A TRIBUTE TO MOM'S TURKEY GRAVY
Once upon a time,
a Thanksgiving not too distant past.
Seems but a blink and another blink ago.
A half smoked cigarette teetering in the ashtray, but a moment earlier had been dangling from her lips.
The small glass in her hand containing a tiddly, a beverage to enhance the moment gleefully anticipating.
Betty and Harold stepped in to administer carving expertise while the gravy bubbled on the stove in preparation of the most important ingredient. 
Brothers hugged.
Mom admonished, "Get out of my way! The gravy is about ready."
And serenaded .. she needed a little rest before adding the finishing touch to the gravy beginning to bubble on the stove.
Say CHEESE .... photo op to remember those we loved who no longer were with us.
The moment has arrived.
OH NOOOO .. she DIDN'T!
Yep. She did. Although, the sound of cigarette ashes
meeting turkey gravy was inaudible ...
for this we have been forever grateful.
It could have been worse!
With heavy hearts ... heavy grateful hearts ... Mom's Ash Gravy recipe has slipped away into the recesses of "When myth met reality" because family members have all quit smoking. Thanksgiving 2019 will come and go without one pot of turkey gravy bubbling on the stove in gleeful anticipation of that final ingredient. And with many sad hearts that she's no longer here to finalize her famous Turkey Ash Gravy.
Oh Oh Oh .. did I ever tell you about the Christmas card she sent one year? Well, that's another "Myth meets Reality" story of Mom shopping at Walmart in a motorized cart smoking a cigarette!
