Day 277 Giving Thanks. Dinner at The Nest.

I love this time of year. I remember my mother and my two grandmothers preparing the food for our Thanksgiving dinner. The table would be set for 12 with my mother's best china. It was white with an aqua and silver design on each plate. Her wedding sliver laid out in proper order next to each person's place at the table.

I saw that aqua china for the last time when i was at my dad's this past summer. I can't even remember if one of my sisters boxed it up for themselves or if it stayed with the house or went to Goodwill. The week spent closing up my father's house is already blurred in my memory which surprises me a little.  Why didn't i take that china for myself? At the time nothing like that seemed to matter much. The magnitude of my father's death washed out the value in what seemed to be small details. Now as i contemplate giving thanks this year i wish i had my mother's china to look at so that i could remember more vividly the days of being a young child watching the creation of the Thanksgiving dinner with great anticipation. I loved mashed potatoes and my grandmother's gravy best :)

If i had the power to send real blessings i would send them to you. But i don't have that power. I am sending instead good wishes and prayers which i do have the power to give. 

If you were here at my house i would cook you a magnificent dinner while you sat in the living room, across from the kitchen where i I could see you. I would be standing at the counter facing you while i worked, listening to you chat about the good, the best, the simple things in your lives You would offer to help several times over and i would shoo you away knowing what it means to be given the small gift of having dinner cooked for you. You know how good food tastes when someone else does the cooking right?

I would serve you the best pumpkin pie you ever ate and would make up little food packages of leftovers for you to take home. I would say farewell at the front door, one person at a time, giving hugs, making plans to see one another soon, finally waving to the last car as it pulls out of the drive.

The house would be almost quiet, holding the merest echo of the laughter and words that were shared this night. It would still be warm and cozy with the fire burning in the grate. I would sit finally and feel the success of the evening. You all felt loved. You each one took away a refreshed feeling of hope and gratitude for another year. I know that is how it would go because i know how you all are. You are caring and fun. You are intelligent and conscious of your place in the world. You are the most extraordinary people. Friends, neighbors, bloggers, writers, artists. I am so blessed to have found you all! 

love, robin

p.s. if i could i would take you on a walk along this lane. We would feel the chill wind blow through our scarves and hats and each time we stepped out from beneath the towering trees we would turn our faces upward, eyes closed and comment on the warmth that remains from the sun. It would be a glorious walk to take with you :)

Comments

[mooch]

Oh blimey. I love this road. The leaves to the fore are so sharp and colourful and the lead into the image is compelling. Just look at those colours.

[Suvarna]

I can just tell that your thanksgiving was rich and full of warmth and love, thank you for the cozy place to sit in the "heart" of your home. I enjoyed the walk down this beautiful crisp leaved lane. Happy belated Thanksgiving.
xoxo

[Liss]

What a beautiful lane way to stroll down after a magnificent dinner. Thank you.

[Se'lah]

Beautiful post. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

One Love.

[elizabeth]

What a lovely wish. I feel as if I was there just from the description! I hope you had a most wonderful Thanksgiving.

And I agree with your hubby, pumpkin pie is definitely on the Surgeon General's list of acceptable fruits and veggies. (As is apple pie. I really should check their list and email them if they somehow missed it.)

[Marcie]

Beautiful!! Hope your Thanksgiving was special..and good!!!

[Toni]

It's such a treat to come here and I leave withsmall tears of joy and love. I hope your Thanksgiving was everything you imagined.

[rhayne]

I feel so good inside now.
You are a jewel.

Happy Thanksgiving xo

[Annie]

It all sounds so wonderful, wish I was there. Happy Thanksgiving Robin! xoxo

[Tom Sheehan]

Beautiful images...

Have a nice Thanksgiving Robin.

[susanna]

Happy Thanksgiving, Robin! This is such a beautifully-written post. I remember after my dad died but especially when my mom sold their house, that many sentimental belongings were lost along the way. I'm hoping that my sister has my dad's Cdn Air Force hat somewhere up in her attic. Still, it's good to have those happy holiday memories of when we all were together, sitting down for a turkey dinner. Yum!

Have a terrific time this Thanksgiving, Robin. I'm glad to have met you, too. :)

[rochambeau]

Thanks for all you give Robinbird and for your gift of friendship.
I'm thankful you are YOU!
Happy Thanksgiving!

xox
Constance

[christina]

Happy Thanksgiving, friend.
xo

[Dawn @ The Feathered Nest]

Dear Robin, your words, your photographs are all so very beautiful to me ~ simply breathtaking. Have a wonderful Thankgsgiving...xxoo, Dawn

[Debi]

You would, you would, I know it, and you wouldn't make me eat anything I didn't want to eat, and you wouldn't take it personally, and you would let me have more than one slice of pumpkin pie because I LOVE pumpkin pie and I would want Cool Whip on it, and when we walked that incredible lane of autumn light, groaning because we are so full and really quite sleepy and yawning, we wouldn't even have to talk because we would be seeing the same things together and we would be too full of happiness to even utter a word.

Happy happy Thanksgiving - I am all about the thanks today and you are all about the giving. Next year we'll switch.

xoxo

[Cindy]

What a beautiful post....you have such a way with words. I was imagining every moment and at the end a lovely walk with friends. Have a great day....xoxoxo Cindy

[margie]

such beautiful sentiments. thank you robin bird. i am moving today and i have packed up all of my every day china and given it away to the children. i have packed up my cutlery and sent it along as well. i am for the rest of my life, please g*d a long time, going to eat every meal off the good china, with the good silver while drinking out of the good crystal. truthfully, i have much to be thankful for in my life and yet have had ups and downs as has everyone but one thing i know is that this is not a dress rehearsal and i should be dressed in full costume all the time. and so even if that full costume is a pair of sweat pants and a comfy sweater, i will be dining in style. all my love to you, the daughter and her hubby, the baby, the nice husband, and skippy. xo

[Dutchbaby]

I would feel as the most special, treasured friend watching you roll out your pie dough. I would not be able to sit still though. I would ask if I could decorate the table with that precious little gourd in the photo, perhaps with its brothers and sisters and a few clippings of autumn branches from the last photo. How about some place cards? Could I calligraphy some place cards? I would have brought some silver paper ribbon - I could write out six-word gratitudes, written by those seated at the table. Here's mine: "Healthy family. Fond memories. Great travels." Wishing you and yours the very best Thanksgiving, Robin.

[Florence Muma]

What an incredible walk that would be. Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the day. Hugs Florence

[elk]

memories of the aqua china...oh how touching..i would bring you flowers and put on my nice but comfortable dress, the one i can eat in....blessings for a lovely Thanksgiving Robin

[Hubby]

I can attest to Robin making the best ever pumpkin pie (the crust is exquisite). I feel I can be an impartial judge since I have eaten at least several hundred pieces of her pumpkin pie. I feel this fits in with the Surgeon Generals admonition to eat five veggies or fruits per day. The hardest decision is to top it with Cool Whip or not. I guess a you could have one with and one without.

[lisabaggett]

Beautiful post.........I remember also closing up my parents home. Its hard to think clearly during times like these. The memories you have of your family Thanksgivings will be with you forever. Your words really touched my heart and I would love to be the one in the living room watching you prepare Thanksgiving dinner. Your home seems like a wonderful welcoming place. And to take a walk down this amazing path would be just awesome. The photograph says it all!

[Heather]

Tears in my eyes imagining such a warm and loving dinner with a true friend. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

[Relyn]

Gotta go. No time to comment. Must call travel agent. Surely there will still be a ticket from Missouri to Oregon? I'm coming. I am.

Love you!

[Marilyn]

What a glorious lane to walk along.
Have a totally delightful Thanksgiving.