Sunflower Powers Thru

A Thankful Outlook

Thanksgiving has become somewhat of a weighty obligation for me. Families get together and eat a traditional meal, right? Sometimes, you have to do the best you can with what you've got.

When attrition takes the general group one had considered as full-blooded family, one is left with the responsibility of making merry-as-possible. My mom and her incredibly limited diet, and now the additional challenge of Mom's limited mobilty (needs a cane to not fll over) have replaced the seats of honour once held by esteemed relations. Thanksgiving is a whole different turkey than it used to be.

For years, since my dad died in '74, Mom and my Aunt Irene, and my Great Aunt Bettie, would dress ourselves to the nines, and go to a hotel or restaurant than was serving a special holiday dinner. Once, Mom goofed (from her perspective). We attended a champagne brunch. My mom and Aunt Bettie don't drink, and are very opinionated aqbout the evils of such spirits. As we've all spent most of our lives as single women on a budget, it is law that things, food, drink, not be wasted.

Three glasses of champage were poured at our seats before Mom had a chance to say don't. As he poured, the waiter assured that it was complementary. He asked my Great Aut if he could fill her glass, to which she replied, "yes." It was one of those kind of yeses that you say to be agreeable in a conversation without actually understanding what is being said. I heard on a recent TV news story, that that's the way men listen to women. They hear the sound, but the words don't register.

When the tuxedoed waiter began pouring champagne into my Aunt glass, she emitted that some would consider a shriek.

"Ah! What are you doing? I don't want that old nasty stuff!" By this time she had almost backed out of her chair. If the devil was pouring champagne in her lap, it might be time to go.

The poor waiter very graciously acknowledged he wouldn't need to be watching her flute for a refill, and excused himself from our table. I though she was going to slap the unsuspecting young man.