When I was a child growing up, it was always a very special Thanksgiving when it fell on November 24th. That was my father's birthday, and to celebrate both on the same day, surrounded by family, was indeed a wonderful occasion. Were my father alive today he would be 90 years old. He passed away far too young, and I regret that so much of my life has passed without him. He never knew my daughter beyond her 6th year, he never knew her husband Andy, nor their offspring, whom he would have loved beyond words. His love for children was huge, and deep and he was always a pleasure to watch when children were around.
He never truly knew my love for gardening (which he really had no time/interest in) my love for preparing and serving food, nor my love for creating in all manners, which sprang from him.
I am thankful for my father and all that I am because of him.
I, too, am thankful for my mother who lives so actively in my blood.
And though, as with the passing of all parents, it has left a hole in my life, has left a frequent wish to share something with them, still they are not far from me, and I think of them often.
He never truly knew my love for gardening (which he really had no time/interest in) my love for preparing and serving food, nor my love for creating in all manners, which sprang from him.
I am thankful for my father and all that I am because of him.
I, too, am thankful for my mother who lives so actively in my blood.
And though, as with the passing of all parents, it has left a hole in my life, has left a frequent wish to share something with them, still they are not far from me, and I think of them often.
On this Thanksgiving Day I have so much to be thankful for:
...bread...from beginning to end...
I am thankful for not only the grains that grow without chemical application, but for the yeast and the pure spring water in the simple loaf that I bake. I am thankful for these hands that knead and form and bake, and then break the bread with love and reverence.
I am thankful for my love of fibers and creating. I am thankful for the time and the inclination I have been blessed with and the abundance of energy that is mine.
I am thankful for Bob, my first husband, without whom Jonel never would have been. I am profoundly thankful for Jonel, not only a lovely, and good daughter, but a person I admire deeply for the way she lives, and for Andy her husband, who without a doubt in my mind is one of the finest men I have ever known. I am thankful, beyond what my heart's capacity can hold, for Iris and Elsa, who bless and grace my life in countless ways.
I am thankful for Morgan, Macy and Nolan, grandchildren I deeply love and of whom I am proud.
I am so thankful for the winter, my favorite of all seasons...its beauty breathtaking...stunning me over and over again.
The stark beauty of the trees in winter never ceases to overwhelm me, and continues to be the trigger for my love of winter.
The SUN...I am so thankful for the sun, of which we have seen far too little of these past days. I love its warmth, its stretch, its dazzling self. I love its feel upon my skin and the smells it brings forth.
Ah, garlic...my kitchen would never, not ever be complete without an oversupply of garlic. I love its smell, its flavor and the healthful benefits it provides. I love that it has been a core part of my life forever.
and good food...grown from my garden...prepared with all my love and attention...Bread, fiber, children, winter, sun, garlic...some of what I love.
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