Posted on | November 22, 2012 | 7 Comments
Let us give thanks….
for the families that we were born into
The Queen Bee and her Wannabees. Brianna and her daughter and granddaughter.
Guinea teaching Bugs 101 to her keets in the garden.
and the families that we chose.
"You are not a kitten. You are not a hen....Wait. You ARE a hen!" (Are You My Mother? by PD Eastman)
Tina and one of her "brothers." Guess her kids will have uncles. There goes the matriarchy.
For those that give generously
Milking through. 21 months and counting. Julia is my rock star!
and even those that just give when they feel like it.
"What have you done for me lately?"
For those that take to their work with cheerfulness and diligence
"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. ... "
and those who take to their work with….well,…um…who just take to their work.
Hooray!" say the children, "Pony rides!" "Yes," says C.C. "Hip. Hip. Freaking hooray."
For the strong who provide protection
Puppy Power!
and the gentle who provide companionship.
Don't be fooled by Riccio's cuteness. His guinea pig eye looks guilty. Which means he has pooped on Pretty's quilt. Again.
For those whose hearts are filled with hope
Tina before she got her new legs.
or determination
Blackbeard sitting her fourth nest of the season. In November. Because like Pinky and the Brain, she has plans to conquer the world. With ducklings.
or peace.
The Three Billy Goats Sleepy.
For new beginnings
Easy Bake Incubator.
Baa, baa, black sheep. How long 'til you get your wool? Will I have time to learn to knit?
and memories of those whose time has come and gone.
Josie. We miss your eyeball rubs.
Tasha. We miss your ferociousness. No one else does, but we do.
For fruitfulness
Oh, to canning we go, oh, to canning we go. Turn up the stereo, to canning we go!
Young carrots and mature broccoli. The greatest generations.
and even for failures.
Previously known as snap peas.
Plan: Delicious sweet corn to eat and freeze. Change in plan: Bug ridden corn cobs for chickens and dried up stalks for a decorative fall corn shock. Eh.
For ordinary beauty
View when sitting on the deck in the fall. Before the raking, when you no longer have time for sitting on the deck.
Pink zinnia and a Red Admiral. I love how the butterfly matches her orange to the stamen. Well played, well played.
My work commute. The corn often switches sides of the road without signaling and the clouds tailgate. Agh!
and simple fun.
If you go, we go. No one gets left dry. (from Backdraft. Kind of.)
Fishing: Free. Fun. And slimy.
Follow the leader. But watch for goat berries.
Look, mom. Almost flipped over. Someone get the c-collar ready.
For surprise gifts
When my aunt heard I was starting to knit she sent me this entire container of knitting needles. I don't know how to use them all yet. But sometimes I open it and drool on them while perusing Ravelry. Thank you, Aunt Peggy.
A co-worker gave The Other Half this car. It is small and spray painted and gets lots of mileage to the gallon. Which means I never have to worry about him running out of gas on the way to work. Also I don't need to worry about another woman trying to pick him up at stoplights.
Went to help a friend with hoof trimming. Came home with a champion buck. This is the kind of fair trade China is getting away with, why not me?
and unexpected finds.
The deer have been elusive this year, but the wild turkeys have donated lots of feathers for the Thanksgiving mantle.
Stumbled upon this sopapilla cheesecake recipe on pinterest. So I think it should have been on StumbleUpon instead. But who am I to judge?
Found this great dog in the front yard. Then found him a forever home. Because we'd have to buy another couch and then build a bigger family room to have enough space for three dogs in the house. And someone would still end up sittng in the wet-spot-from-paw-licking. Ugh.
For the good
Sampson the rooster. Our flock king, who sounds the alarm, keeps the hens in line, and never, ever spurs us. Long live the gentle giant.
Papa the pig. Who taught us everything we know about raising pigs. Especially why they should not be allowed to get bigger than 250lbs.
A good sign that your soil is healthy. And that you should go fishing. See "Simple Fun" above.
the bad
Dog food bandit.
Squirrel proof, my as*. Or squirrel as*. Whatever.
Squash bugs on the squash. Who'dathunkit?
and the ugly.
I don't even have to look up to see what a visitor is talking about when she says, "Oh! What is THAT?" I just say "It's a guinea" and go on with my business.
I don't even have to look up to see what a visitor is talking about when he says "Oh! What is wrong with THAT chicken?" I just say "It's a turken" and go on with my business.
Spider cricket. There's nothing good when you add "spider" to the front of a word.
For holiday visitors
My mother's dog, Tootles. Finally, a dog small enough for the kids to sneak under the covers.
My mother's other dog, Missy. A laptop dog.
Timmy, the elf on the shelf that arrives after Thanksgiving. To keep an eye on the naughty and nice. And, apparently, the soup cans.
and, especially, for the upcoming holiday treats.
We make cupcakes for the church reception following the Hanging of the Greens each Thanksgiving weekend. One year we made a cupcake wreath. Because it certainly seemed appropriate.
One year we made an edible partridge in a cupcake pear tree. Because the only bird you want eating your fruit is a pretend one made of frosting.
But this year I am making a cupcake Christmas tree. Since Little won't let me make one for his December birthday party any more. Now he wants a cake with Transformers or Batman or Pokemon or some superhero other than Jesus. Go figure.
Oreo truffles. Enough said.
So let us give thanks.
God is good. All the time.
Happy Thanksgiving, people.
Comments
November 22nd, 2012 @ 3:41 am
That was beautiful. Well said! We all have plenty to be thankful for; we woke up this morning, didn’t we?
November 22nd, 2012 @ 6:00 am
Love this. Have shared on FB. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
November 22nd, 2012 @ 9:25 am
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. I’m grateful for you writing a blog. It always brings happiness to any day.
November 22nd, 2012 @ 3:05 pm
And let us give thanks for wonderful neighbors.
I’m laying in bed sick today. So when I read the part about High Hopes with a picture of baby Tina, I started to cry. (I’m feeling a bit fragile.) But, excellent wonderful neighbor that you are, you cheered me right up at the end with OREO TRUFFLES!
I hope y’all have a lovely holiday.
Cheers and love, K
November 23rd, 2012 @ 11:32 pm
Lovely post. Truffles! I am going to make truffles this year. They look too good.
November 24th, 2012 @ 7:53 am
And I bet you’re also thankful for all this free blogging time?
Inspirational yet again good friend!
November 24th, 2012 @ 7:08 pm
Sigh. I like that….a lot. I’m still going with Tina and her spiffy new legs as what I’m thankful for. She makes me smile.