Our Thanksgiving 2010

It's hard to believe that this year is almost over. Why does time go? This morning I awake to find my husband Frank where is always is on Thanksgiving morning, right in front of the television with his cup of coffee watching, what else but the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. This is just one of the reason I love him and I am thankful for him, he is Mr. Dependable that's for sure. Anyway, he invites me to have a seat and watch with him, so I do. Frank is also a channel surfer and before you know we are watching a Sport Show that is featuring a story about a fifty year tradition that was started by one man while attending college. It was his freshman year and on his way to a football game he saw this elderly women with a young teenage boy in a wheelchair and she was really struggling with getting around with him in the chair. So, the young man and his friend offered to help out. Well, they really liked the young boy and wanted to make sure he got to all the football and basketball games from that day forward, and for fifty years that is exactly want has happened. The man in the wheelchair name is Buddy and he has not missed a game for fifty years, thanks to that young man who cared enough about someone other than himself. The guys that come in as freshman on the football and basketball teams are responsible for getting Buddy to and from the games.

I CRIED...

I AM THANKFUL FOR THIS PEOPLE WHO CARE SO MUCH FOR OTHERS.

Frank continued to channel surf and the next stop was another story of giving, this time the decision of a gift that touched the lives of four different families. It was sometime around the holiday and this mother got a call that her son had been injured pretty badly and was on the way to the hospital. Her son was an NFL Football player that had been involved in a car accident. She arrived at the hospital and the doctors met with her before taking her to her son. They told her the situation did not look good. She when in to see her son as soon as she did and placed her head on his chest and heard his heartbeat and got no response from him. She said she knew what she had to do, let him go, but she wanted to make sure his life counted for something. She made the selfless decision to donate her son's organ's to those who needed them to live. So, Chris her son gave someone a kidney, actually two different people a kidney, then another received a liver and another a heart. During this tragedy Chris' mom thought of others and through four other people Chris lives on and his mom has a bigger family these days. She says, she misses Chris, but if faced with the same situation again she would make the same choice.

THIS TIME I SOBBED...

I AM THANKFUL FOR MOMS WHO CARE SO MUCH FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND OTHERS DESPITE THEIR OWN PAIN.

I am thankful for ordinary people that do such incredible things for others - strangers who become family.

It makes me wonder, and it inspires me in so many ways.

Anyway, I get myself back together and I am off to the kitchen again to finish up Thanksgiving dinner for my family. I love to cook! It's my way to showing and sharing my love with others through the art and joy of good old home cooking. I do everything from scratch, no processed foods for us. I buy everything organic, local and straight from the farms in our area.

The menu:

Heirloom Turkey

Cornbread/Country Farm White Bread Dressing

Giblet Gravy

Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce

Garlicky Mashed Potatoes

Simply Smashing Sweet Potatoes

Creamed Corn

Turnips Greens

Garlic and Herb-Buttered Green Beans

Homemade Rolls

Pumpkin Pie

Cherry Pie

and

Heavenly Chocolate Pie

While I was going through the pictures I was going to use for this post I ran into all the pictures from this year and they were reminders of all the things I have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I decided to share some of them and why I am thankful, I hope you don't mind.

I am thankful for my children who are healthy and have started pursuing their own paths in life. Lisa is in her second year of college, very involved in her ADPI House and with her sisters. She has adjusted very well to college life away from home.

I AM THANKFUL FOR LISA.

Chris is doing well in the Army, he is a Medic and he got promoted from aide to front-line this last week.

I AM VERY THANKFUL FOR CHRIS.

I am thankful for my wonderful husband Frank who asked me to marry him again this year and of course I said, "I do" all over again. What a surprise and what a great guy!

I AM THANKFUL FOR THE LOVE WE SHARE WITH ONE ANOTHER.

I AM THANKFUL FOR THE MISSION WORK HE DOES IN MEXICO.

I AM THANKFUL HE HAS BEEN PRAYING WITH HIS FRIENDS EVERY FRIDAY FOR THE LAST YEAR FOR US AND OTHERS.

I AM THANKFUL FOR ALL HE DOES FOR OTHERS AND US EVERY DAY.

I AM THANKFUL FOR THE CHILDREN GOD HAS PLACED IN MY LIFE TO MENTOR.

I AM THANKFUL FOR OUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS.

I AM THANKFUL TO GOD FOR EVERYTHING EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE. I AM ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL THERE IS THIS DAY, THANKSGIVING TO HELP REMIND ME AND ALL OF US OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO BE THANKFUL FOR AGAIN.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL.

Who Does She Think She Is?

WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS?

I am to remember I am never alone

I have a constant companion always ready to make a move and take a stance

She bends and she follows with every move that I make

She is the most flexible little thing I have ever encountered, and now that I think about it she sees more clearly than me

She sees where I am going and where I have been and sometimes it seems she gets to places way ahead of me

Funny thing when this happens she looks back and says with her head half cocked and a sassy sort of grin, “Where in the world have you been? I thought you would never catch up my shadow, my friend.

Written by: Cinderella Field

Squam 2010 Writing Class

At a Glance with Great Gratitude

To meet and make new

FRIENDS…

Yes, we are all different in many ways. We are from different places in the world, from all walks of life and in different stages of life from what I could gather, but that didn't matter; we all wanted the same thing...

and in a that way we are the same...

To feel a part of and belong

to

bonding through

Fellowship…

Being with others who understand us and in coming together

created to be creative

Fond MEMORIES…

experiences...

exploring...

becoming...

new beginnings...

a chance to live out a dream

That is what Squam Fall 2010 was about for me

Thanks SQUAM

and thanks, Elizabeth

Thanks, cabin mates and instructors

Thanks, Lisa for sharing this adventure with me.

Living Color 101

Loving Color starts with the BASICS

Primary Color by Mary Beth Shaw

Mary Beth’s class was the last one I attended at Squam and it was the most colorful - literally, and so much FUN! Mary Beth was really good at sharing with us and helping us get comfortable with exploring colors through paints in a way that perhaps we had never thought of before. I found myself having a wonderful time with the paints and colors that left me wanting to paint a picture and that’s what I did, I named it; “Color Me Basically.”

ALL OVER AGAIN...

Thanks again for reintroducing me to paint and color in a way that makes me want to put it on CANVAS.

Mary Beth Shaw worked in the insurance industry for 18 years before she went crazy one day and quit her job.

While exploring her creativity, she re-ignited a childhood love of art. She is now ecstatic to support herself as a full time painter, living a gypsy life and participating in fine art fairs nationwide. Her mixed media process utilizes pastel, ink, marker and acrylics layered with various collage materials; she welcomes so-called mistakes because they lead to wonderful opportunities and discoveries.

She works in series and has several bodies of work in which she employs her own symbolism of embedded meaning. Living in St. Louis with her husband and 3 cats, Mary Beth is passionate about every moment of life.

Check out Mary’s website at the address below:

Website: http://www.mbshaw.com


Sweet and Savory Verrines

Sweet and SavoryVerrines by Food Stylist Beatrice

Food styling class! This was the class I was looking the most forward to attending. I LOVE TO COOK and I LOVE THE PRESENTION OF FOOD. In this class we were there to learn the tricks and the trades of Food Styling that makes those photographs you see in food magazines look so YUMMY that it prompts you purchase them immediately and run straight home to start planning the recreation of those images one by one all the while anticipating enjoying every succulent mouthwatering bite of it!

I will let the photographs above and on Beatice's website (listed below) speak for themselves.

I just have to mention how wonderful Beatrice was as a teacher and a person. She was AMAZING! She was full of ENDLESS ENERGY! She was PATIENT! She was FUN! She is FRENCH and I LOVED listening to her talk, the accent, and her excitement! No doubt, Beatrice has a PASSION for what she does…

FOOD and it SHOWS!

Thanks Beatrice!

Beatrice Peltre is a freelance food writer, stylist and photographer. She is the author of the award-winning food blog (for best photography) "La Tartine Gourmande" in which she shares anecdotal stories about her passions: cooking, family, travel, design, styling and photography. She was born and raised in a small rural village in northeastern France, in a family where food and its traditions played an essential role - this is where she draws a deep respect for beautiful organice homemade food. She graduated from the Universite de Metz in France and worked as a French teacher in the US and New Zealand. She currently lives in Boston with her Irish-American husband and her daughter. When she is not preparing, styling and photographing food, she travels the world, busy exploring and photographing new cultures. She is a regular contributor to the Boston Globe Food Section and is currently working on her first cookbook.

Check out Beatrice’s blog at the address below:

http://www.beatricepeltre.com


Inspiration to BE...

The Care and Keeping of Creative Souls taught by Jen Lee:

Jen’s class was my first Squam experience and WOW! I thought the class was going to be something different than I experienced and I am so THANKFUL it was not! Life is so much more interesting when you get to experience it in a new way and that’s exactly what Jen gave us the opportunity to do. Jen took us on a journey, one that we thought in the beginning was hers, only to find out in the end was truly our own and what a BLESSING I found it that to be.

Jen thanks so much for sharing yourself in such a RAW way that enabled me to get to a place in myself that I needed to explore.

My time with you was UNFORGETTABLE!

About Jen Lee:

Jen Lee is a writer and spoken word artist in Brooklyn, NY. She is the author of Take Me with You: A Journal for the Journey, Fortunes, and Solstice: Stories of Light in the Dark.

She and her husband, Justin, launched their family on an urban adventure when they followed their hearts to New York City from Denver's suburbs in 2007 with their two little girls.

Jen knows about putting it all on the line to follow a dream, and about writing things that make you unpopular. She lives and breathes the challenge of balancing creative work with motherhood. She is engaged in an inquiry about how literacy is being transformed in the digital age and loves to talk about new forms, old forms, and where stories live. Her gentleness and wisdom are transformative. You can trust her to embrace you, wherever you're at in your journey.

Check out Jen’s blog at the address below:

http://www.jenlee.net


Let's Play Dress Up...

Wholly Tara!

Let’s Play Dress Up…

And that’s exactly what we did…

Wholly Tara is located smack dab in the middle of a small town named Ashland in the state of New Hampshire.

Next door to the dress shop is a wonderful place to dine for lunch and dinner called “The Common Man.” Speaking of dining for lunch and dinner we did just that at the Common Man (four times) we just really enjoyed it. They serve great food (most of it they buy locally) and it’s reasonably priced – YUMMY!

Okay, back to Wholly Tara…

Tara, the young woman the dress shop is named after, and she owns it is FABULOUSLY FUN! She is ADORABLE, BUBBLY and SHE LOVES TO PLAY DRESS UP WITH WHOEVER COMES THROUGH HER DOORS.

Tara has a gift for making you feel at ease after you get use to her very bubbly and over zealous enthusiasm for what she does, but it is GENUINE and that a “RARE FIND!” She has a KNACK and a PASSION for clothing and helping you find what looks best on you. In the end, you get some great new stylish looks and a new friend, Tara and that the best part of the wholly experience.

If you are in New Hampshire, stop by and pay Tara a visit and tell her, Cinderella says, “HELLO.”

EAGLE SCOUTING

Lisa and I decided to come to the New Hampshire area early and spend a couple of days just to soak it all in and we had a wonderful time. We met some really nice people, we went on a boat tour guide of the lake, we saw loons (real loons, feathered ones and they were gorgeous) and then we had a surprise treat; a rare spotting thanks to an EAGLE’S EYE. Lisa spotted not ONE, but TWO BALD EAGLES that were nesting on Squam Lake. Our tour guide said, "I have never in twenty years of tour guiding this lake been able to do it myself." Really…

He and everyone on the boat were pretty impressed and thankful.

But, I must ask myself this question?

WHAT IS IT THAT SHE CANNOT DO? I swear there is nothing that gets past her.

Really...

I deem you an honorary EAGLE SCOUT and I am sure the other people on that excursion would agree with me.

GOOD EYE LISA…

MORE than just a PLACE to REST your HEAD…

Squam Lake Inn was the place that Lisa and I had decided to stay before heading to our final destination…

SQUAM ART WORKSHOP

And…

We were not disappointed, as a matter of fact we were very IMPRESSED! My husband found three places while exploring New Hampshire online for us (he’s my travel agent and a darn good one I think) when Lisa and I were in the beginning stages of the planning process of our big trip. After viewing their website and contacting them with a few questions; we booked it!

We are so glad we did…

WE enjoyed every memorable minute of our stay.

From the moment we arrived we felt warmly welcomed by the owners of the Inn. We were escorted to our room and it looked just like the pictures on their website…

BEAUTIFUL!

The beds and pillows were…

HEAVENLY!

Breakfast the next morning was the same - just like the pictures on their website…

BEAUTIFUL!

Picture-perfect as a matter of fact, but that keep us from digging in and savoring every tasty bite on our plate each morning.

YUMMY!

On our last day, we visited the

RED BARN Boutique and shopped and shopped…

My review for SQUAM LAKE INN…

FIVE STARS *****

These LADIES have got it going on…

She Leads the WAY...

With Lisa off the plane, we were fast to agree, we were HUNGRY. So, off we went to the Airport Information Desk to find the nearest best place to get something to eat. We were greeted by the nicest, very wise and patient man Eugene that gave us very specific directions and a marked map of the exact details and off we went...

And…

Yes…

We went the wrong way…

And we got sidetracked…

Thankfully, we accidentally came across the neatest little farm (Wilson Farm) that housed some of the best looking local produce (raised on the farm land directly behind them) and sweetest raspberries I have ever tasted in my life. Lisa and I had so much fun exploring their landscape and their tasty treats.

This is God’s country and these are the foods he intended for us to eat and ENJOY!

New Hampshire Adventure

And away we FLY…

The date was September 13th, it took a while for me to get these posts up from our trip to New Hampshire and well, I didn't won't to leave out anything - especially how excited we were about this adventure.

Today is the DAY! We have boarded the plane and away we FLY…

My sister-in-law Lisa and I have been planning and talking about this trip for the last few months, a trip both of us have wanted to experience since childhood – CAMP! We are attending Squam Art Camp, an adult Art Camp for women in New Hampshire located on Lake Squam; it’s where On Golden Pond was filmed. This time of year should be just BEAUTIFUL! We are looking forward to the cool crisp air that the weather forecast says we should have, that means of course, beautiful colorful changing foliage, to say, “I am excited” is an understatement! I am ecstatic and ready for some cooler weather and ready to live out this DREAM COME TRUE with such a wonderfully talented and gifted woman whom will celebrate her 35^th birthday while we are there, HAPPY BIRTHDAY LISA! I am looking forward to some GIRL THYME!

YIPEE!!!