests for dinner.

Thank You for reading my essays. How ever you spend your Thanksgiving I hope you enjoy the day!

WRITTEN BY RON TURETT

I hope you enjoy my essays and will tell people you know about my blog. Thanks for your support. Have a nice Thanksgiving! Ron