Assuming you’re reading this at 12pm MST on November 14th, 2009 you’ve got 312 hours to plan, make a list, shop, plan some more, sweat a little bit, lose some sleep, make yet another headcount, search for new and unique recipes whose complexities create yet another shade of gray, which then leads to additional time at your stylists, which then leaves very little time to clean and shine the silver and china, and double check the locks on the liquor cabinet in the case that Uncle Bob didn’t cover the spread.
Or… you could do what I did this year. Get invited to someone else’s house for Thanksgiving and bring a really nice bottle of Pinot Gris.
As alluring as Door #2 may seem, it could be that this year it’s simply your turn.
Take a bit of advice from a girl who has been there, don’t make the effort more than it really is – an excuse for gathering friends and family, watching a ball game, lots of hugs, a toast of thanks for all you have been given, and a nice meal.
Complicating things by mail ordering ingredients for a cranberry sauce that the kids would never eat anyway; trying to create that special gourmet mashed potatoes dish that will only be covered in gravy; or (my favorite) trying to brine a turkey for 24 hours in cooler on the porch only to find that orange juice and turkey does nothing for you does no one any good, especially the cook.
So read on and relax.
Thanksgiving is a time to relax. It is about the end of toils and labors. At its heart, it is a harvest festival and “harvest” comes from the German word for “autumn.” To me, autumn is the time of rest as the weather changes and winter approaches. An autumnal feast celebrates the fact that the work is done.
The harvest celebration is a part of the human experience and exists in nearly every culture. China has the Moon Festival, the Vietnamese celebrate Tet Trung Thu, the Jewish people have the holiday of Sukkot, in Africa there is a Yam Festival and in India the celebration of Pongal. Of course, our neighbors to the north (Canada) have a Thanksgiving of their own. They are entitled, I guess.
Things have changed just a bit since the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe shared insights into fertilizing corn, gathered at a communal table, and ate out of gourds. The gathering of root vegetables and late blooming fruits, not to mention the natural maturation of old Tom Turkey doesn’t occur quite as often as it once did. That doesn’t mean we can’t do our best to revive the simple spirit of the celebration.
What I’m trying to say is this, Think Simply and Think Seasonally. Tradition Rocks!
Close your eyes and picture your grandmother’s or even your mother’s Thanksgiving table. Think not only of what may have been on the table, but how it felt to be there. The scents of roasting turkey and rising dough; the warm apples and cinnamon; and the deep shades of ochre, red and green; the heart’s leap at the sound of the doorbell, and a fingerprint in the pumpkin pie come to mind. You may not have known about the effort behind it then, but I’ll bet you did know that your grandmother or your mother made it with love and that’s what mattered most.
If it is your turn this year, let your shoulders drop away from your ears and answer the door. Those who walk through it are there for many reasons, not just the food. Go ahead and unlock the liquor cabinet and be sure to make plenty of gravy!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from me and mine!
Live Well! Eat Well!! Cheers!!!
Heidi
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