An East Lansing Thanksgiving

For some East Lansing residents, Thanksgiving is still all about “over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go.” Most families interviewed for this article, though, are spending the holiday locally. Some celebrate in ways that are traditional, while others make the celebration fit their lives and circumstances.

According to Rima Addiego, her family is “going out at English Inn” this year because recent back surgery prevents her from “baking the usual 6 pies, 3 veggies, etc., that I always do.” Linda Nuttall’s family will be “going to brunch at church. It's an annual thing now, 10-12 am. Excellent potluck, chance for those not having family in or unable to travel to eat with someone that day. Others come because it is early enough to be with the church family and still go off to wherever they are eating later.”

Schuler Books Manager Rhoda Wolf says “I work in retail and my husband is in show business, so we don't get a long weekend as most people do. We will spend Thanksgiving day together, just the three of us, cooking, watching football, and being thankful for our health and grateful for the quiet day that we get before the busy retail shopping season begins.

Senta Goertler, MSU faculty and a native of Germany, told me that her family of three is “likely going to just do something small at our house. Thanksgiving is not my holiday and so I am never sure what to do with it. But we have been in need of slowing our life down and just being a family, so we will likely just have a small Thanksgiving dinner, walk the dogs somewhere, watch a movie, and play lots of games, which will all be won by our son.”

For some families, travel is part of the day. One young mother is traveling with her three-year-old “to my husband's parents' house in Rochester Hills. His grandparents, brother and sister in law and their three kids will also be there.” Most of Marsha Bristor’s clan“gets to spend the day with [her husband’s] family here in town. Just a typical Thanksgiving” but her college-student son Cody “is ditching us to visit his friend who is interning at Disney World. He will be eating Thanksgiving dinner with Beauty and the Beast. I guess that is pretty spectacular.”

Whether you are staying in town, traveling, cooking up a storm, or eating at a favorite restaurant, and whether you dine with a cast of thousands or a favorite friend or two, we at ELi wish you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving. We are grateful for you.