Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Festivities of Thanks

Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays of the year. Mostly because it involves food and cooking and sharing time with people I love. I also treasure the lack of commercialism involved - besides purchasing or growing and cooking the food, there's not a lot of stress to spend money on stuff we don't really need. In year's past, we have raised our own turkeys. Unfortunately they always got too big before we did them in. Honestly, it is very difficult to fit a 35 lb. turkey into a normal sized oven. I have since resorted to purchasing farm raised Vermont turkeys from the Brattleboro Food Coop.

Almost every year since we have lived here in our farmhouse, The Farmer and I have hosted Thanksgiving for the Nicholas Family. My sisters and their families and my Mom and Dad (when he was here) drove in from far and wide. This year is no exception. Tomorrow, we'll all share a meal in the country. Our house seems plenty big when it's only we three but on Thanksgiving it seems mighty small.

The first Thanksgiving we shared here, The Farmer mentioned we should take a hayride. Sounded like fun to me. Ever since, we've all been piling onto the back of my brother-in-law David's fancy haywagon which The Farmer has stacked with square bales of hay he purchases from a farmer friend. (Our round hay bales are too large to sit on.) The Farmer drives and sometimes the kids take a turn. We bring lots of blankets and then enjoy the ride and the scenery while the turkey cooks itself. Considering the Thanksgivings I grew up with in NJ going to the local football game, this sure is a switch. One year it was snowing like crazy and we barely got the tractor back. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

At any rate, we'll all be enjoying our Thanksgiving meal in our dining room that is decorated with my hand-painted vines, birds, leaves, and flowers. Here's a postcard I have just had reproduced of this summer's sunflowers in that same room arranged in my collection of cloisonne vases. Doesn't September seem so far away?


I wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the day, whatever it brings.

12 comments:

Willow said...

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Anonymous said...

Your Thanksgiving celebrations sound wonderful. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving filled with heart-warming memories.
-punkin

Lisbeth Bula said...

I have visited you so many times over the past couple of years- and never left a comment. I just want to say that you work and your blog is such an inspiration and source of joy for me. I visit usually a couple of times a week! Your colour combinations are marvellous! Your farm is so beautiful and I am now seriously going to look into how to get a hold of your books. i live in Norway so you see you reach far with your wonderful art!

Kristin Shields said...

Happy Thanksgiving to you too. The hayride sounds like a lovely way to spend the day!

Julie said...

Happy Thanksgiving! I love this day for the same reasons you mention, except that I don't grow any food, just ty to purchase from local growers. Your sunflower photo is lovely and it led me to see your paintings. Have you thought of selling prints of some of these paintings (which are wonderful), so that we of little funds can enjoy them at home?

marit said...

Kristin- I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for all your wonderful posts, for your stories of farmlife, and for your knitting and art. I look forward to every new post. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Norway, but I wish we had adopted that instead of Halloween...
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Rosalyn Manesse said...

Happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy the hayride. Lovely flowers in the picture.

Anonymous said...

I like Thanksgiving for the same reasons. No commercialism. Just family togetherness.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kristin...I love your wall in your dining room!

Please keep posting about your intertwined farm and design life...I love it.

I thought you might be interested to check out the children's story "The Ox Cart Man" by Donald Hall. You'd love the pictures by Barbara Cooney, and the story reminded me of your musings about early New Englanders (and the town pounds, etc.). We just read it again tonight...and it's very in keeping with the season upon us.

Great article about you in IK by Marilyn Roberts, too. I always enjoy seeing your designs. Your work has always been my favorite.

mathea said...

I love your sunflower photo!

KG said...

Oooh, I love these photos and love that they are available in postcards. Would you ever make a mixed set available? I'd love a pack with two of each - one to keep and one to send!

Felicia said...

Hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving!

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