Last year exactly around this time, my parents came down for the weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving early at our house with my Aunt Diann and Uncle Randy from Atlanta.
It was such a fun and memorable weekend. Aunt Diann and Uncle Randy arrived with a bunch of wine, we all walked up to Hyde Park Square for dinner, we played cards and laughed. The next day was the fake thanksgiving dinner prepared by Dad. He cooked everything from the Turkey to the Cranberries and the stuffing. Mom made a new version of her homemade cheesecake, called the "Harvest cheesecake". My Aunt Diann and I raved about this creation. Here she was cutting up the apples for her masterpiece and below her and Aunt Diann..enjoying it.
My Dad, Ted and Uncle Randy checked out a Bengals game. My Dad, who was a true tailgater made Bloody Mary's for the game and even went shopping with Ted for an actual bangles t-shirt. Shocking for a life long Lion's fan.
Aunt Diann, Mom and I bought dinner and started making it before they arrived. I will never forget Dad walking in and he was stressed "we" were in the kitchen! He said we were doing everything wrong....even though my Aunt happens to be a very good cook. He finished up the Salmon on the grill and we got out of his way. I so miss that about my Dad. He loved being in the kitchen, serving others and was always the last to eat. I hope my Dad knows how much I appreciated his cooking all of these years. From the days of being a child when he would cut up my food, butter our bread and pass my brother, Sister and I our plates (as if we couldn't do anything on our own) to staying at our house in Cincinnati and coming home after work to him cooking dinner in my kitchen. I loved that and will cherish it forever.
It's so hard to believe that last year around this time everything was normal. Mom and Dad were retired at the young age of 50, they gathered in Cincinnati with family for a long weekend of fun, we talked about real thanksgiving and how we would all spend it at the Close's house. Who would have known when Dad said to me after I couldn't get the stain out that he made on my fall tablecloth, "it will remind you of me when I'm gone one day and you'll cry" that I would be "crying so soon". I thought it would be 30-40 years later from when he said that. 
Missing you both and I pray you help me get through Thanksgiving without you. But I do know one thing and that is-I am "thankful" I had you as parents and have the memories to cherish such as these, but I have to admit, it almost makes it harder...
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