Each year in the fall many of us celebrate Thanksgiving, a day steeped in history and tradition. Growing up this meant rich foods eaten in abundance with thoughts of only a couch and the din of a sports announcer in the background. Little has changed LOL except the ante has been raised. This year Ash and I managed to both indulge multiple times and see our loved ones.
Imagine starting the day slow, delicious coffee to carry the morning onward, a country road drive to soften the mind and feel the wind coming in through the window [oh, yeah, that, turns out the Lowcountry in the fall is the time for PERFECT weather. read; 70 degrees, sun shining, marsh grass golden, and leaves falling.], finishing the journey on the back porch of my parents looking out onto sweeping vista of primal marshland. whoa. Smells of childhood emanate through the screen doors. Mom has again created food that though has been a staple to our thanksgiving table, seems to have magically gotten better and better each year. Pops opens the first of many bottles of delicious wine, this time a 1996 Rioja of which I have added to the mix a 1996 Barolo…oh and its only 1230. Now we didnt feast until oblivion…nooo, we had plans continuing beyond my families idyllic setting. Sharing story with those around us as my sister and her boyfriends recent family edition, Jasper a sheltie, wiggled among our ankles. Stopping the record here would have been plenty, for sure. From what I would later hear the celebration didnt end long into the night with all falling comfortably asleep as the lowcountry settled into its night time stillness.
Ash and I moving onward journeyed to our dear friends The Golubs whom have blessed us yet again by holding Thanksgiving dinner for those staying in town… a la our 2nd family. This group of amazing people have blessed me so much in the many years I have known them. Smiles, laughter, joy, inspiration, support, compassion, so many adjectives to describe people whom I find actually hard to conjure words to fully represent them. Our friends are amazing. Cafe lights, a lonnnnng white farm table, vibrant flowers, delicious bevs on ice [beer is ALWAYS best on ice.], oysters and sound of friends sharing in life with eachother. Epic. The night rolled from conversation to conversation, interspersed with nibbles and sneaks [another tradition....figure out how to sneak a hunk of freshly cooked turkey from the person carving, classic!] to the denouement of our seating. Bottles and candlelight ran the length as seats were filled. Again an AMAZING meal. A special touch to the evening was Kira creating the thanks bowl, a fishbowl filled with personal statements of what each was thankful for….at the appropriate time we passed the bowl and read anothers blessing. WOW! How much awesomeness is that! The night finished with almost a dozen deserts, nightcaps of Fernet, football announcer in the background and hugs to follow the many smiles shared.
I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I did living it.
