Thankful

These orchids, given to me by my best friend are in profuse bloom these last days of autumn. Every day I look at them and I am thankful for the friendship they signify and for the beauty of them in my life.

Since I was of the age to be at all sensible I have always loved Thanksgiving above all holidays. Even now, no one has figured out how to make this holiday extremely commercial. After all this time, Thanksgiving is still about family and giving. I read about how dysfunctional families snipe at each other, hunker down and watch football, remark on who eats or doesn't eat. Here, no one ever turns on the t.v. at Thanksgiving, and we are all foodies. After dinner we all go out and look at alligators and frogs.

I have hardly ever had a bad time at Thanksgiving. There was one I remember when my sister was born and my dad cooked a duck that was slightly raw! And then there was the Thanksgiving when we lived in Paris, specially ordered a turkey and when we picked it up it had feathers, legs, feet and a beak! Our kitchen was a tiny place and I remember how we addressed this situation, like surgeons, so serious! The turkey was good as I remember. Then there was the Thanksgiving here at the ranch when our soon-to-be ex daughter in law made it so uncomfortable that we all fanned out over the pastures and wept.

But mostly, Thanksgivings in our family are wonderful and affirming. For so many years we did not have any kin to come so we made a feast with friends. Now, we have a number of family members who live in the vicinity: a sister and her husband, a daughter and her son, a nephew and his wife. And the old friends who have really been our family all these years. And new friends.

We will all gather here for the day. Some will spend the night. Many will bring dishes to share and the kitchen will be hopping! We'll move the dining table from the kitchen to the hall and install a couple of extra tables, find the high chairs for the twins, gather chairs from all over the house, spread out mismatched tablecloths and table settings. It won't look like a state dinner at the White House, but it will be fine! The turkey and the salmon will be presented. Everyone will love the gravy and the mashed potatoes and the many other dishes, many from the garden. They'll love the pies and cake. The kids will jump around and behave like all kids do.

Most of all, we'll be thankful to be here in all skin hues together in this ragged country with a pragmatic president who is basically a good person. I give thanks for all of this.