While most people think of Thanksgiving as the holiday where you begin

your day with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and end the day in a food coma,

Karen Vickery, a wife and mother of two, believes that there is so much more to the

holiday. And from the beginning of the process to the end, Karen is there every step

of the way to put on a celebration that will be remembered.

Since her early days of working in the newspaper business, Karen has always

made sure that Thanksgiving is the biggest holiday of the year in the Vickery

household. For awhile, however, it was one of the biggest holidays of the year for

her friends.

“It began as an “orphan” Thanksgiving for everyone that could not be home

with their families,” Karen tells me as she begins washing potatoes while wearing

her usual Thanksgiving preparation outfit, which consists of Nick & Nora pajamas,

UGG slippers, and a hat that covers her gray hair. She will eventually change into a

black and white dress that goes along with the rest of her family’s attire.

Since she was required to work the day after Thanksgiving, she needed to

find a way to celebrate the holiday. However, she didn’t know that what she had

started that Thanksgiving would eventually become a tradition that her family

would carry forward.

From the décor to the food, Karen makes sure that she gives her full attention

to every detail. The preparation begins a month in advance with the cleaning and

decorating.

Karen tells me, “For me, the ambiance is as important as the food

preparation. I want the house to really exude a sense of warmth and comfort for our

family and our guests.”

The night before Thanksgiving, chaos reaches its peak with the final

preparation in full force. Karen works as though this is her full-time job, even

though she is in sales at CBS Radio in Dallas, Texas. From the vacuuming of rooms

that no one will step foot in to the scrubbing of every sink in the house, Karen makes

sure that her house will be in its best condition for the next day’s festivities.

However, the preparation isn’t her family’s favorite part of the holiday.

Her daughter, Brooks, tells me that things can get a little out of control during

the holiday season. “My mom can get a little out of hand with certain expectations.

Thanksgiving is no different. One year she had me ironing the napkins,” Brooks said.

The preparation beforehand doesn’t stop with the cleaning. The cooking

begins days in advance. Karen will go to the store at the beginning of the week to

start buying the items she will need for the feast.

For the next few days, Karen will visit the store two to three times a day to

make sure she has everything. One of the biggest things that Karen prides herself on

is the fact that almost everything served on Thanksgiving is homemade.

“For me, it has always been important to prepare each dish from scratch and

to create certain standards that are traditions from year to year. But, I also think it

is really important to encourage our guests to bring their traditions to our table so

that we can all feel the presence of family and friends who are afar or of those who

have passed,” Karen said.

On the day of Thanksgiving, preparation begins at six in the morning. For

most of the day, Karen focuses on the touch-up while the rest of the family focuses

on the cooking. As the day progresses, there are many instances of things that go

wrong. However, these small problems don’t bother Karen.

“I used to worry about all of the details and about everything being perfect.

Now I realize that nothing can go wrong on Thanksgiving if we are all together,”

Karen said.

There is a sense of relief in the Vickery household as the first guests begin to

arrive. As you walk around the house, there is not a trace of anything out of order.

From the placement of the throw pillows to the order of the silverware, the house

resembles a museum with everything in its particular place. Not only is everything

put away, but there isn’t a speck of dust in the entire house.

As the football game comes closer to the two-minute warning, guests become

anxious for the meal. While Karen puts her finishing touches on all the food, she

makes sure that all of her guests are satisfied. Karen even puts out another

appetizer thirty minutes before the meal.

The moment that everyone has been waiting for is here. The meal. Dishes

include turkey, dressing, cranberry salad, sweet potatoes with chilies, mashed

potatoes, and peas with pancetta. However, it wouldn’t be a Thanksgiving in the

Vickery household without the prayer from Cathy Bailey, one of Karen’s longtime

friends.

This is one of Karen’s favorite parts of the day. Karen said that this moment

consists of everyone holding hands and reflecting on the past year.

“The prayer really solidifies the meaning of Thanksgiving. This is a moment

where we are reminded of the many things for which we have to be grateful. We

also send prayer requests to those in need,” Karen said.

As the meal draws to a close, guests rave about how this year was the best

Thanksgiving ever. From the gravy to the different selection of pies, guests compare

and comment on every dish. You can see Karen smiling across the table with

satisfaction.

While doing dishes, Karen said that she hopes her guests walk away “with a

feeling of love knowing that we are all very blessed and that we have so much for

which to be thankful.”

As the last of her guests leave, Karen said that the day was absolute

“mayhem,” but she wouldn’t have it any other way. She understands that as the

years go on, her guests and dishes might change. However, she hopes that the

impression she leaves on her guests will last a lifetime.