Thanksgiving dinner for my family in Hawaii
consisted of a huge dining room table decorated with our best Hawaiian dinnerware, folded cloth napkins, napkin rings, and fine crystal. I got up early to prepare the
Diced giblets swimming in buttered broth, celery, and cubed bread, later stuffed into
Tom turkey trussed and baked to juicy, skin-crackly perfection.
There were peeled, boiled, and mashed yellow potatoes drenched in
Seasoned gravy made from pan drippings.
Crunchy French-fried onions resting atop green beans, doused in mushroom soup,
Marshmallow-streaked yams and chilled cranberry sauce
For dessert, Ted’s chocolate cream pie and Safeway’s cherry pie,
Delicate chocolate hazelnut crème-filled pirouette wafers mounted in
Orange sherbet, lactose-free vanilla ice cream drizzled with hot fudge.
Crystal flutes were filled with sparkling cider, our Hawaiian cups were filled to the brim with vanilla macadamia or chocolate raspberry coffees, and for the tea drinkers, Earl Grey and orange spice.
We ate as if tomorrow would never come, and ultimately
We’d put down our forks and chew on some TUMS.
Thanksgiving was also a time to put your feet up and reset priorities.
Before the next tidal wave or other disaster struck.
Or some motherless zombie came to feast on your thigh bone.
©Cornelia DeDona 11/24/25
Corney Press 