When you talk to farmers, the connections to their land and ancestors is almost always brought into the discussion. Images of their forefathers and foremothers using their hands or primitive tools to shape the land into something that would bear fruit. There is a pride in knowing your family’s heritage includes work that brings thing to your table.
Well, my family’s heritage includes virtually all of the same concepts but they were working the clay to make pottery the food came to the table in and some of that food may be produced in a garden.
As a child, my grandmom’s house was a place we fought to spend time at. Sure part of the reason was to get away from the three siblings, but we also always knew there would be something waiting for us. A project we could put out hearts, hands and minds into. Frequently we did pottery. Hand-forming pieces of clay into something that would hold pencils on a desk, candy on a dresser and maybe watching or helping grandmom make a much bigger piece that would be used to serve our food at dinner.
The connection to my grandmom and shaping something out of a block that others may see nothing continues in my garage today. Alicia and I made several Christmas tree ornaments and a dish last weekend and yesterday I made a few more pieces of pottery in my garage as I start my vacation. In fact, one dish I formed yesterday was from a mold my grandmom used to use.
There are lots of reasons for me to give thanks for the experiences I had with my grandmom and that I’ve continued with nieces & a nephew or friends at times and at other times, alone thinking of how I could make it better. As I do that this weekend, I can’t help but think of some of the parallels that has with the food we are all thankful for this week.
I hope you have a very special Thanksgiving with your family and the dishes that go on the table. In our house, we will give thanks for the food as well as some of the containers it’s served in or on. I’ll write more of my FoodThanks story later, but today, this part just seemed ready to be told and photos shared.
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