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11/21/10

Generations of Hands Working the Soil, Dirt or Clay

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.

Alicia rolling more clay

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. 

Made from my grandmom's moldThere 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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ag awareness// agriculture// food// Food & Farm// personal insight

« Why is Iced Tea so Southern?
Giving Food Thanks & Thanking Some Farmers Too! »

Trackbacks

  1. Thanksgiving — Family, Friends Fun & Giving #FoodThanks! « ag – a colorful adventure for this city girl says:
    November 24, 2010 at 2:13 pm

    […] Generations of Hands Working the Soil, Dirt or Clay […]

  2. Thanksgiving Traditions Built with Flexibility « ag – a colorful adventure for this city girl says:
    November 27, 2010 at 9:08 pm

    […] Generations of Hands Working the Soil, Dirt or Clay […]

  3. Network of Friends Shows Up in Great Numbers & Diversity « ag – a colorful adventure for this city girl says:
    November 28, 2010 at 5:19 pm

    […] Generations of Hands Working the Soil, Dirt or Clay […]

  4. My Guest Post for Rural Women Rock | a colorful adventure says:
    October 24, 2011 at 12:06 am

    […] was living in a small town that let me reconnect with a favorite pastime I had done with my grandmom – making pottery! A great lady welcomed me & two friends into her home for pottery lessons. […]

  5. Personalized Christmas Gifts Are Extra Special | a colorful adventure says:
    December 26, 2011 at 1:36 pm

    […] A simple piece of pottery — One of the gifts I gave my nephew Jake (famed in the Flat Stanley & farm tales about tractors and tractor tires) was a small piece of pottery I made for him. When he opened it, he realized with all the bubble wrap it may be fragile so after a minute he asked me to help. He sat back down & finished the job. Once he pulled it out, he looked at it and I said I made it for him. Not too much of a question since it said “SpongeBob Crazy” on it!  He got right up and came over to give me a big hug with a great smile. For the Wii Fit Balance Board I gave him, I got a big smile and a thank you from across the room. He knows what is really special and he shows it. He’s a great kid! […]

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