Thanksgiving in Myrtle Beach

Yesterday was one of the most different and yet wonderful Thanksgivings I’ve had. For the first time, my sweet husband and I spent the day apart, not because of rancor or ill will but because of prior commitments and, well, the longing to be with different family members. We’re with his family quite often, but I seldom get to spend time with mine, especially my children. That said, he spent Thanksgiving with his parents and beaucoup other family members, and I spent it in Myrtle Beach with one of my brothers and his family and my daughter Elizabeth. My brother Mike just successfully won a battle with the BIG C, and I felt like celebrating with him and his family.

Here’s what we did. Mrs. Mitchell, Lisa’s mother, and I watched part of the Macy’s parade on television, something I recall doing with my father and siblings when we were kids. My mother was undoubtedly slaving away in the kitchen, but we didn’t know that; we just knew that it was BIG fun to watch all the inflated characters, the dancers, and the floats. Last year I was excited to go to Herald Square and see the exact spot in front of Macy’s where parade performances are filmed.

Lib arrived, and the six of us went to K & W with hundreds of other Thanksgiving diners. Despite the fact that (or maybe because) the line snaked around several times before we even got to the serving line, it was actually quite a memorable and upbeat experience to  stand in line in the crowded lobby with our fellow Americans. Seated, we held hands and said a prayer of Thanksgiving for our many blessings and the scrumptious food before us. Lisa, Mrs. Mitchell, and I all agreed that it was the most stress-free Thanksgiving meal that we could remember in a long, long time…probably since we were children.

Appetites sated, we went to Mrs. Mitchell’s beach house to make our traditional Thanksgiving craft. This year, it was a Christmas wreath whose directions I had seen in a a book (where else?). As an aside, I think I left that book in a buggy in the Michael’s parking lot on Two Notch Road.  Back to this fascinating narrative, we even glued some shells from the Outer Banks on the wreaths to make them especially special. Not as into the craft thing as the older ladies, Elizabeth and Sarah Beth made a quick run to Old Navy before fashioning their wreaths.

The younger set went their separate way(s), and the rest of us went to see The Blind Side with a couple hundred other people. Hands down, it was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen and was especially appropriate for a holiday like Thanksgiving. The only downer was that the ticket person gave me a Senior discount without me even asking for it! Oh well, it saved me fifty cents. Afterwards, we strolled around Market Commons and then went back to Mrs. Mitchell’s for turkey sandwiches and soup, both of which we enjoyed while watching Chevy Chase and a hilarious cast of characters in Christmas Vacation.

Tired but happy, I went back to my little bungalow to find Elizabeth and her friend Carla hanging out and planning their strategy for a 3:00 a.m. shopping trip. We talked and laughed a while before I bid them adieu and settled down “for a long winter’s nap” of seven hours.

It’s Friday morning now, and I’m enjoying the promise of possibilities for a day at the beach. Maybe a little shopping and then a little shell collecting? Hmmm. I think I might read some too. Oh, and I’m way overdue on some notes that I need to write. Will I do school work? Probably. It goes with the territory when you teach online courses. Still, a good time was had by all. Although I missed DH, we talked by phone every couple of hours, and I know he had a fun time too. And to top it off, today he gets to go back to the woods the woods the woods the woods.

On a final note, my sister and I often talk about how there’s good and bad going on in everyone’s life all the time, and I was reminded of that yesterday. On the plus side, Mrs. Mitchell asked me to call her Doris, a compliment and a milestone. On the negative side, Paul said he and Amanda couldn’t meet me in Augusta on Saturday. On the plus side, Lib and Carla had a great time during the wee hours of the morning and are now sacked out in the living room. On the negative side, my sister Ann won’t be coming today after all. On the plus side, she and her husband have tickets for the Clemson/Carolina game tomorrow. On the negative side, there’s loss, heartache, illness, despair, and evil on Planet Earth. On the plus side, God’s in His heaven, and we have all been recipients of His beneficence.

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend, Everyone! Be safe…and find some bargains too.

Author: jayne bowers

*married with children, stepchildren, grandchildren, in-laws, ex-laws, and a host of other family members and fabulous friends *semi-retired psychology instructor at two community colleges *writer View all posts by jayne bowers