The food is also better at Thanksgiving. Pumpkin pie beats mince meat any time, although mince meat is good, too. And turkey is always served at Thanksgiving. At Christmas, some people serve ham. A good spiral-cut ham is great, but my Christmas memories are of my mother s ham. She started cooking it the same day she saw the first decorations go up in Malley s, and it was always dry. She was a wonderful woman, but a lousy cook.
Okie preferred to eat at Smitty s Saloon down the street because Tommy Smith had brought home a war bride from Italy and she was in the kitchen.