Take Your Pumpkin Pie....Please!!!

I do not like pumpkin pie.

I do not like it on a boat...in a float...in a house...or with a mouse.

Let's make it perfectly clear: I do not like pumpkin pie. I will not like it until I die.

With that said, my grandmother used to make the best pumpkin pies in the world. Or so everyone said; I wouldn't know, because I wouldn't touch them. She was a professional baker, and her pies were to die for.

Every year, bless her heart, she would make pumpkin pies, cherry pies, apple pies and mincemeat pies for Thanksgiving. I remember as a child turning my nose up at the thought of a "mincemeat" pie - that just sounded awful!!! I mean, who came up with that word....? Mincemeat??? Ugh.

But I found out, through Grandma's convincing, that mincemeat was pretty darn good.

Every year, bless her heart, Grandma would say, "Drama Queen? I changed my recipe a bit for the pumpkin pie...I think you'll like it this year."

And I would respond, "Grandma...did you put pumpkin in it?"

And she'd say, "Well, of course - it's a pumpkin pie, after all!"

And I'd answer, "Then I'm not going to like it...Duh. It's the pumpkin that I don't like!"

Pumpkin. Gah.

So, she eventually gave up on convincing me that pumpkin pies were good, and she resorted to making me little, individual chocolate cream pies for Thanksgiving. Was I spoiled, or what?!

I truly thought every child was getting an individual chocolate cream pie for Thanksgiving. Homemade by their Grandma.

I miss Grandma. When she passed away a few years back, I was upset. But Thanksgiving is when I miss her the most.

Not just the individual-sized chocolate cream pie. But just her presence...in the kitchen...cooking and baking.

And her constant desire to find the perfect pumpkin pie recipe that I would like.

I'd sit and eat an entire pumpkin pie today if it'd bring back my Grandma.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Hug your family. Spread the joy. And many, many blessings to you.

Peace.