Connect

Connect recently reached out to all UVA Health team members to share their Thanksgiving traditions. We asked the following questions:

• What is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition? 
• What is an absolute must-have food on the table? (Share the recipe!)
• What has to happen on the holiday or otherwise Thanksgiving feels incomplete? (e.g., watch football, cook with relatives, enjoy a token bite of canned cranberry jelly, etc.)
• What does Thanksgiving mean to you? What are you giving thanks for this year?
• Send a photo if you have one handy! 

... and below are the responses we've received. Thank you to all who sent in submissions. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

(Note: If you'd like to participate and share your own Thanksgiving traditions — it's not too late! — email your answers to any or all of the above questions to the Connect team at uvaconnect@virginia.edu.)

Wendy Horton, PharmD
CEO, UVA Health University Medical Center

• Favorite tradition? | One of my cherished Thanksgiving traditions from my childhood was assisting my grandma in preparing the turkey the evening before and then cooking it on the wood stove. The anticipation of waking up to the delightful aroma of a roasting turkey in a cozy, warm house was truly special.
• Must-have on the table? | Forget the fancy stuff. I can't do without the Ocean Spray cranberry sauce straight from the can with the ridges still intact.
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | I was fortunate to grow up in a small town where I could visit all of my family. We would go from one house to another, including both my grandparents' homes. It provided numerous opportunities to enjoy pumpkin pie with generous dollops of whipped cream.
• Thankful for | I'm deeply grateful for my family, friends, and the incredible progress and accomplishments at UVA Health. I'm especially thankful that cup is full, but let's not talk about my plate. :-)

Penny Yebra
PFA/Patient Access Senior, General Surgery

• Favorite tradition? | Putting up the Xmas tree on “Black Friday” with the family.
• Must-have on the table? | Mama’s Cranberry Salad — *the recipe is a secret*.
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Spending time with my Mama and family.
• Thankful for | It’s a time to give thanks for all the fortune the previous year gifted us with and hope for more the next year!

Mia Strickler
Access Lead for Plastic, Oral and General Surgery
and Hyperbaric Oxygen

• Favorite tradition? | Spending time with my family 
• Must-have on the table? | Pumpkin pie (from Costco) and my mother-in-laws homemade rolls.
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Rushing around to be on time to visit both my family and then my husband’s family. 
• Thankful for | Thanksgiving to me is being thankful and blessed to be able to enjoy family, you just never know how long you have with them, especially grandparents.

K. Craig Kent, MD
CEO, UVA Health

• Favorite tradition? | Turkey trots.
• Must-have on the table? | Oyster stuffing. Recipe:
  • 1 cup soda crackers
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 Tbsp chopped parsley
  • 2 Tbsp oyster liquid
  • 1 can drained oysters
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Being with my family.
• Thankful for | The incredibly wonderful and devoted 17,000 team members who work at UVA Health.

Dominique Mclaughlin
Licensed Professional Counselor

I am a pickle ball enthusiast. I am passionate about volunteerism (thanks to my grandmother and mother). I value the importance of self-care. And I work as a consultant in the Faculty and Employee Assistance Program (FEAP). 

• Favorite tradition? | My favorite Thanksgiving tradition in previous years is participating in this program: The Giving Heart AND being with my mother and grandmother. However, this year will be the first Thanksgiving that my mother, Brenda Carter, will not be with me. So, I am choosing to focus on self-care this year.
• Must-have on the table? | An absolute must have for Thanksgiving is stuffing. Sorry — I don’t have the recipe because my mom would normally cook this from scratch!
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | This Thanksgiving will likely not feel complete because I will be missing loved ones, my mother who died in February 2023 and my grandmother who died in December 2022. I was a caregiver, a care blazer to both of them. For that — I am GRATEFUL.
• Thankful for | My mom would cook food for all the people in her senior community.  She would have me walk the wrapped plates to their doors to deliver.  
  
  Although this will be a hard holiday season for me, and many others who will be missing their loved ones, I am still able to give thanks. I am thankful for the opportunity to have been a caregiver to my grandmother and mother. It was an honor and a privilege to support them both in such a meaningful and intimate ways. I am grateful I was able to provide them both with a physical space to be cared for in their final days. I am thankful for the emotional energy, the compassion, and the empathy I showed. I am grateful for the knowledge and endurance to be able to communicate with their providers and to advocate for their needs.  I am also thankful to be able to share my experience with others and emphasize the importance of being intentional about spending time with the people you love while they are still living.
  
  So, although I value traditions, wholeheartedly, this is the year I will live out the idea that traditions can change. I will not cook a thanksgiving meal at all this year. In fact, I will utilize my resources in a way I never thought I would on Thanksgiving Day. I am not interested in meal planning or meal prep at all. I am eating out at a restaurant and making stops to visit with several family and friends afterwards. #anattitudeofgratitude

J. Scott Just, MD
CEO, UVA Physicians Group

• Favorite tradition? | Enjoying time together with family, football, and great food.
• Must-have on the table? | Turkey Gravy! It makes everything better.
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Cooking with family and enjoying dinner together.
• Thankful for | Thanksgiving is a time for reflection and remembering the importance of gratitude in my life.  We have much to be thankful for in our lives, and frequently we get caught up in the chaos of our day-to-day activities to stop, reflect, and remember. I am giving thanks for warmth in our home, love in my heart, and food on our table.

Jennifer McAndrew
Director of Operations
UVA Community Health Primary Care Clinics

As Thanksgiving approaches, I wanted to share one of my favorite family traditions that brings warmth and laughter to our holiday gatherings.

For as long as I can remember, my Thanksgiving tradition has involved spending two wonderful days in the kitchen with my mom, preparing for the big dinner. One of the tasks I've taken on from a very young age is making the beloved pumpkin pies.

One year, our Thanksgiving prep took an unexpected turn, adding an amusing twist to our cherished tradition. You see, my parents recently moved, and when my mom brought out the trusty KitchenAid mixer, it was no longer tucked away in its usual corner. Instead, it sat prominently on the open kitchen island.

As I gathered all the delicious wet ingredients and loaded them into the blender, I stepped behind it, ready to turn it on and adjust the speed. However, in my excitement and unfamiliar kitchen arrangement, I accidentally set it to full throttle because I was standing behind it, rather than in front of it.

The result was a culinary catastrophe that left the kitchen looking like a whirlwind of pumpkin puree had passed through it. To say that I redecorated their kitchen that year would be an understatement, and it's a memory we'll all treasure and laugh about for years to come.

Wishing you a Thanksgiving filled with joy, love, and, hopefully, fewer kitchen mishaps!

Marianne Baernholdt, RN
Dean, UVA School of Nursing

• Favorite tradition? | Thanksgiving is my favorite U.S. holiday because it is something everyone can be part of. I love to share this American holiday with international visitors and students besides family and friends.
• Must-have on the table? | Oyster stuffing. The recipe from a friend that had me promise her to never share her family's old tradition. I only got it because I adopted the U.S. as my home country and, therefore, didn't have recipes of my own.
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | The taking turns sharing what we are thankful for before we start eating — always interesting depending on who is at the table.
• Thankful for | My health and all the great people I get to work with every day. Oh, and my 3-month-old grandson.

Kim Kelley-Wagner
Webmaster/Editor, Department of Medicine

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it demands little more than being thankful and eating. Before I adopted my two daughters, I spent it hosting friends and others who wanted to come for the day; everyone brought what they could. Or I volunteered at a homeless shelter serving traditional fare — both wonderful ways to celebrate the day. Now I love spending time with my daughters, staying at home, eating, and watching movies while cuddling with the cat and dog.

Instead of the traditional turkey and stuffing, we try something new each year. Once, it was all finger foods and hors-d’oeuvres; another time, Asian food, including a whole fish for good luck (seen at right). We will attempt a brisket this year because none of us have tried making it. Side dishes to be determined (suggestions welcome). The word "tradition" would imply something that doesn’t change, yet our menu changes year to year; we like it that way. What we hope not to change is our favorite holiday spent together and the comfort it gives as winter sets in and another year fades.

Melina Kibbe, MD
Dean, School of Medicine

• Favorite tradition? | My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is simply being grateful for all that we have, and the rights that we enjoy, in this great country. 
• Must-have on the table? | Pumpkin pie! My father makes this every year and loves to sneak in a ton of extra spices! 
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Putting up the tree and decorating for the holidays, yet doing it in a manner in which the furry family will leave it all alone!
• Thankful for | I love Thanksgiving because it is a time to reflect and be thankful for all that we have in this great nation.

Suzanne Piercy
Patient Care Technician, 5 West

• Favorite tradition? | Gathered around dinner table with my grandparents, siblings, and cousins having Thanksgiving food.
• Must-have on the table? | Must have turkey and ham! Sweet potatoes, homemade bread, and desserts. 
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Gathered around table with all my loved ones, otherwise holiday doesn't feel the same. 
• Thankful for | Thanksgiving is a time where time is spent with loved ones, enjoying company, food, and laughter. I am thankful for all the wonderful people in my life.

Matthew DeCosse
Manager, HIT Procedural & Ancillary Applications

• Favorite tradition? | Spending time with family and friends while sharing a meal and watching some football.
• Must-have on the table? | Stuffing is an absolute must have! Recipe from Averie Cooks:
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 pound day-old white French bread, diced into 1/2-inch cubes and dried
  • 1 extra-large (about 2 1/2 cups) sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small
  • 1 1/2 cups celery, diced small
  • 2/3 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely minced
  • 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, finely minced
  • 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary (sticks discarded), finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (sticks discarded), finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
  • 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
  • 2 large eggs
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Having a full three servings of canned cranberries to myself!
• Thankful for | Thanksgiving to me signifies a time of confession, thankfulness, and praise for what one has in life (especially family and friends). It is not just about the delicious food that many of us have the blessing to partake in, but rather it also serves as a time to give back to others. 
  
  Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!

Cynthia Douglass
Senior Communications & Marketing Specialist
UVA Human Resources

In addition to being with cherished family members, Thanksgiving should celebrate friendships, family, and support sustainability as much as possible.

Pumpkin MUST be part of Thanksgiving, and I'm not talking just about pumpkin pie. Think pumpkin curry soup, spicy peanut and pumpkin soup, pumpkin sage soup, pumpkin ravioli, Greek pumpkin and leek pie, savory pumpkin tort, rice pilaf with pumpkin and currants, pumpkin flan, pumpkin cornbread, pumpkin tiramisu, chocolate/pumpkin cheese cake, pumpkin chocolate chip almond flour pancakes … last year my brother, his partner, and I had a pumpkin-themed Thanksgiving, and it was divine! We followed that with walks in the neighborhood, games with family and friends, and a full celebration of all we were thankful for.

Novella Thompson
Administrator, Population Health

My family’s favorite Thanksgiving tradition is to make homemade butter for the meal. When my two children were 2 and 5, I had them decorate a cleaned peanut butter jar with Thanksgiving stickers, and on the top of the lid, I wrote, “Thompson Thanksgiving Butter Jar.” In the jar, I placed several marbles of different sizes. I add heavy cream and flaky sea salt to the jar to make the butter. We begin shaking the jar, sharing what we are thankful for this year, and passing it around until the butter is magically ready. My children are now 25 and almost 22, and they insist this tradition remain a part of our Thanksgiving holiday.

Stacey Humphreys
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, UVA Pediatrics Culpeper

• Favorite tradition? | My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. As a native of New Jersey, I have done this a few times in person. I have lived in North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia but always managed to watch the parade.
• Must-have on the table? | Thanksgiving must include sweet potato pie. I can’t tell you an exact recipe because I grew up watching my maternal grandmother make them and I just know when the amounts of ingredients look and feel right. Nana didn’t have a recipe, but I am thankful that she let me watch and learn.
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Though I love to be around family for the holiday, sometimes it’s just not possible. My youngest son is in Iraq. I have a brother and sister-in-law fighting cancer. I have a sister who just kicked cancer’s tail. Those are the people I am thinking of the most this year. I moved to Culpeper in January of this year so there will only be the two of us at home celebrating the holiday. But I will bake a sweet potato pie for dessert and enjoy the day with my granddaughter.
• Thankful for | I am most thankful for family, health, healing, and new opportunities.

Theresa Raju-Arroyo
Medical Technologist, Clinical Labs

• Favorite tradition? | Celebrating  thanksgiving with family and having all our different culture foods (traditional American meal, Indian, and Puerto Rican) all on the table.
• Must-have on the table? | It’s a drink "Coquito.” It’s a Puerto Rican-style egg nog (with or without rum) — recipe below.
• What makes Thanksgiving complete?| Saying a prayer before eating and going around the table telling what we are thankful for.
• Thankful for | First, I am thankful for the wonderful UVA NICU staff. Second, for being alive and well (lost my husband in 2020). He did not get to see our first grandson, but he is always around in spirit and a guardian angel.

Puerto Rican Coquito

• Step 1 | In bowl of blender, add evaporated milk, cream of coconut, coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, rum (if using), vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon. Blend on high until mixture is well combined, 1-2 minutes.
• Step 2 | Pour coconut mixture into glass bottles; cover. Transfer to refrigerator. Chill until cold.
• Step 3 | To serve, stir or shake bottle well to combine. Pour coquito into small serving glasses. Garnish with ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks, if desired.

Mary Knisley
Clinical Research Coordinator
Interventional Cardiology Research

• Favorite tradition? | Going to see a movie Thanksgiving night.
• Must-have on the table? | Crockpot stuffing (ingredients and directions below)
• What makes Thanksgiving complete?| Pre-dinner holiday hike.
• Thankful for | Thanksgiving is a time to pause and gather together to enjoy family traditions. This year, I am grateful for the memory of my mother and all of the Thanksgivings she prepared for our family.

Crockpot stuffing

• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 (12 ounce) pkg sliced mushrooms
• 12 cups dried out McDougall-approved cornbread or whole wheat bread crumbs (I used a combo of the two.)
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• Salt to taste (I used about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
• 3 1/2-4 1/2 cups veggie broth

Directions

• Sauté onion, celery, mushroom, and parsley in a little veggie broth.
• Pour sautéed veggies over bread crumbs in a very large mixing bowl. Add all seasonings and toss together.
• Pour in enough broth to moisten. (I added extra broth halfway through for a moister stuffing.)
• Pack stuffing lightly into crock pot, and cover. Set on high for 45 minutes; reduce to low and cook for 3-4 hours.

Wanda Crawford
Health Unit Coordinator, Staffing Resource Office

• Favorite tradition? | My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is having the entire family together for Thanksgiving dinner. 
• Must-have on the table? | The absolute must have food on the table is Potato Salad: 10 lbs red potatoes, 5 boiled eggs, 1/2 celery, 1 medium chopped red onion chopped, 2 tablespoons chopped sweet pickle, 1/2 cup chopped green peppers, 1/3 cup mustard, 2 cups Dukes mayonnaise, dash of garlic, chives, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Refrigerate before serving. 
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Thanksgiving would feel incomplete without the family and friends showing up to eat, tell their jokes, play their pranks, and hearing each one's laughter. 
• Thankful for | Thanksgivings means to me: Wishing the world, "A happy and healthy Thanksgiving," remembering our military and their families, being with those with love, remembering those we have lost, rejoicing those we are about to receive. Giving thanks and praise to our heavenly Father for this special day to look back over the years and give thanks for everything and everyone in our lives. Also, a time to ask for forgiveness for our sins and repent for our disobedience and be grateful for his goodness.
  
  Telling those we love and care about, how much we really love and appreciate them. Tomorrow is not a promise. 

Cheryl Brown, MSL, MT (AMT)
QA and Safety Coordinator for the Laboratory

• Favorite tradition? | Making dishes my grandmothers made on Thanksgiving: cranberry salad, strawberry salad, and sweet potato casserole. Rarely made any other time of year.
• Must-have on the table? | Cranberry Salad: 1 small box cherry Jell-O dissolved in 1 cup boiling water, add 1 cup chopped fresh cranberries, 1 small can crushed pineapple, 1 cup shredded coconut and 1/2 cup chopped pecans.  Pour in to a Jell-O mold or a bowl and chill. My daughters and I love this, both sweet and tart at the same time. 
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Cooking with my husband and daughters. This year we have a granddaughter to share the holiday with, Delaney Anne. So excited to see the holidays through a baby’s eyes again, the excitement on her face. 
• Thankful for | Thanksgiving is a time to count our blessing, and to be thankful for all the good things in our lives. We have a tradition of going around the table and saying something we are each thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

Kristina Zurliene
PWMC Mammography 

My family’s Thanksgiving tradition is for all the siblings to bring their families to our moms house early to prepare and cook our meal. We eat our big meal in the afternoon around 1 p.m., then watch some football or just hang out. When dinnertime approaches, we display the 8 to 10 different varieties of homemade pies that we consume for dinner, which we have named Pies-giving. 

I can honestly say I give thanks for the family I have, every year.  

Kristie Sjordal
Onboarding Educator and Retention RN
Clinical Education Department

• Favorite tradition? | When everyone who is coming to Thanksgiving dinner, they bring a dish to share, so no one has to do the whole burden of cooking the feast.
• Must-have on the table? | My dad's mashed potatoes - he says his recipe is a secret --lol
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | We eat dessert together and then play a game like cornhole.
• Thankful for | Thankful for the time I have had with family ... some have passed, but I made good memories with them.

Anita Morris
Finance

• Favorite tradition? | Spending time with my children and grandchildren.
• Must-have on the table? | For me, it’s my step-mother Linda’s stuffing patties. I don’t have the recipe, just know they are delicious!
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Thanksgiving is not complete with out family and pumpkin pie for dessert. 😊
• Thankful for | I’m so thankful for my family, their health, and happiness. I’m also thankful for my work family, the teammates that I work with and the leaders are just so awesome and deserving of praise!

Adriana McCray
Administrative Assistant, Pediatric Gastroenterology

My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is watching the parade and dog show while spending time with my loved ones. I feel that if I don’t get to watch the parade and dog show that Thanksgiving is not quite the same.

Heart and Vascular

Margaret Davis, Access Manager, Heart & Vascular, shares that Thanksgiving traditions aren't only for family and friends at home. Welcome to their Works-Giving!

Jeremiah Page
Chaplain Educator in
Spiritual Care and Education

• Favorite tradition? | Going around the table as a family and sharing our gratitude for life and each other. 
• Must-have on the table? | Sweet potato pie is a must have. I won't judge too harshly if one prefers pumpkin. 
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Laughter about the same old stories about various family members in our life's history. When grandmother shares a story around the table or television, it gives us a sense of belonging. 
• Thankful for | Thanksgiving means a time of joy cultivated by gratitude. I am giving thanks for my new job and role at UVA Health. It is my first time living in a new state, as I recently moved from South Carolina.

Mandie Kidd
Patient Access Specialist, Patient Access

• Favorite tradition? | Being able to spend time with my family. 
• Must-have on the table? | My grandma’s Mac & Cheese: 
  • 1 box of macaroni, 1 block of extra sharp cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 cups of milk, 1/2 stick of butter
  • Cook the macaroni and drain, mix the milk in with the macaroni, pour the noodles in a casserole dish then add your slices of block cheese. The milk is usually about half way up the dish. Make sure the top is covered in cheese then add salt & pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Spending time with all my family because time is something you can’t get back. 
• Thankful for | It’s a day where you don’t feel so guilty for over eating. I’m thankful for each day every year but just being thankful for all of life’s blessings is most important.

Terri Jo Davis
Administrative Specialist, Heart and Vascular,
Nuclear Stress, Echo, CP&R, ECG, Fontaine

• Favorite tradition? | We have it on Saturday instead of Thursday (always).
• Must-have on the table? | Cranberry/walnut upside down cake. Recipe would be exactly like pineapple upside-down care (use whole cranberries in the can and chopped walnuts).
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Football and singing karaoke with my mom, who loves it.
• Thankful for | Thanksgiving brings everyone together when they stay so busy with their own lives. This year, I am giving thanks that my family is healthy and happy.

Allison Crawford
Clinic Manager Rheumatology
(Pantops & Fontaine)

• Favorite tradition? | Family dinner. We always have this on Thanksgiving day and everyone comes.  It is usually a crowd of 20 or so people (sometimes more). It is loud, boisterous, and so much fun.  
• Must-have on the table? | Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and bread must be on the table (in large quantities)!  
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | We talk about Black Friday shopping. Although most of us are adults and don’t even go shopping anymore, we still look at the papers and make a “wish list” of gifts.  
• Thankful for | For me, Thanksgiving signifies blessings, family, and love. It is a time to put everything else aside to simply enjoy and appreciate one another. It is a time to truly be thankful for the blessings we have. This year, I am thankful to have changed my own life for the better.  I recently changed jobs to achieve a better work/life balance. This was a terrifying move, but has been amazing so far. I am beyond thankful to have regained my own quality of life and enjoyment of life. 

Rita Browne
Administrative Specialist, Radiology

• Favorite tradition? | We must listen to "Alice’s Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie at noon. 
• Must-have on the table? | Turkey, bacon, and tomato sandwiches in the evening.
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Back home it is homecoming weekend, so 10 a.m. high-school football game.

Fern Hauck, MD, MS
Professor of Family Medicine
Professor of Public Health Sciences
Director, Research and Faculty Development
Director, International Family Medicine Clinic

• Favorite tradition? | Watching the Macy's Day Parade! Ever since I was a kid, it has been a must do tradition, especially growing up in NYC.
• Must-have on the table? | We are all vegetarians in my family so we have tofurkey. It comes as a roast with stuffing for Thanksgiving and is quite delicious. (I actually never liked turkey as a kid before becoming vegetarian.) Bake with potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, baste with a mixture of olive oil and tamari.
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Eat canned cranberry sauce.
• Thankful for | It is a time to reflect on all that I am grateful for. Given all the suffering around the world (conflicts, climate change, forced migrations, homelessness...) it is a privilege that I have a rewarding job, including my work with remarkable refugee patients and ability to help people, my family, friends and colleagues, my health, and a comfortable life. Truly grateful.

Carol Schenck, LCSW
Ambulatory, Social Worker - Emily Couric Cancer Center

• Favorite tradition? | My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is volunteering for the Boar’s Head Turkey Trot, watching the Macy’s Day Parade, and celebrating with a beautiful four-course meal with my friends and family.
• Must-have on the table? / What makes Thanksgiving complete? | What has to happen is that my grandmother’s homemade stuffing appears. No exceptions. My grandmother taught Home Economics and her culinary talent was unparalleled.
• Thankful for | Thanksgiving means to me that it is time for a pause to be grateful for all of the tremendous rewards in my life such as family, friends, work team, neighbors, and pets. I get to use my gratitude, humility, and compassion for my patients daily. Gratitude is my mantra.

Libby Melzer
Chief of Staff, Ambulatory

• Favorite tradition? | Spending time with family. This year I get to spend time with my sister, niece Penny, and nephew Leon in Denver, CO.
• Must-have on the table? | Buckeyes — an original receipt from my great grandma. We are starting this tradition to make (healthier) versions of the cookies we grew up making as kids with our grandma. 
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Always have to be around at least one of my siblings. I have five. Plus we ONLY eat the cranberry out of the can. Must have the proper can marks or we are not touching it. 
• Thankful for | Thanksgiving is a holiday that is best spent eating food with family and friends. I am giving thanks for getting the opportunity to spend time with my family and pass on the cookie making traditions to my niece Penny. I can’t wait until her 4-month-old brother can start sharing in the family traditions.

Barbara Barnett-Fitzgerald, RN
Ambulatory Firm Nurse, UMA

• Favorite tradition? | Getting up at 6 a.m. to begin prep for our dinner, followed by a break watching the Macy’s Day Parade and then the cherry on top, the wonderful laughter and joy that fill my home as my kids and my littles (grandchildren) come to enjoy each other!!
• Must-have on the table? | Scalloped oysters!! This has been a favorite on our holiday tables before I was ever born. It originated with my great-grandma. I love it so much, I spent an afternoon with my grandmother when I was 15 so she could teach me how to make it. I wanted to make it just like she did, took many notes as she explained step by step, still have those notes today. 
• What makes Thanksgiving complete? | Family time that is so precious especially in this day and time. We play games after eating and things are cleaned up. We are a competitive bunch!! Love to laugh at ourselves and each other!
• Thankful for | Thanking God for our many blessings! He is an awesome God!! We go around the table and thank Him for another blessed year. This year is extra special, I have all of my children coming plus my six littles, as I call them, plus two bonus littles. My son is in the Navy and as a sacrifice of military life, he has not been able to join us for many years. But this year, he will be there! Oh, my momma’s heart is full!
  
  Happy Thanksgiving!