I'm a lady who grew up in the mountians and we were taught many wonderful things mainly we learned how to live off the mountian and how to survive those seasons like winter.Growing up our parents instilled in us the meaning of family and that love of family which was in ways like the Waltons"as there were 8 of us and there were those hard times but,we survived them all.We had many wonderful Thanksgiving's,it was my mother,grandmother and my sisters in the kitchen preparing things and setting our table for the meal,which mom had the turkey in around 4:00 am as it was a large bird.That morning we were peeling potato's white and of course yams and we would help in making those homemade biscuits and my grandmother would put out her homemade applesauce which was so good as my dad and grandfather would restock our wood bin for the woodstove.It was always a cozy day as grandma's hot chocolate was on the woodstove keeping it warm and she would take a few christmas cookies that she made some sugar,molasses and put them on a dish and set them on the woodstove so they would be warmed.Sitting down to our dinner we would give thanks for all our blessings which the first was giving thanks to just being together as a family,it was so wonderful.I now carry on those traditions not only at Thanksgiving but,Christmas,Thanksgiving day is turkey in the oven at about 4:00-4:15 am and my son makes sure the woodstove is going good and i set my grandmothers hot chocolate on there and i'll put a few cookies on a dish and place them beside the chocolate.Not much has changed everything is from scratch biscuits,pies,cookies,and there is an old pot which has the scent of balsam on my woodstove in memory of my parents and grandparents and as we sit down together we give thanks for all those blessings we have received as we are so thankful for those moments,those precious moments we were born into and still live each and everyday and we are thankful for our parents and grandparents who gave us such an amazing legacy.