Pie + Turkey = Oh, My!

I am thankful I live in a town that hosted its first annual Pie Auction.  Oh, yes.  It was awesome.  The Valley Ford Young Farmers Association put on quite a community bash last week and it is sure to be a yearly event.  It has been well established that I love me an auction and "winning" auction items, ahem, I mean bidding & buying items at an auction.  Well, this was no exception.  The old schoolhouse was decorated to the nines with cute, country kitsch.  The farmers were decked out in their best cowboy chic attire & the auctioneer was a hoot.  I left with three pies & a one year membership/subscription to our local U-pick veggie stand, Bloomfield Farms.  It was the best way to buy pies for Thanksgiving.

1.  Quinoa Salad w/ Fall Fruit
2. G's pancake flipping lesson
3. Charlie's homemade lemon meringue pie

Food has been a focal point over the last few weeks.  Crab season opened up and we had it two nights in a row!  There is nothing better than the first crab of the season.  When paired with sparkling wine, friends, laughter, stories & topped off with a little sweet finish...nirvana.

The art of correspondence is a constant lesson for the boy.  I think it's so important to be thankful and show appreciation for other's efforts and gifts.  We spent a quiet Sunday morning ticking thank you notes off of Grady's to-do list and adorned the envelopes with stamps and stickers.  A little something extra to make the recipient smile.  And since this month's focus is on being thankful, it was a great conversation starter about why we send the notes in the first place.

We spent Thanksgiving Eve prepping for the big day, playing cards, getting the table set and making the world-famous secret cranberries.

Color and inspiration were all around me this week.  I thrifted some vintage linens, foraged for herbs, persimmons & blood oranges (a surprise find!).  There is so much beauty just outside our door and I needed the reminder to stay grounded during this crazy time of year.  Keep it simple.  And I did just that.

Our guest list was small this year, but out planned menu was fit for a King!  We all pitched in and helped to create a meal to remember.

Steve brined the turkey this year and it was the moistest turkey we've ever had.  We must do that again next year.  Scott gave Grady a mashed potato tutorial and gained a fan for his whipped potato method.

Scott & Jill brought over the most beautifully presented appetizers and Eric K. shared Petaluma Creamery's delicious ice creams with us.  And let us not forget the pies.  Oh, Patty O. gifted us a homemade cherry pie that was the favorite of the evening.

As usual, G was the only kid.  He spent time up in his tree, helped with set-up and cleared the table.  He got dressed up in his favorite shirt of the moment and asked me to take the shot of him above on the picket fence.  He kind of loves himself right now and can't stop looking in the mirror any chance he can get.

And while I tried to get a family photo that wasn't blurry, I clearly did not succeed.  It's the best I could do and I feel lucky I convinced the guys to stop for a moment, pause and join me.

The gusto I had preparing for Thanksgiving left me late that night and I was ready to hunker down, do a little crafting, read and enjoy the long stretch of days in front of me.  We filled the time with movies, books & housework.

Melancholy set in with me for my siblings & parents this weekend, as holidays seem to do.  As I fill up my social calendar and work hard to create traditions and holiday cheer for Grady & Steve, I am often left feeling empty about it all.  And so, I am going to try and make a concerted effort to focus on experiences this coming month and not on things.  I will do, as Yoda says, there is no try.

This weekend was also the Mathers' tree-trimming party.  It is one of my favorite nights of the year.

We trim the tree with hundreds of white seashells, lovingly searched for and turned into ornaments by Suzann and her daughter years ago.  Her tree looks like it should be in a magazine by the end of the night and I love that she lets us go to town on it!

Grady had a little playmate named Lucas, who is four years old.  He was so enamored with Grady and was his little shadow all night.  He was funny and sweet and reminded me a little of Grady.

The weekend ended uneventfully, as each of us retreated to our corners of the property.  Steve in his shop finishing a piece of furniture for our living room; Grady in his studio listening to books on tape and creating origami masterpieces; and I read an entire book and enjoyed the quiet meditation of laundry, dishes and the occasional nap.

All is quiet and peaceful after the holiday weekend on Johns Street.  

I am thankful for pie.

I am thankful for friends.

I am thankful for my son.

I am thankful for nature.

I am thankful for family.

I am thankful for this life.