Wild Thanksgiving

So as promised, my Thanksgiving stories continue.........when Rick and I married we discussed how we would spend holidays. We knew that Christmas would be a three ring circus but Thanksgiving didn't seem to be a problem. His mom had told me that she really never cooked much on Thanksgiving because all the men folk hunted.

Most Thanksgivings we ate lunch with my folks and then later in the afternoon would go by to visit Rick's family. Maybe our third or fourth Thanksgiving together, as we entered his mom's house

I smelled something really good on the stove. Rick's dad greeted us at the door, all smiles, it was obvious he was excited about something. As we walked through the back door, I said something about how good the kitchen smelled. Rick's dad grinned even more. He told me that he had something really special cooking on the stove and he could not wait for me to try it.

I told him that if it tasted as good as it smelled, I'd be in heaven.

I walked over to the stove, there was a large covered pot and this delicious aroma was rising

from it. Rick's dad walked over, took the lid off the pot and with these large tongs pulled what looked like a giant skinned rat out of the liquid. He was so proud, he was telling me about the sweet potatoes and special seasonings that he had used.........I finally got the words out,"what is it?" He laughed and said "why opossum of course".

Now my mom had always taught me whenever I was visiting someone's home, I was to eat whatever was put on my plate...........I just couldn't , just could not eat, could not even bring myself to taste Thanksgiving opossum. It smelled great, but when I saw it, when I knew what it was.........what can I say, I just wussed out . The only opossums I had ever seen were road kill and I knew my mom would never expect me to eat road kill!

Thankfully, Rick's mom had cooked turkey and that is what most of us ate that afternoon. Rick's dad never let me forget about passing on his Thanksgiving opossum, but you know that is one experience I have never regretted. Another Thanksgiving memory coming your way tomorrow night.