My Mom is weird. She cooks and serves the Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday rather than on Thursday. Even I know that Thursday is Thanksgiving, but not in our house. Mom said that she started the tradition the year after Brother Doug fell asleep as he drove home over the mountain pass after eating lots of turkey. Because he was off on Wednesday, he could drive over on Wednesday for the turkey dinner. He could eat as much as he wanted, spend the night, and then drive home rested on Thanksgiving with leftovers in his ice chest ready for work on Friday. Even though he won’t be joining us, Mom likes the tradition.

On Thanksgiving day, Mom and Dad will eat leftovers. He will watch football games and she will put her feet up and watch sappy holiday movies. How can she still cry over a movie she has watched for over 20 years? Her favorite is One Special Night. She says she likes to watch James Garner – the actor I was named after. I mentioned that way back at the beginning of these posts. Then she will watch Home for the Holidays before moving on the Miracle on 34th Street.

She also said that back in the days when she shopped Black Friday sales, she could be up and out the door at 5 AM to buy the good stuff. If she spent Thursday cooking, she would have been tired on Friday morning. Now she will be up, make coffee and settle in at the computer to write on her current mystery novel. I guess being weird is something to be thankful for. I’m thankful that I get to share it with her again this year.