A Notch Above Wonderful

Thanksgiving and Other Such Marvels!

By Jeanne Moseley

Once you've had a Krispy Kreme doughnut, you can never go back. Just when I thought life was pretty wonderful, in walks my husband with a box of these fine delicacies. It was then I knew, this little sugary delight had set a force in motion and life had become a notch above wonderful.

There have been other such events in my life, and while I'd like to think they're not related to food ... I have to think again.

It was almost 17 years ago. We had some freshly earned money and were eager to plunk it down on our dream home. And so we did. It was the finest of old, blue houses any town could offer and from the hardwood floors to the high ceilings, this house perfectly suited us. Life was good, but about to get better. It was about to be Thanksgiving, my favorite of all holidays.

The first Thanksgiving in our home remains, to this day, my best-loved celebration. Just a couple of weeks into the move, we organized the holiday dinner for friends and family. I remember the night before, my best friend stood on the kitchen counter tops hanging nicknacs and arranging dishware while I carefully reviewed the "pre-dinner" checklist.

Guests were welcomed through the back door to the tunes from "The Big Chill" and were required to boot-scoot across the kitchen floor as a prepayment for the feast ahead of them. Unpacked boxes adorned most rooms, but no one seemed to notice or care.

We joined a blend of family and friends as we napped, watched football and ate leftovers throughout the day. It cooled off and the wind began to sweep our leaves around in gentle swirls. Squirrels and other critters came out of hiding to introduce themselves, and I knew... This house had become a home, and life moved a notch above wonderful.

With each new fall season, my every effort is to recreate the warm anticipation that came with that first Thanksgiving here. I carefully select my pumpkins and surround them with colorful, yellow chrysanthemums. The kitchen fireplace mantel gets covered with all my woodland finds and the scent of cornbread dressing wanders through the many doors of our old house.

In the early morning hours of each Thanksgiving Day, I'm kept company by the collection of such memories.

Copyright ©2000 Jeanne Moseley