Thanksgiving is a day away. Yea!! I’m looking forward to it more this year than I have in the last few years. We’ve had some heavy-duty “stuff” hit our family this year and it’ll good to just come together, laugh, talk about the good old days, make some “good new days”, talk junk over a spirited game of pokeno and just enjoy life.

I think it was my turn to host but given the current state of affairs, I knew I couldn’t get things ready so we’re gathering at my Mom’s. THAT alone is going to be interesting – packing about 17 people into my Mom’s tiny house. We ‘bout to get close, for real.

So, my Mom and I were talking about the menu and when she was going to start cooking, etc. The time-honored tradition of macaroni/cheese came up. Mac/cheese is big for a lot of people but my family takes it to a whole ‘notha level and my Mom’s recipe has always been referred to reverentially. About 4-5 years back, I hosted Turkey Day. Mom & I were grocery shopping and as I picked up things for mac/cheese, Mom would say, “I don’t use that in MY mac/cheese.” I smiled…the first few times. When Moms said “You forgot the XYZ – what kind of mac/cheese are you making? I ALWAYS use XYZ in my mac/cheese.”, I said (as politely as I could), “I’m not making YOUR mac/cheese.” Weeeeelllll, you can just imagine the look of incredulosity on her face (I know it’s not a “real” word but it soooo describes the look on my Mom’s face. She gave me the “Li’l-girl-I’ll-slap-you-straight-outta-ya-craziness” look.)

We got home and I stirred up my version with Mom issuing a snippy “Hmph” every now and then. (I like to think it was extra seasoning. LOL) She said, “Well, it LOOKS good but I’m not sure they’re gonna eat that version.” Puhlease. It was the FIRST of the dishes to disappear…no seconds for the day after. Ha! Cause I’m a pro-fes-sion-al. Fa’ sho’.

So…we’re talking about T-day dinner this year and my Mom offers me the opportunity to prepare the mac/cheese again this year. That is MAJOR for our family. MAJOR I’m telling you. So I’m all giggly and excited (some days, it doesn’t take much LOL), thinking to myself, “She’s passing the torch. Wow!” And then my over-active imagination kicked in and I became a wee-bit suspicious. “Of your own MOTHER?!” you ask, shocked. YES PEOPLE – my own MOTHER. WAKE UP – WE’RE TALKING MACARONI-N-CHEESE HERE PEOPLE!!

Yes, these days I’m looking at my mother differently. Watching for signs that she’s trying to set me up…or maybe she’s been replaced by a cyborg. Something is amiss. (Somebody stop that dayum Western movie showdown music from playing will ya?!)

What I once thought was her passing the torch now feels more like her throwing down the gauntlet. Here I thought we were having one of those Kung Fu moments, “Snatch the pebble from my hand Grasshopper.” Scoff if you will people – this is a serious RED ALERT! My mom has been known to get up from her sickbed to stir up a pan of mac/cheese. She’s a soldier in the mac/cheese army people! Green beret. Purple heart. Special forces. Covert ops and all that jazz!

Nevertheless, I’m ‘bout to do the dayum thang. She tried to throw me off by asking all sweetly if I was going to prepare the dish at my house and then transport it to her house. Ha! She really thinks I’m a rookie, huh? You DO NOT prepare mac/cheese beforehand. It must be cooked at the hosting home the day of the event.

Ahhhh, so she wants to turn up the heat, eh?

Weeelllll, I gots something for her. I’m wound her with my lip-smacking mac/cheese and clip her wings when I walk in with…..

SWEET POTATO PIE.

Yeah, I do declare war Baby!

I’m going in!

All is fair in love, war, macaroni-n-cheese…and sweet potato pie.

(Ya’ll can tie pieces of poetry around your trees until I make it home. Just know that I love you all.)

Enjoy your holiday! And if you don’t “celebrate”/recognize the day, enjoy yourself anyway - whatever you do.

Live DELICIOUSLY!