OUR FIRST THANKSGIVING-LADY LOVE AND ME

That first Thanksgiving morning in Michigan, Lady Love and I woke up to a generous covering of snow outside our bedroom window. Our bedroom window has no curtains so nature greets us directly each morning. It is something quite simple and yet so wonderful and precious like our love for each other.

We snuggled and hugged and agreed we were deeply thankful for each other. We laughed and talked. I suggested that we must make some new traditions for "us"---like we should have breakfast in bed every Thanksgiving morning and watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. My Lady Love winced but graciously agreed.

I hurried off to make coffee before she changed her mind. In twenty minutes I returned with coffee ,eggs and toast and found her smiling and watching the glamorous "Rockettes" kicking their heels and swinging their hips----an obvious lesbian bonus she had not expected. Another tradition we would want to ad to our list.

Lady Love held my hand. I commented about my hands being rough and that she had a callous on her hand. She began rhyming words---"Palaces,callouses,gallus---".Mmmmmm she said,"I think those are what my Grandfather wore to hold up his pants. I think they are some kind of suspender--am I right?"

"How should I know? I don't think I ever heard the word but we'll find out!" I hopped out of bed ,ran and got my dictionary and sure enough there was "gallus".

Isn't that typical that two writers would be sitting in the middle of the bed looking up words in a dictionary? Then we chatted about memories of our grandfathers. It was sweet. We decided that would be one our traditions--looking up a new /old word on Thanksgiving.


The parade was over. Lady Love's back was aching from sitting up in bed. "I just have to get up.", she said.

"Me, too. O.K. You move to the couch and I will start cooking our Thanksgiving feast." I laughed.

We were sad we could not meet Jeff and Patti in Chicago because of weather ----our road was completely closed and because Lady Love was not feeling well. So we had made tentative plans for our dinner which included roasting a chicken,Stove Top dressing, etc. I fussed around in the kitchen while she read some literature to research a purchase for a scanner.

By 1:30, we sat down to our simple but pleasant Thanksgiving dinner complete with a pumpkin pie. Last Thanksgiving we were both alone. How nice to have each other to share this day.

She and I cleared the table. I suggested she rest while I clean up the kitchen. When I came back to the living room she told me she thought she felt well enough to put up the Christmas tree.
I went down to the studio and brought up a six foot Christmas tree. She and I checked the lights. I opened boxes,dug out ornaments. Lady Love did most of the decorating. She had not had a tree in her living room in a long time and she was like a child, looking at and enjoying the ornaments. We must have spent 3 hours putting the tree up.

How very special our first Thanksgiving together.