Our First Thanksgiving...the rest of the story!

Our 'Homemakers with Hope's' first Thanksgiving was so special to me in so many ways. It was a night for just girls and we all seemed to appreciate all the work that Betsy put into the evening. As we sat around the table after we had eaten everything in sight, she shared a few tips about baking her 'first turkey' dinner.
'Preparation was the key', she said. She said she had to plan ahead, make lists and make all the details come together. She purchased a large roaster to accomodate the turkey and used it as a buffet server during our meal. She justified buying it because it was on sale and it was an item she would use for many years to come. (I applaud her for seeing the big picture and investing in her homemaking skills!) She said she learned that she needed to allow more time for the 'bird' to thaw out.
I share these comments with you, knowing you can get full instructions about putting on a Thanksgiving feast from many sites on the internet...but what you get on Homemakers with Hope is the 'rest of the story'.
Betsy prepared this huge 'spread' for us, complete with place cards, candles, pumpkin centerpieces, a gift for each of us and so much more. We were distracted as we entered however, because her husband was lying on the kitchen floor surrounded by a turkey carcass in the trash, potatoes boiling on the stove, and gravy waiting to be thicken. Betsy quickly explained that both the disposal and dishwasher was inoperable! Dinner sort of stood still as her husband wrestled with the tools. All of us girls worked around his body trying to get our contribution to the dinner in the oven, in the frig, or wherever it needed to go. At one point I stood aside and looked at all the commotion, only to marvel at how everything was coming together inspite of the blips along the way. Betsy's relaxed mental attitude was the key. She was busy getting us hot apple cider and encouraging us to put our food out on the buffet table.
She was modeling for each of us the difference between hospitality and entertainment. Sure, she provided entertainment for us as her husband laid on the kitchen floor and she stepped over him to make the gravy and mash the potatoes, but her first thought was to be hospitable. To welcome us into her home and make us feel so loved. I bet the first Thanksgiving had many interruptions and unmet expectations too. Our Homemakers 'First Thanksgiving' will be memorable BECAUSE of the interruptions and the lessons we learned from our hostess.