For the major holidays, my great-aunt Edith's home was the usual site of our family gatherings. Unfortunately, two of those family celebration days, Thanksgiving and Christmas, involved preparing a large turkey with all the trimmings.

Aunt Edith was an extremely proper, formal and capable hostess. While a fairly good cook, she missed the class that taught how long it took to get a twenty pound bird completely done, and how you could tell when it was done. On several festive occasions, I distinctly remember everyone gathering around the table as Great Uncle Carl would begin to carve the huge turkey, only to recoil in horror as the blood would gush from his first incision. The table was set with Aunt Edith's best Spode china and crystal. The potatoes, dressing, and vegetables were merrily s…