The other day you were interview “billy Joel” wife and (by the way billy Joel is from long island too). When you asked his wife did she have disasters or didn’t go well on Thanksgiving. It just brought back memories for me. I thought you would like to hear about it. My husband and I were just married about 4 months when Thanksgiving came. We had a 1 bedroom apt in long island, and my husband asked me where would you like to have Thanksgiving, I said ….I want to make our first thanksgiving dinner, just the two of us. Well he thought that was great! Now Rachel, you have to realize I was 17 years old, back in the 60’s, didn’t even know how to “boil water”, now on stepping up to the plate and making a Thanksgiving Dinner.

I went to the store and bought all the fixing and the turkey. The day before I called my mother-in-law, she was a Italian, I asked her how do I cook this turkey…well she started to laugh and said…it will be fine, she new I was nevous about this whole turkey day. She did stressed to me to really clean that turkey good, I mean real good. Than I asked her how long do I cook this turkey, there again, she asked me how many pounds is it. I said 20 lbs..she nearly choked…and laughed, she said sweetie you are going to be eating turkey for a long time. She she told me…than before we hung-up she stressed again make sure you clean that turkey real good, I said ok and thanks.
Well I prepared all the fixings and washed the turkey with SOAP and WATER, yes Rachel, soap and water, never took the “guts out”, just based it and put it in the oven that morning. My husband got up said ..Boy! sweetie you have that turkey in early, it smells good. So we had breakfast and we were sitting on the couch watching the Thanksgiving Prade..I say about 2 to 3 hours later, my husaband said Marie…what is that smell, I said what smell..we both got up went into the kitchen…and seen bubbles, and he said..Marie can I asked what did you wash the turkey in..I said well your mother really stressed on making sure I clean the turkey good, so I washed it with soap and water, he nearly “died” from laughing so hard. I said what is so funny… we open the door to the stove, Rachel….I had so many bubbles you couldn’t see the stove…there was bubbles throughout the kitchen. I started to cry…my husband said don’t worry about it. So in long Island kids who got married always live like around the corner or upstairs from parents. We went over his parents house and his father answered the door. My father-in-law said…I thought we got “rid of you kids” and my husband was still laughing…Of course proceeded to tell his parents, they were laughing so hard. My mother-in-law, a real italian woman, said that is ok dear…we all have our First Thanksgiving Dinner, with mistakes…Well I went down in history. Everytime, someone new in the family or they just want to bring up, my Thanksgiving dinner, they just laugh and say…Thats Marie…

Well my husband pastaway nine years ago…we are married 36 years, I have two grown children and 4 grandkids…I love very much. The grandkids always want to hear about my first thanksgiving dinner. So I know next Thursday, our Thanksgiving well be plenty of eating, laughing, and talk about Marie’s first Thanksgiving dinner. Today I am a good cook and my kids always say, your the best mom!!!!

I really hope you get a kick out of this. I hope you do get a chance to read this. You are such a down the earth person, I just feel you are my friend next door, even with all the highlights you are in. I want to wish you and your family a blessed and happy thanksgiving day.

Sincerely, your friend
Marie Gentile
Peoria, Az.
(623)933-4778