"As the leaves on the trees begin to turn colors, I sit here and sift through piles of snapshots and realize how thankful I am for the gift of friendship and for memories of times past." That is a quote from one of my favorite authors of children's books, Mary Engelbreit. Reading this quote makes me think about my family. When I was growing up, we spent a lot of time at my Grandparent's house. My mind is like a drawer full of snapshots which holds all of my wonderful memories of time spent there. The extravagant Thanksgiving dinners that we always celebrated at my Grandparent's home in Torrington, Connecticut is one of my favorite things to think about. For me, Thanksgiving dinner didn't just take place at the table. It was about the closeness of family and having everyone together for a day of sharing. Not all of our family lived in the same area. I have an Aunt, Uncle, and cousins who live in Worcester, Massachusetts. I also have an Aunt, Uncle, and Cousins who live in Ohio. So when we did get a chance to be together-especially for the holidays, it was a true celebration. So, it wasn't just about the delicious food, desserts and drink. My Grandparents brought everyone together and had a way of making everything so special for us. My memories of those days are so rich and so vivid, that as I sit here thinking it is like being transported back to days gone by. I can imagine that it is Thanksgiving with my Grandparents and my family again.
             The reason why I say that Thanksgiving dinner at the H_____'s house didn't just take place at the dinner table is because it was a bout more than the food and drinks. The whole experience began as soon as I reached their long white gravel driveway. The driveway almost seemed to disappear into the foliage of festive autumn colors. The tall, hearty Oaks and Walnut trees beckoned to me with their fall rainbow of leaves including rich Red, seasoned Orange, ...