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I am thankful for so many things in my life: my family, my friends, my health, my quilting, my freedom…. Toward the end of each year, in November, we reflect on all of the good things in our lives. It is a wonderful way to move from gathering our bounty of this year into planning for the next year. It is amazing how nature helps us to remember these cycles of life.
When I think of Thanksgiving, I remember delicious times with my family and the laughter. The day started with breaking bread into crouton sized pieces for stuffing, while watching the Macy’s parade. We always had a succulent turkey and a table filled with more than we could eat. We savored mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, corn, and cranberry sauce. For dessert, mom made the best pies – pumpkin, mincemeat and apple. It was the one time of year where there were always leftovers and we looked forward to devouring them for the next few days.
My quilt give thanks captures this typical American tradition. The colors remind me of the flavors on that table. The Cornucopia blocks on the corners (based upon Ickis, 1949) represents the plenty that we had on our table – no matter how difficult the year. Turkey Tracks (Kansas City Star, June 13, 1936) in four of the center blocks reminds me of the turkey that was always in the center of the table and distributed to each of us. The center block is based upon American Pride by Laura Wheeler, Indianapolis Star, Jul 1, 1934. The points on the inner border remind me of the table cloth and carefully folded napkins. Overall, the design brings me back to a time when Thanksgiving was celebrated as a feast with family and friends on November 26th, not the Thursday preceding retail’s Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
This year, I will be counting my blessings on Thanksgiving. How will you be spending your day?
Happy Quilting and Happy Thanksgiving
Laureen