First Off, I hope that everyone is enjoying their thanksgiving holiday, given the circumstances that everyone is facing right now. Right now, I am watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. The parade is one of my family’s Thanksgiving Day traditions. My favorite part of the parade is the balloons (Some of my favorites include Toothless, Red Ranger, and Snoopy.) To this day, I have some fond memories of watching the parade on television. This year is no different, and I commend Macy’s for including other New York based groups that had their parades cancelled earlier this year by the pandemic.

In years past, we would make a big breakfast, with a menu ranging from cinnamon rolls to pancakes and bacon. This year, with the renewed focus on my health, I had a strawberry, peach and banana smoothie and a cup of oatmeal. I also plan to go for a walk later today.

After the parade wraps up, we stay on NBC and watch the National Dog Show. While I enjoy seeing the dogs compete, there is one group that we pay attention to: the Hearding group. My family has owned a number of Pembroke Welsh Corgis through out the years (currently we have Gwen, a three year old tri-colored Pembroke Welsh Corgi.) When I was younger, we would then watch a little bit of football, and get ready for dinner.

The Thanksgiving day menu at my house usually includes a Turkey or Turkey Breast, Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole, Shrimp, and Mashed Potatoes and Gravy. Since we don’t consume alcoholic beverages, we drink sparkling grape juice instead.

As I got older, and got a job in the retail industry, our Thanksgiving day got compressed as we had to either work early on Black Friday, or had to work during the evening on Thanksgiving. This year, I am thankful that my employer decided to stay closed on Thanksgiving this year. For the first time in a number of years, I will be able to enjoy a proper dinner.

As for the future, I hope that I will be able to go see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in person. I also hope to eventually share some of my family traditions with future generations. As I conclude, I will be thankful that everything will start to return to normal soon..