Some years ago, I opened my soul to a person I had thought of as a very good friend: “At the very first sense of chill in the evening air, the very first whisper of Autumn, do you find yourself harried by creativity and driven to start making things – jams? Ornaments? Quilts? Gifts? Stained glass stars?”
She looked at me like I was nuts. Like, once again I had exposed myself as the weirdest person on the planet. “No,” she said. That was probably the moment when I should have figured we were not meant for each other.
Because that was me. Is me—except for the last few years when there was so much going on in the family, I didn’t know what day it was, much less what season. But when I went to visit Gin this year, there she was—my very own old self—poring over The Magazines: Better Homes, Martha Stewart. I had to join her—and my fingers immediately started itching.
Typical Better Homes charm—so simple, so elegant, so takes actual thought.
Typically I am turned on big time by pictures of projects but subsequently cured by reading the instructions. If the obsession persists even after I’ve read the ingredient lists for the unusual and classy dishes (5 pounds of rhubarb, cardamom, the cups of organic sun dried brown sugar peas) then my first effort to actually reproduce the elegant or funky whatever pretty much throws Gatorade over the whole affair.
More Better Homes suggestions: get a subscription—it’ll haunt your dreams
The family table as I wish it were. Crate and Barrel—I wonder what the shipping is on this whole deal?
This year, I was seduced by a picture of a pumpkin chocolate cheesecake. After some consideration, Chaz and I settled on making the rutabaga, parsnip, leek gratin instead—and the pumpkin bread pudding for Thanksgiving. And we actually did make one of them (I still have the stuff for the pudding – just haven’t had time). It was especially important to me this year to have a beautiful and bounteous Thanksgiving table because my dad was coming. My mom, now in full time care, could not be here, but Dad wanted to be with us, so I was having the whole northern family at my table: us, my brother, his kids, my kids and dad. A very big deal.
Our table. No deer. Just family.
Low light, but high satisfaction: the turkey meister checking on the hungry hordes.
It’s lovely when other people bring food. It’s lovely to have children who come from their homes bearing children and pies and candied yams (especially when it was the son who hates yams like poison who made the things). And there is nothing so sweet as having family laughing at your table, no hitches, no old grudges, no over-sensitive over-reactions. Just laughing and talking and sharing the Great Meal. I love Thanksgiving. It is not as glitzy and holly draped a season as the one that follows. But it is full of love and gratitude and thanks to a God who, I believe, is very anxious to bless.
Scoot’s first Thanksgiving: discovering the stained glass shade over the table.
My boy and his baby – complete harmony and silliness. And total love.
Grandpa Mike singing Jimmy Buffet and helping The Princess play along. Funny he’d choose that guitar, the no-name nylon string I’ve had since I was in high school – Mom bought it from some guy named Benny at the back door of a secret guitar warehouse. Almost as old as Mike is.
Maniacal Uncle
The lovely niece
Four generations
My dad – you can see the humor, wry as it is.
The grandmother and Scoot, communing.
It is so nice to be able to feed my father, and to offer him our best.
I say here to all of those I wish had been able to share the table: thank you for what you would have brought to it. I am honored and blessed to know you. And may God bless you always.
Now, here we are in that twilight time when the corn shocks are still on the porch while the tree is lit up in the house. Neither here nor there, but everywhere, bless us. Ready for colored lights against snow.
Last note:
ONE DAUGHTER: for sale
Whereas L. refers to her grandchild as The Princess, the child offered here is the Sorceress Queen, the Angel at the Gate, the Fierce Guardian of Truth, or maybe just Prince Phillip. She is bright as a whip, independent, resourceful, capable, willful and creative. Also wild, fierce, stubborn as the rest of her father’s family and musical. All those who apply must understand: any man taking her on as partner will give up even the illusion of ascendance. She is no kids’ horse, and she will not pull anybody else’s wagon. Purchaser must be intelligent, good natured, easy going, eager to find his equal, willing to lose at video games, anxiously involved in his own life, determined, fierce about his priesthood, honest and ready for an eventful life.
Applications taken in the comments section. No international bids.
The beautiful Chaz
With the joyful description of the gathering and the lovely photos, it made me wish I was there sharing the joy.
But wait, I was
Love again to all, and to all spread abroad who weren’t with us
Guy
I’d have brung the cheesecake. I can’t believe you opted for LEEKS over cheesecake…..sigh……what am I gonna do with you???
You know what? I like your table much better than the one from the magazine. Yours was full of food and family and…love. The one from the magazine isn’t meant to be used, only looked at. That’s not what a dinner table is about. It’s supposed to bring people together, all as a family, talking…maybe fighting (isn’t that what families do?)…being together. That’s a whole lot more important than all the fallals and fripperies.
I take after my mom who will decorate when it’s easy and doesn’t get in the way of life. In fact, she sent me pictures and Thanksgiving dinner this year was on paper plates because she decided that with the kitchen in as much disarray as it was (they’re in the middle of remodeling), she wasn’t going to risk the china.
Now, my eldest sister? She’s all about making things pretty. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I don’t find it nearly as important…which is a good thing because I have absolutely no talent in the area of arts and crafts.
Anyway…that’s my take. :)
yay! Looks like so much fun. I’m so glad it was a good day for all of you that and you could be together. We missed you at our dinner, and I know you missed us at yours, but that’s part of the beauty of loving somebody, right?
I love seeing the pictures, wish I could’ve spent some time with Grandad and the other family. I haven’t had that chance often enough. Maybe someday soon.
Love you!
And by the way, I think my sister is much too expensive to be sold…so you’d better send any bidders over to talk to me first!
I’m with Rachel… Leeks over cheesecake? Honestly?
Loved the pictures of the laughter and family love. Isn’t that what holidays are about?
Chortle is indeed all that you say she is. I’m so happy to hear and see her flitting about the globe gathering life experiences. When the one comes along it’s gonna be fantastic. And like Gin said, those bids better be high.
Sweet potatoes vs Yams. So for some reason the Sweet Potato goes through a change as it get put into a can. I can not stand any shape form or flavor of a caned yam. The plan was to get some fresh Sweet Potatoes and bake them up with some nice butter and other warm yummy flavors. But (sigh) was too late getting them at the store. There really were non left as I went looking for them. So I had to fall back on plan blech and go with the canned version. Needless to say I didn’t have any myself but I hear that they were quite well received.
Actually, Cam, I had some and they were really quite good. So there. Sometimes a person can do a good thing – even when they don’t benefit directly. There. Made a lesson out of it.
Listen you wuss girls – I wasn’t going to make the cheesecake- Chaz put chocolate in one on the pumpkin pies and I nearly died of a sugar overdose on that alone. I was going to make – am going to make – pumpkin bread pudding. Very, very bad for you, but even better than cheesecake – at least than home made cheesecake – anybody want to go to Cheesecake Factory next week?
I haven’t gotten any bids on the goods yet. It’s kind of like buying a tiger – you know, you have to be able to feed it before you take it home.
Teri – G said the same thing you did about the table. I think the thing I liked best were the three metal deer and the striking pine greens. And how clean the room was. You ever notice how clean rooms are in magazines? Yeah, I’m looking around here right now and I’m not seeing that.
But yes – it was the family, the laughter and the singing and me bullying my nephews into drying while I washed the pans – my father isn’t big on happy chaos, but I love it, love it, love it. One time I had Gin practicing oboe in one room, Cam on French horn in another and Chaz on flute in another – with all the doors open (you know my house -what doors?) and I was teaching M math. It was heaven. And the leeks were great. Our gratin wasn’t quite cooked when we served it, turns out, but there was still only just a little left. We stuck that back in the oven last night until the leeks and the cheese had all kind of carmalized together, and then wished NOBODY HAD EATEN ANY and we had ALL of it left over. Rutabaga and Parsnips, who woulda thought?
And Gin, I so wish you’d have been here. I’m not sure this will ever happen again, not this way. Wish Max had been here.
So to those of you who brought stuff – even the hated yams, and those who WOULD have brought stuff, or only just come to eat – God bless us every one. We love you, missed you – and we will be receiving any and all treats throughout the month of December – I mean, since you didn’t bring the cheesecake after-all . . .
Agh, I must have more o that gratin…you hear that? The tiger wants gratin.
<3 <3 I love you, mom.
To appease dear Rachel-there was Cheesecake, Grampa Guy had some-it was a bought cheesecake key lime pie from your son actually…
And since no one else will-I have to say that is the best hair day Scoots has had in a long time!! I see it every day and it still makes me laugh!
Oh and I think you should have used the pic of Char holding the dr. pepper as the “for sale” pic because that is more like her-fun and charming at the same time
The pictures are lovely. The four generation shot is priceless.