I have much to be grateful for on Thanksgiving, and I know you do too.
This year, I’ve put on a new hat, thanks in part to menopause, but mostly thanks to all of you. I so appreciate your readership and the encouraging and upbeat words you have sent me. Thank you!
The only other thing I wanted to say is remember that there are NO calories on Thanksgiving Day. Pumpkin Pie, turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, biscuits, spiked cider, and anything else you eat on Thursday will not cause you to gain a single ounce. Our Pilgrim and Native American foremothers put that into place for us. A big holiday thank you to them!
Here’s one of those zero calorie but delicious dishes. You can make it ahead of time and reheat. I got the recipe from my mom, who found it years ago in a collection of Maryland recipes put together by Helen Tawes, the wife of J. Millard Tawes, Maryland Governor from 1959 to 1967.
Sweet and Easy Corn Pudding
Four cups corn (white corn is best, but yellow works too)
Two tablespoons flour
Four eggs
Six (or less) tablespoons sugar
One teaspoon (or less) salt
One and a half cups milk
One stick (or a little less) butter
Blend for ten seconds in blender. Pour into a large greased casserole dish. Bake about an hour at 350. Pudding is done when it’s light brown on top and seems to be set in the center.
Serves a bunch. You can easily halve this recipe.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Photo: The hat belonged to my Great-uncle Herbie, who would probably be mortified that I am writing about menopause as would be, I suspect, most of my other departed relatives. I hope they are in heaven having a glorious time and not paying a lick of attention to me.
Friend For The Ride 
Just wondering… I hope you keep writing after menopause! (though my friend said her mother told her it lasts forever!) Happy Thanksgiving and I agree, no calories!
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Mine is lasting forever too, but yep, I’ll keep writing the blog as long as ya’ll (as we say in the South) are willing to keep reading.
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Thank you for the “free pass” on Thanksgiving! I like no-calorie a whole lot better than low-calorie.
Love the hat! And, yes, Great Uncle Herbie would probably be mortified. I don’t think most men (or women for that matter) discussed much if anything about the two big “M” words that women deal with. Menstruation and Menopause were verboten topics when I was in my pre-teen and teen years during the 60s. Remember the little book from Kotex telling us to wash and dry our hair carefully during those “special days?” Ha! And remember the soft little watercolor images of girls with their freshly washed (and dried!) hair tied back with a ribbon, daintily nibbling on an apple? Yup. That’s apparently what we needed to know. And, when my sisters and I questioned our Mom about what menopause was like for her, she just looked puzzled; “Menopause? What menopause? I guess it just happened without my even noticing.” My sisters and I then took our turn at looking puzzled. That’s not how we remembered it. If it wasn’t menopause causing those crazy times, then it was something else. In that case, we may really have something to worry about. 😉
Anyway, I digress. Yes, I have lots to be thankful for. Having moved through peri-menopause and lived to tell the tale now that I’m firmly planted in menopause, I am thankful it’s over. And I will tell my daughter what it was like (or remind her, since she saw me go through it) and I will share the real story of our mensus with my granddaughter when the time comes.
And my ancestors will cringe. And I will smile remembering them.
Thank you, Barbara, for the opportunity to wax nostalgic about such a strange topic. I am also thankful for you! Happy Thanksgiving! And, wear your new hat in good health!
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All that reminiscing got me searching… Growing Up and Liking It! That was it! Here’s a link for the curious: http://www.mum.org/GULIcov.htm
Very funny stuff.
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Oh, my goodness, Patti!! Amazing that you found the booklet that haunted me all those many years ago. Growing Up & Liking It! Wow! Reading it me like a ton of bricks at the time. I was having so much fun liking life BEFORE all that growing up happened! haha Thanks for adding that URL. Blast from the past.
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Patti,
Those are wonderful. I will save the link. Would you consider doing a nostalgic guest post for us in the new year?
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I had forgotten the washed hair! And remember back then, you washed your hair way less frequently. It was a big deal.
I keep asking my husband if something is too bold to post and he keeps saying, “No.” I guess the blood of those ancestors is still pulsing through me.
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Absolutely love the hat and your very positive approach…to life. Keep up the good work 🙂
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Thanks so much. I still remember my dad and grandpa and uncle with those hats. And if you mashed in the top, they got really stirred up.
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Haha the last photo is hilarious!!
And while calories don’t count on Thanksgiving, how you FEEL does – so don’t eat so much you feel sick!
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Yes, you are right. It’s those mindless third helpings I may try to avoid.
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Love the hat. Have you entered the Frank Sinatra phase of menopause? Haha. Just kidding! Here’s wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and also that menopause will feel like “old hat” to you soon! (It is possible to make friends with it)
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Love the pun!
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I’m thankful it finally stopped raining and the sun is shining.
I’m surprised (and thankful) to find reading about menopause makes me smile and sometimes even laugh – how wonderful! Thank you!!!!!! Happy Thanksgiving.
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There’s a wonderfully witty post coming up Monday written by my friend Mima Tipper. Stay tunned!
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