Countdown To ThanksgivingBy Susan Bush
12:00AM / Wednesday, November 15, 2006
 | | Aubree and Stephen Gageant and their children Allison, Noelle, and Griffin |
Welcome to iberkshires.com Countdown To Thanksgiving, a daily feature launched Nov. 13. Each day until and including Thanksgiving Day [Nov. 23], iberkshires will highlight a Berkshire/Southern Vermont region individual and a specific review of the things that generate thanks. At the end of each interview will be a "family-style" Thanksgiving dinner recipe. Here's to the holiday that is very much America's own!
North Adams - Opportunities for thanks sometimes bring opportunities to demonstrate courage, candor, and chances to lead by example.
Stephen Gageant of Kately Lane met such an opportunity during a Nov. 14 interview.
"I'm thankful to be alive today," Gageant said. "I'm thankful for my beautiful kids. I'm proud to be sober for a week and I'm thankful for second chances."
The Gageant family circle of thanks includes input from Gageant's wife Aubree, daughters Allison and Noelle, and son Griffin.
Let's Hear It For Jobs and Pizza
For Aubree Gageant, a job at the recently-opened Staples store is a source of thanks. And because the children are active in youth sports - Allison enjoys softball and Noelle is involved with basketball, soccer,ice skating and swimming - she said she is thankful that Olympia corporate officials opened a store in the city's downtown.
As a food delivery vehicle drove off and the family gathered around a large dining table for an evening meal, Aubree Gageant added to the "thanks" category:
"I'm thankful for family and pizza."
Could We Skip The Big Sister Question?
Education is appreciated by Allison, she said. She is a Silvio O. Conte Middle School student.
"I'm thankful for school because I need to go to school to be a doctor,"Allison said. "I want to be a pediatrician."
Griffin and Noelle are elementary school students. Griffin is thankful for his friends, his home and for the most part, his family.
When asked if he was thankful for older sisters, he crinkled his eyes, gave the matter a few moments thought, and said "kinda but not really."
Noelle expressed her thanks for family and her love of animals.
"I am thankful for all the animals in the world," she said. "I really love animals."
Noelle also "translated" the antics of the family dog, a lively golden retriever named "Parker."
"I can tell you what Parker is thankful for, he's thankful that we adopted him," she said.
The family's Thanksgiving Day plans include a buffet-style meal at the home of Stephen Gageant's mother, Aubree Gageant said. Holiday plans also hinge on the Saturday fate of the Drury High School Blue Devils football team, she said.
"If Drury wins the playoffs, we'll have the [high school athletic division] superbowl," she said.
A play-off game between the Drury Blue Devils and the Wahconah Warriors is scheduled for Nov. 18, with Drury claiming home field advantage. A Western Mass. championship game is scheduled for Nov. 23.
Simple Brown-Sugar Glazed Baby Carrots
2 to 3 cups fresh baby carrots, pre-peeled
1/2 cup butter
1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
In a medium-sized fry pan, melt butter. Add brown sugar and mix, then add carrots. Cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Carrots should not become mushy.
Variation: Add 1 tablespoon honey and a 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to the brown sugar and melted butter mixture. Cook as directed.
Susan Bush may be reached via e-mail at suebush@iberkshires.com or at 802-823-9367.
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