Northern Thanksgiving

I remember
The smell of the wood fire in the crisp air and the turkey slowly roasting
Mom making magic in the kitchen to the tune of pots and pans
The guest list of friends and people who didn’t have anywhere else to go
A northern family cobbled together
Stuffing ourselves with turkey, ham and laughter
Always laughter

Then, the walk outdoors in fading light
Naked trees giving us a path of crunchy leaves
Brown grass, cold noses, maybe even snow
Our full stomachs leading the way to the boardwalk
We survey the mighty river and wrap our scarves a little tighter

Back home there is dessert and more dessert
Men in the kitchen doing dishes
Candles burning, fire crackling
Lazy lounging on the couches, the floor
Making our own fun and mischief
Waiting till it’s late enough for hot turkey sandwiches

Mostly I remember that indescribable quality attending the table
The combination, the culmination of things made and passed and shared
The openness of our home, of people to each other
Of bringing all we knew of warmth and abundance into one place
Scattered and gathered on the back of a north wind
And thankful

~lg

5 Comments

  1. Mmmmm. I can almost feel the soaking warmth of the fire in the fireplace, and taste those hot turkey sandwiches.

    My man does the dishes – I am so grateful for that. He can stack clean dishes in the rack "for God to dry" better than anyone in our house, including me.

    What warm, inviting word pictures.

  2. Sounds like you were here for Thanksgiving and described it to a T! Thanks for being here in spirit. Hope your day was special in your new home.
    Dad
    PS. There were men in the kitchen again this time too!

  3. I can almost feel the warmth of the fireplace and taste those hot turkey sandwiches.

    My man does dishes – for which I am so grateful. He can stack the dish rack with clean dishes for "God to dry" better than anyone in our house, including me.

    What a warm, inviting word picture.

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