Monday, November 25, 2013

GETTING READY

Thanksgiving looms. I'm getting ready to head out for a three-store groceries and incidentals run to Meijer's, Sam's, and Tractor Supply. Several hours of traffic, parking lots, and retail insanity to insure everyone who shares our holiday meal on Thursday—people, pooches, and those feathered feeder guests dropping by outdoors—will feel warmly welcomed and be abundantly fed.

I love doing this, providing and preparing these annual feasts. Depending on who has to go where for a particular holiday on a given year within the interconnected family circles, we may have a dozen, or only the two of us at the table—though others might make the rounds and drop by later on. No matter. In my experience, two—the right two, anyway—can celebrate and feast as well as twenty, if perhaps less noisily. 

Regardless of how many or how few are expected, I don't par down the menu, only the quantity of food—and often not all that much. The way I view a twenty pound turkey is not as ridiculously excessive for two…merely as having the potential to afford a bonus of delicious leftovers for meals ahead. Therefore, all the venerated dishes, the laden table's familiar tasty touchstones, are fixed and served, brought out to play their parts. I side with Irving's old Squire of Bracebridge Hall when it comes to the keeping of traditions.

Finally, in case you're wondering, the photo above was made this morning, not long after sunup. The temperature was 18˚F. As you can see, except for a bit of green honeysuckle, the riverside is looking decidedly wintry, though there's little ice yet on even the slowest-moving pools. 

18 comments:

Gail said...

HI GRIZZ - the picture is glorious. Yes - Wintry and the blue rippling river water took my breath away.
There are so many blessing in your plans for today and for Thanksgiving. To think, you have the health and the means to travel about and buy all that you need for a feast - and then to be surrounded by family, friends, love, and a bounty that hols traditions and hope and faith and promise. am warmed through and through by your shared blessings. Us too, we are of loving bounty in traditions, new and old, our home is full of promise and hope and determination and loving family - we remember those passed, and those distant, we embrace those gathered and recall our blessings, humble roots, and hope for all as days unfold. Thank you Grizz for sharing so humbly what is most important on Thanksgiving and always.
Love Gail
peace...

Brenda said...

Gorgeous photo, Grizz! Love the silver and blue, the winter-on-the-way presence. I also meant to comment on your moon photo from a couple of posts ago. One of my goals is to learn how to take good night pictures. I love taking pictures of the moon, but they are never close or clear enough. Your thoughts about Thanksgiving dinner are appreciated. Many years it is just my daughters and me, with phone calls to loved ones feasting elsewhere. Nothing stops a thankful heart -- and good cookin'. I wish you a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Absolutely beautiful photograph Grizz. Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Kelly said...

...we are starting our preparations tomorrow. I get to pick Matty up from college and then head to the turkey farm! Can't wait to start cooking.

A wonderful Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Grizz………… said...

Gail…

First, about the river in the photo: the reflected light and sky and fools you. When I looked at the same stretch a couple of hours after sunrise, I was astonished at how murky the water really is—quite discolored, in fact, like weak coffee with one creamer.

I am fortunate—blessed, there's simply no other word for it!—in many ways. I have my health problems, but not so much that I can't run around, shop, take photos, cook, etc. And because I cook and make everything from scratch, a meal like Thanksgiving really isn't all that expensive, whether you feed four or four-times-four. I got a 24-pounder today for about $20; veggies and pies and fruit are pretty cheap. I bet under $75 for everything…and we get more than one meal afterwards beyond the holiday, plus send food home with whoever comes. Which, I'm pretty sure this year will be Myladylove and I and the recently married son and his wife. So four at table. But you can't spend better than on family and friends, right? I'm so very thankful for all I have, home, health, love, family, friends—rich in memories and life, the only standard that truly counts. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Grizz………… said...

Brenda…

Thank you re. photos. Good night shots, especially of the moon, aren't difficult. Of course a zoom, or telephoto lens helps you fill the frame. The mistake most folks make it in exposure. When you think about it, the moon is just a light-colored object lit by bright sunlight—surrounded by black, of course. Therefore your exposure would be the same as if you were photographing, say, a frontlit volleyball in the middle of the day. If you set your ISO at 400, a good starting point would 1/500th of a second at f.11 or f.16. That should get surface detail of the moon, instead of rendering it as just a bright white orb.

I loved your comment, "Nothing stops a thankful heart -- and good cookin'." How very wonderfully true! Happy Thanksgiving!

Grizz………… said...

Weaver…

Thank you…and I trust, being attuned to the land and seasons and country ways, you'll be enjoying your own upcoming meals, whether celebrating a holiday or just celebrating life.

Grizz………… said...

Kelly…

I'm going to be doing are the prep work I can from here on out…though the bulk will fall on Thursday. Plus I have to do some additional shopping.

Hey, you'll have to tell me about this turkey farm. I used to drive up to farm near Greenville for a fresh turkey, but they closed up some years back. I would still prefer a bird who was strutting around enjoying Ohio's November weather the first two weeks of the month, and trying to dodge the axe thereafter, to some critter from who-knows-where, flash-frozen to the consistency of a stone.

Do enjoy your family Thanksgiving. May it be filled with joy and good food!

giggles said...

I wish for you a lovely holiday! Peace to you and yours.

Scott said...

Gotta admit, you had me wondering for a minute about the delicacies from Tractor Supply...

Grizz………… said...

Giggles…

Thank you…and the same to you and yours: peace, joy, love, and good eats.

Grizz………… said...

Scott…

Never underestimate the provender potential of Tractor Supply. And no, I'm not referring to those treats one might find in the pet/livestock food isles—though their Big Woofer biscuits and Chewy Pooch jerky sticks are quite tasty given the right setting and circumstances, so long as the dog doesn't mind sharing.

However, since their Farm & Fleet days (or as some used to call them, Phlegm & Flot) they've carried a variety of tempting impulse-purchase sack of candy, rather overpriced, up by the checkout…and in my experience, there're few better foodstuffs when you're feeling sorely put upon by an uncaring world than a bag of red licorice.

George said...

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Grizz! The best to you, your Ladylove, and Moon the Dog.

Grizz………… said...

George...

Thank you. I cooked, guests came, we ate and talked, laughed, visited, and told stories at the table for nearly four hours, then moved about ten feet and did the same for a couple hours more. Everyone just left. We had a wonderful time, a great holiday celebration.

I hope yours was as well. Happy Thanksgoving, my friend. Good health and peace .

Arija said...

Hi Grizz, I'm with you in upholding traditions and if we stick to it, it passes down the generations. Eldest granddaughter invited me yesterday for 1st. Advent with freshly baked and iced gingerbread and mountains of love.
Isn't it nice to be able to send care packages home with those you love? Our grandson, just finished 3rd. year law, hasn't a bean to his name and usually eats 'student food' so it is especially nice to know he will be well fed for a few days.
I'm totally with you being absolutely blessed every moment of the day: to live in a country with our war, famine or fear and have shelter and food enough as well as knowing where each family member is and that they are safe are the greatest blessings on earth. Throw some friend into the mix and a few people who have no family into the mix and your cup runneth over.

Grizz………… said...

Arija…

I not sure how many traditions I've handed down to my daughter…a few, I hope. But they keep me centered, aware of who I am, where I come from, a reminder of a different world. Time travel, in its way. And as long as I keep them, the people who passed them to me live still.

I love cooking meals and sharing with family and friends…and sending whatever they will take home with them afterwards. There's just something fundamentally magical, wonderfully healing and uplifting to the human heart and spirit to eat and visit with those your care about. People are always our greatest blessings.

Arija said...

Amen to that dear Grizz.

Grizz………… said...

Arija…

Yup…amen!