Thanksgiving is a a special holiday for me because for the last 25 years, except for last year, I've hosted family and friends from Vermont, Alaska, Oregon, and Washington. My favorite part is setting the table with dishes that were my mother's, silver that was her mother's, depression glass that was a gift to my mother from one of my father's sisters, was given to my eldest sister who gave it to me, a cow-shaped creamer that was my grandfather's, mother's, brother's and upon his death, mine, stemware that was a gift from my youngest (still older than me!) sister, a silly Italian nut dish with a three dimensional squirrel sitting on the edge, a gift from the former owners of our current house with the words, "this was always our Thanksgiving nut dish." I treasure touching these things each year and feeling connected to those I love but see no longer, and those still living that may not be able to be present each year. It's not necessarily the kind of table setting that Martha would rave about or Inna would feature on her show but it warms my heart to share the stories and see the youngest members of the family touching the long line of love represented at each place at the table.
My mother's family lived in Vermont for centuries (some still do!) She sometimes missed her New England home and family. This time of year, my heart sometimes travels to the small Alaskan town in which I grew up and the many love-filled holidays spent there. Found this little plate on sale recently and thought it needed to be added to the traditional pieces. Perfect size for fudge..
Where does your heart travel on Thanksgiving?
O.K. enough of that. Here's something for which I'm thankful: Although it's bloomed prolifically for 14 years now, this is the first time that my Magnolia macrophylla has produced seeds.
It's a special thing because the fruits are so cool looking!
"Although it may look like a cone, it is actually an aggregate fruit that is woody. This flowering structure has changed little over millions of years. Magnolias are some of the most primitive of all flowering plants, but the seeds are enclosed in the fruit during their development, and therefore they must be classified as angiosperms, not as gymnosperms-the group to which conifers belong. As the fruit matures, scale-like areas on it split apart and the seeds, covered in a red fleshy aril, are exposed as they are in gymnosperms." -From the U.S. National Arboretum website
Wherever you find yourself today, my wish is that you'll feel surrounded by love and filled with gratitude for your many blessings! Or at least not be too horribly bitter.