A Thanksgiving Memory

Everyone has some special memory about Thanksgiving and Christmas from earlier years of their life and since tomorrow is Thanksgiving I thought I would share this memory with you all.

 

It was the early 70’s and I had three children, ages 4, 5 & 1.  With all the expenses of just having three kids, a mortage, car payment, utilities etc; not much left over for buying all the Thanksgiving trimmings not to even mention a turkey. 

 

As you recall I told you I was raised on the east coast where if it didn’t have fins, feathers or shells we didn’t eat.  Now with this said and my dad being an avid hunter I asked him if he was going goose hunting anytime soon.  Yes we ate a lot of Candian Goose if prepared correctly is very good.  He said no, I have to work why do you ask?  Hated to tell him I could not afford a turkey for that years Thanksgiving so I though I would cook a goose. (sorry for the pun).

 

Back in the 70’s CB radios were very big, don’t know if you remember them or not, but we all had them and I even had a base station in my house since my husband was into electronics we had it all as for as electronic equipment. Now we talked on a different channel than the truckers who used them.  I think truckers used channel 19 and so we used channel 17 to do our talking.

 

As you know everybody had a handle or a code name you used for talking.  My dad’s was Sea Dog since he spent so much time on the water and he gave me my handle/name as , are you ready for this? Sweet Thing to which I later changed to the Captains Daughter.

 

A couple of days later here was the radio conversation:

"Breaker Breaker Sea Dog to Sweet Thing" 

"Come in Sea Dog This is Sweet Thing"

"Meet me on side of the road (as he had to pass my house to go get on the tug boat)in about 15 minutes"

I meet him on side of the road and I open his truck door and he hands me this huge turkey that was around 25 Pounds and I just stand there and he says to me you and them babies will have Turkey for Thanksgiving.  He drives off and I get back on the CB radio and thank him.  He asked if its enough and I said yes daddy it is , but I don’t know if I have a platter big enough to put this huge turkey on, maybe I can cut a piece of cardboard and make one cover it with Reynolds Wrap. Just cook the turkey he said the rest will take care of itself.

 

Next morning:

"Breaker Breaker Sea Dog to Sweet Thing"

"Go ahead Sea Dog this is Sweet Thing"

"Meet me on side of the road in about 15 minutes"

 

Again , standing on side of the road waiting for Daddy he pulls up and hands me the largest Turkey platter I had ever seen. He says to me that should hold that bird?  Yes daddy it should and thank you I will keep it always.

 

So today when I pulled out that platter yes after 30 some odd years I still have that platter, memories of Sea Dog and how he took care of me that Thanksgiving will always be with me.

 

So Sea Dog know that I will always love you and thanks for my memeories.

 

As Ever,

Sweet Thing.