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Who else loves Thanksgiving weekend like I do?
I enjoy almost everything about it: the camaraderie, the time spent with family and friends, and of course, the food.
Seeing people you don’t see much all year long, to me, is most important.
I know other holidays are fast approaching, but there’s something about Thanksgiving (as the first holiday before a series) that perks me up.
I didn’t go out and about for the fabled Thanksgiving Eve libations; instead, we had a small family dinner and then I retreated to bed early, wanting to wake up refreshed to take in all that was to come on Thanksgiving Day and the rest of the weekend.
And I’m so glad I made that decision because I cherished that family time, the catching up and the lively discussions.
I made up for it by going out on Friday evening instead.
We stopped at the Red Mill in Pittston, which I recommend visiting in your travels if you’ve never been before.
It’s an awesome pub decorated nicely for the season, is inviting and has a feel-good atmosphere to spend time in.
As you may recall, that Friday night Penn State was playing Michigan State in football, so fans gathered to see PSU triumph (fans frequent there on game days).
While I tried to watch a little of the game, as is usually the case I ended up chatting with so many familiar faces – people I don’t often see but have been acquainted with for many years.
A woman told me she goes to the Red Mill every Saturday after Thanksgiving to watch Penn State, so changed her schedule around this year since the game was on Friday. But, she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
No matter what, to her watching Penn State in her happy place was a tradition she wanted to carry on.
Others I talked to said the same: no matter what, they were going out to watch PSU’s Thanksgiving weekend game somewhere.
Pivoting or making adjustments is part of our normal routines anymore, so we’re used to these changes, whether in small or big ways.
No matter what has changed over the years — or perhaps since the pandemic — it’s important to keep the semblance of a tradition alive. Whether that means changing the normal day you watch the football game, the location of the turkey dinner or the time you do the party.
So much is always changing, yet there’s magic in some semblance of the same traditions year after year.
They key is: remain flexible and carry on those traditions.
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Mike McGinley is a Times Leader columnist who is often called a man about town. Email him thoughts at mikejmcginley@gmail.com.
Mike McGinley is a Times Leader columnist who is often called a man about town. Email him thoughts at mikejmcginley@gmail.com.
