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This column is dedicated to acknowledging examples of positives that express the community spirit of Columbus – our town.
Every family has some family stories that never appeared as stories until much later. Do you have some that you might tell this year?
As it approaches, my fondest Thanksgiving stories are about Mamaw and Granddaddy White. If you were to meet them, they were Louletia and Vig (Pleasant Lavaga White.)
I remember Thanksgiving lunch as always being “over the top.” I wanted to call it exquisite, except that’s not a good word for food. The times I remember best were at the Tisdale Ranch. This was one of the finest ranches one could imagine.
It was on the San Saba River near Fort McKavett. Granddaddy took the ranch for a five-year period when his cousin, Louis Tisdale, died suddenly at an early age. The ranch was adjacent to a game preserve, thus the ranch was heavily populated with deer and turkey who always found a way to cross the fence, so it seemed that wild turkey had to be better than tame for Thanksgiving lunch.
As a child, I took this as fact. There was usually a story about granddaddy “bringing in” the turkey. As a ten-year-old, I was quite interested in the drama. I heard Grandaddy explain the not so legal way he harvested the turkey. It seems that a rancher has a front row seat in discovering turkey roosts.
That is of course where they spend the night, so ultimately, this was not a fair way to shoot the birds. Well, I caught on to the intrigue that the adults were discussing.
For some reason, Granddaddy thought my interest deserved a real life visit to a roost. I remember well, sitting in the “prickles”, as we waited for the arrival of the turkeys. Granddaddy quietly alerted me to the sounds of the turkeys arriving. This was such a “rush” don’t believe anyone shot that night - maybe a bit much for a ten-year-old to witness. Since we’re into Thanksgiving, let me tell you a little bit about Mamaw’s food.
Besides turkey and dressing (corn bread of course), there were sides I’m sure you might recognize. Now, let me explain that a ten-year-old never gets excited about all the green vegetables... broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus... that is nearly overkill! Even though this may have been for grownups, I loved her “TEXAS HOT”.
In case you don’t know, that is okra, tomatoes, onions, and as much tabasco as you can handle. Now add the luscious fruit salad. Mamaw’s hot rolls were as good as the pies. The pies (note plural), were pecan, buttermilk, chocolate, and lemon. So, you think I’m exaggerating ... NOPE!
Add the fact that pictures were always taken at the table. I remember someone asking “why do we always take pictures of us eating?” The second ritual was a person suggesting naps.
We don’t have Mamaw and Granddaddy anymore. Instead, we’re joining a group of family and friends gathering for this year’s tasty meal. Lots of things aren’t the same without Mamaw and Grandaddy.
Perhaps I need to enjoy cooking that old fashion menu ... perhaps without the wild turkey! Make some great memories this Thanksgiving. Let’s all remember to count our blessings!
