CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1424408
CityViewNC.com | 9 Claire Mullen can be reached at clairejlmullen@ gmail.com. I could almost hear them exclaiming, "Awwww Lawd!" in their sweet drawls. Of course not. ey would all just be "tickled" that their family would be together making new memories. Before the 12 of us sat down to feast, we grazed on an on-trend charcuterie board. I can't say that I remember the Pilgrims and Native Americans gathering over artisan cheeses, gluten-free flaxseed crackers and salami shaped into a rosebud, but I do know that there was not a crumb le by the time we were all done. My brothers-in-law fried a turkey for the first time that we all picked to the bone and agreed should be a new staple. My jokester little brother surveyed the spread and, as he now does every year, dramatically asked the whereabouts of the Caesar salad. We said a blessing in memory of my grandfather who had recently passed, and in thanks for the baby boy growing in my sister's belly who would come to be named aer him. Aer our meal, everyone (including me) made their way to the backyard to enjoy my sister's amazing pumpkin cheesecake, sip coffee and a new recipe for Apple Cider Mimosas while we watched the little ones play in the November sunshine. It was not lost on me that, thanks to my disposable scores, I did not have to stay behind in the kitchen as I recall my grandmother doing to hand-wash the fine china plates, crystal goblets and sterling silver cutlery that I remember from the tables of my youth. We've spent the year since last anksgiving randomly reminiscing about what a wonderful day that was. My sister's husband proclaimed it the best anksgiving yet. And, in a happy turn of events, my dad since has married a wonderful woman with three grown kids, two sons-in-laws, one daughter-in-law and four grandchildren of her own. I don't think any of us have quite yet figured out the best way to blend our customs or whether it's even possible to gather such an enormous family under one roof. But what I do know is that we have all learned that change can be good as long as the important things remain: thankfulness and togetherness. And I also know that we're going to need a bigger table. MILL END THE STORE E s t . 1 9 3 6 Custom window treatments, pillows & more... Gift certificates, with your words & pictures, designed free of charge. Bestow MAGIC Open the doors to an enchanted world, filled with brilliant home decor textiles, sparkling drapery hardware & a wallpaper library beyond compare. Tues. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 910-483-2375 2706 Bragg Bvld., Fayetteville , N.C. T H I S H O L I D A Y S E A S O N