There are some holiday memories that remain in our minds longer and more vividly than others. For example, I have a rich and wonderful memory of coming home from shopping to find my bedroom was taken up with a great big new stereo radio console. (GREAT BIG – remember the kind your grandparents had? Mine was like that. Even though I hope I’m not the age of your grandparents.)
I remember sneaking downstairs one year to see what Santa had left for us – and saw that he was still there!!! Quelle nightmare!! He was standing to the side of the Christmas tree. I freaked and made a mad dash for my bed before he realized I was awake. (I’m SURE he didn’t hear me shriek and run up the stairs and down the hall) 
The next morning, I was certainly surprised to find that he was still there – it was one of those bop bag things. You know… the kind you hit and it pops back up into your face.
Every year, for Christmas Eve, my father would make oyster stew. It was awful. I’d work SO hard to make certain that I didn’t have any oysters in my stew….unless they were of the cracker variety. I could get the broth down, just not those nasty oysters. BLECH. I hate oysters.
I also have a VERY clear memory of working the Saturday before Thanksgiving and ringing out and bagging groceries to the point that my arms ached. Somewhere around noon, I was reaching in to put a can of soup into the bottom of the bag and my hand went into something cold, wet and slimier than anything I can even put into print. (A collection can for those with horrid colds comes to mind…. is your throat closing up??!!! Mine is.) Oysters. I stuck my hand in a container of fresh oysters. Not only did I stick my hand in the little thing of oysters, I proceeded to do it another 5 times before my shift was over that day. The lids didn’t fit the plastic containers from the meat department, so they were all a bit loose. I hate oysters.
The following year I attended my first Clark Thanksgiving. As we were walking through the buffet line, my future sister in laws were RAVING about my future mother in law’s dressing. I mentioned that I didn’t much care for dressing, which caused GREAT consternation on their part. My I-can’t-believe-I-still-married-him-after-this future husband stood by and let them pile a huge glop blob serving of dressing on my plate. Under many staring faces, smiling I took a bite. It took two chews before I hit it – snotty, slimy and deeeskusting!!! Oysters. I hate oysters.
So, this year, for the third time in our entire marriage, I am going to make dressing for Thanksgiving. Since we are still receiving the blessing of free bread each week, I have a plethora of bread, just BEGGING to be made into dressing. But, I can assure you one thing – no oysters. I hate oysters.
Now that I’ve spent a week talking about keeping our focus, our assumptions, our communication, our time and our sanity for this holiday season – what family traditions do you enjoy celebrating this holiday season? A special family dish that you will prepare for Thanksgiving? Sleeping in with coffee in bed? Having your children give you a foot rub?? (Just in case anyone in my house is reading….) 
And will you be making dressing? If so, I sure hope it won’t have oysters. Although you may not know this about me, I hate oysters.
