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Wind
and rains blew in with the chill
And as often my heart will,
It filled with a feeling all warm and
cozy
And I began to feel all 'Thanksgiviny'.
In the days
long ago after most of the crops were
gathered in, the hams, the chops and meats
were hanging in the old smokehouse or
salted down in the big larder - a huge
wooden box with a lid. There would come
a chill in the air and the sun's rays
during the day had a special late Autumn
slant to them. Near sunset the sky would
be a rosy mauve. There against the rosy
backdrop silhouettes of chimney sweeps
- flying, circling, circling till diving
headlong - poured like water into the
high chimneys for a long Autumn night's
sleep.
The day had
been completely spent by the folks gathering,
tired, around the supper table in the
kitchen. The old pot belly stove in the
corner embered heat from a few pieces
of wood - just warm enough to knock off
the chill. Mother would dish out, from
pots on the old black wood stove, big
bowls of beans and greens. Garnishes of
the last cucumbers, onions, tender leaves
of lettuce and such added a cool freshness.
Golden cakes of corn bread or a batch
of hot home-made biscuits awaited a big
pat of real butter from the morning's
churning. A big pitcher of fresh milk
was ready to serve, cooled for dinner
by lowering the jug in the well bucket
to partially submerge in the well's cold
water.
Supper table
talk was like a sedative or an affirmation
of a day filled well with hard work. The
fence was down on the west side of the
high pasture on the ridge - that was mended
before our cow Ol' Lil found it. The old
mule balked and wore Dad out while closing
the barn for the night. Oh, and, there
was a little bit of frost on a pumpkin
this morning. The "Becky Spring" got clogged
with fallen leaves and that took some
time to clean Dad had not counted on.
Mother told
how we hurried to hang the wash on the
line where the breeze helped to dry the
first loads quickly. And, how we took
the first dry loads down to iron those
and had hung out more. The cloth smelled
so sweet from the breeze and the clean
country air. The wringer on our old washer
jammed, but we worked till it was rolling
out the water from the clothes just fine.
It would
be colder tonight, so we set out several
vases and containers. We fanned out around
the yard, cutting every last chrysanthemum,
flower buds, odd dried pods, some branches
with fall leaves and goldenrod and rabbit's
tobacco from the edge of the garden patch.
We made arrangements for tables all through
the house, preparing for a beautiful Thanksgiving
welcome. The faint woodsy, herb scents
permeated the rooms. I can almost smell
them now. Home! It smelled like home.
Even Lucky
the dog stuck close to make sure he got
inside for a good sleep in his warm, little
bed of old blanket pieces. The closeness
of family hugs us. Everything in and boarded
up.
Mother would
begin her plans for our big dinner to
share with our family. Aunt Mim and Uncle
Toy would bring Mim's banana pudding from
the recipe passed down for over 75 years
in our family at that time and other good
things. Aunt Jamie and Uncle James would
bring the big chocolate pound cake that
weighed more like 10 pounds I think! There
would be a ham from the smokehouse, pork
chops, fried chicken and sometimes a turkey.
Mother always prepared our special family
dressing from an old recipe she kept in
her head. Golden brown corn bread and
home-made hot biscuits were always served
with plenty of iced tea, coffee and fresh
milk. When we could get lemons, we would
have lemonade in later years. The list
could go on and on as it grew and changed
through the years.
Thanksgiving
is a heart thing, a good feeling that
what God has provided has been cared for,
preserved in every way possible thereby
making it possible to have plenty to share
as the Lord gave the increase and watched
over us. Each food and supply has been
counted and the Lord has been thanked
all along, but now with samples of much
of it on the table, it is time for one
more big, big thanks to be said. Nothing
was taken for granted - not the land,
the sunshine, rain, seeds, the animals,
crops, safety, health, all helps and most
especially family sticking together to
make it all work. And, there were friends
who would rush to your side if you were
in need and would share whatever they
could to help you.
So, when
the sun's rays begin the slanting of late
Autumn, when the chill refreshes the air,
when the rains, dews and frosts set sparkling
gems on every twig, when the first scents
of wood's smoke marks the gathering around
hearths of family and friends, I feel
all 'Thanksgiviny' inside and I thank
God for all the good memories past, for
the present and for all the Thanksgivings
to come, here in my favorite time of the
year. Autumn, sweet Autumn. THANKSGIVING
is a heart lifted up to the Lord full
of His blessings and bursting with gratitude
to pour out at His feet with thanks for
all He has provided every day of the year.
May
God fill your thoughts and hearts with
remembering each blessing that has been
given to you this year.
Marjorie
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