Thanksgiving

I belong to the Congregational Church, which was started by the Pilgrims, so we adore Thanksgiving. We maintain we fed the Indians but some say the Indians fed us. Anyway Thanksgiving is a big holiday. One year when I was growing up there were five Thursdays in the month of November. Congress was excited and told the states to pick their own Thursday. Missouri picked one and Kansas took the other. My father decided since businesses were closed we would go to Kansas City on Kansas' Thanksgiving. We took the south route on Highway 10 which went in to the Plaza through Fairway. We looked at the lights that Kansas City did in their Plaza area. Then we went home through Kansas City, Kansas on Highway 40. We stopped at their big Katz Store and brought some candy--chocolate kisses. Later after we moved to Kansas City, Ray and I took our family to see the lights. We parked on the roof of the Sears' store.

After Ray had worked at the Star for a few years he heard about this Hotel in the Plaza that rented rooms so you could see the lights so we started a tradition of going there. Since we had grandchildren it was easier. You were to order food but we always took along something our grandchildren would actually eat. Susan and Lee would even drive up from Wichita to attend. You were allowed so many parking places but some had to park their cars at Loose Park and walk down. The Hotel was sold but they continued the tradition. Ray would reserve the room again each Thanksgiving for the next year. Then we were back on the streets seeing the lights, but it was fun for awhile. Now I watch TV and see the lights turned on.