My Perfect Thanksgiving

     My idea of the perfect Thanksgiving is a warm atmosphere involving family, family friends, traditional Thanksgiving dishes, and a fire in the fireplace to fight off the chill of a crisp fall day. Each year, my family makes every effort to include all of these ingredients so that Thanksgiving is special and memorable. The men add an extra spice by reporting their Thanksgiving morning hunting stories. The women typically gain from recipe exchanges. At the end of the evening, a good movie completes our Thanksgiving Day for those who can stay awake.

     Most of my family lives further away in Virginia and North Carolina. It is a special treat to be able to visit them. Thanksgiving is one of the few times that all of my family is together. I enjoy talking to my cousins to see how they are doing and the activities they are involved in. It is entertaining to listen to my Uncles' bets on who will win the Thanksgiving football games. My aunts put me in the Christmas spirit by discussing  the gifts they plan to purchase on Black Friday. Even though I get overjoyed about seeing my uncles, aunts, and cousins, I enjoy visiting with my grandparents the most because they are always in high spirits, and they have many intresting stories about their childhood. Thanksgiving wouldn't be perfect if I wasn't surrounded by my loving family.

     My family also invites family friends who are in need of Holiday Company. Often, their families were not nearby or had to work on Thanksgiving. In some cases, all of their family passed away. Those family friends remind us of how fortunate we are to have each other. Sometimes our family friends are even the life of the gathering.

     The women in our family work very dilligently to prepare our delicious Thanksgiving dishes. They make savory, juicy ham that sizzles in your mouth. The women also fix scrumptious, tender turkey that makes your tastebuds dance. I enjoy eating the fluffy, moist homemade rolls that my grandmother prepares. My favorite dessert is the pumpkin roll which has a pumpkin spice flavored breading with a luscious, sweet smelling cream cheese filling. The beverage we usually drink is ambrosial apple cider that warms and moistens your dry tongue. The flavorful food is one of the key ingredients for a perfect Thanksgiving.

     Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family and friends to celebrate what you are thankful for. It also gives you a chance to catch up with people you havn't seen in a while. On thanksgiving, you have the opportunity to eat scrumptious foods that make your mouth water. A warm, crackling fire puts the icing on the cake. I believe that family, family friends, and delicious foods are the key ingredients for my perfect Thanksgiving.