Midwest Memo
Thanksgiving Observation
by Alan Shultz

Steamy windows. I think steamy kitchen windows appear in all my Thanksgiving Day memories. There are vegetables simmering on the top of the stove, the turkey is just now browning in the oven. A wonderful mix of aromas fills the air. More guests come in the front door, as other folks head out for a smoke through the back. All this heat and all these people and the bubbling on the stove and the hot water running at the tap, it all combines and steams up the kitchen windows and the holiday plays out in the very air that fills the room.

I love the traditional menu of Thanksgiving and I get a chuckle when voices of protest howl at the thought of change. In spite of the carb count, despite the caloric overload, the stuffing must be included, the pumpkin pie must appear. The gravy must be made, then stirred and stirred and the cream must be whipped. And don't forget the cranberries and what are yams without the candied part. The rules of Thanksgiving, however they came about, must be followed.

I think there's a certain irony in the perception of a perfect Thanksgiving dinner and the task of actually setting that table and feeding those around it.

The perfect Thanksgiving table, the one worthy of a magazine shoot is set with matching china and starched linen. That table has symmetry of design and studied execution. The perfect table avoids guests bumping a table leg or rubbing elbows.

Too much perfection probably misses the point of Thanksgiving.

The essence of Thanksgiving is more often found very far from perfection. That essence makes room for the unexpected guest, the tag along friend, distant cousin or a new or unfamiliar face at the gathering. A card table extension at the end of the table, mismatched china, someone without a spoon - this less than perfect rendition of the holiday is most probably the reality of the welcoming table where elbows rub and a spill is forgiven.

Thanksgiving makes the argument that perfection is overrated when it comes to table setting and that making room for one more at the table adds to the list of things for which to be thankful.

I don't know when it started, but off and on I've been at Thanksgiving gatherings that actually required giving thanks. On those occasions we'd go around the table and each person would share at least one thing for which he or she was grateful.

At first, I didn't like the exercise. I didn't like being told I had to be grateful. I did plenty of that on my own - didn't I? But then again, it was pretty easy to see the value of the assignment, the value of giving voice to gratitude and

sharing that voice.

So, I'm making my list, so to speak, it's a mighty healthy assignment.

Finally, a memo to the cooks. Relax, if only just a little, the point is the gathering, the food is the excuse and the leftovers are always the best part.

The Carroll County Museum - Grateful I am, this year particularly, for the vision, passion and dedication that so many have brought to the Carroll County Historical Museum.

History is both a teacher and an asset. Local history serves those functions in unique way.

History inspires and then at the same time cautions. It preserves and honors.

Our county museum fulfills the function of giving an address and a repository for our local history. Memory must be afforded a place in order to be preserved. In some tribes the American Indian had an elder designated as the keeper of the stories, the keeper of the history.

The Carroll County Historical Museum, its director and board and volunteers have certainly earned their place in our community.