Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thanksgiving Grace

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I really enjoy cooking dinner, using recipes that are a sentimental combination of my family, my husband’s family and my friends. My mom still makes her famous cranberry/raspberry compote. My mother-in-law taught me how to do the stuffing and the gravy. My godmother, who is no longer with us, still has a place at our table with her sweet potato and green apple casserole splashed with cognac. A dear old friend gave us a fabulous recipe for pumpkin cheesecake, and my husband is such a cheesecake addict that he has to be restrained from eating the whole thing.

After dinner, friends of ours from India will join us with lifelong friends of theirs who are visiting this country. It’s all about being grateful and appreciating the warmth and love of family and friends, interspersed with some quick trips to the barn to let Silk and Siete know how much they mean to me.

I love the word “grace”. One of my favorite sayings comes from author Ann Beattie:
“What will happen can’t be stopped. Aim for grace.”

So as I wish all of you a peaceful, joyful day, I will share with you the grace that we have said at our table for many, many years:

For food, for friends
For happiness, we give thanks.
For our animals and the beauty of our earth,
we give thanks.

May those of us who have plenty
Help others who are hungry and suffering

We give thanks today for unknown blessing
already on their way.

Happy Thanksgiving!

16 comments:

Lori Skoog said...

Well put Virginia....I am going to remember to aim for grace. Your meal sounds like something we would all like to experience. Enjoy your day and give us an update on the horses.
Lori

Cactus Jack Splash said...

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

allhorsestuff said...

Lovely sentiments Victria~
Let Grace aboud!
That Sweet Potato/Apple casserole with Cognac.boy does that sound good and interesting!
Kiss the horsesfaces for me!

Trée said...

Happy Thanksgiving Victoria. :-)

Carolynn Anctil said...

Very nice.

Happy Thanksgiving, Victoria.

Carolynn

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Sounds like you're going to be enjoying a beautiful holiday. And I love how your grace includes animals. Will Siete and Silk being enjoying anything special and yummy for Thanksgiving, too?

I hope you enjoy a very Happy Thanksgiving, Victoria.
Hope it's filled with good food, wonderful friends and family, and many happy memories to be made :)

~Lisa
New Mexico

detroit dog said...

Very nice grace, Victoria.

And you are going to have to post the recipe for your godmother's casserole!

Best wishes for a happy holiday.

billie said...

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the day - it sounds like it will be lovely, and full of grace.

Grey Horse Matters said...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family and all your animals. Have a relaxing peaceful day.

Deejbrown said...

"...unknown blessings already on their way..." beautiful! As is your blog and the life forces behind it!
thank you!

Pony Girl said...

Nice post! I've always loved the word grace too. My cousin is going to name her baby Grace!
I am hungry for some of that apple casserole, you'll have to share the recipe for that!
Have a happy day with family and give your cute mares lots of loves for me!

Strawberry Lane said...

Wonderful words. Especially like this portion of your "grace"

We give thanks today for unknown blessings already on their way.

Happy Thanksgiving!

C-ingspots said...

A beautiful prayer for sure. Thank you so very much for sharing with us. May you and your family be blessed with grace this day of Thanksgiving and may we all give thanks.

Rising Rainbow said...

Hope you and yours had a very happy Thanksgiving!

John and Regina Zdravich said...

Friends from India!! They must be glued to the news reports of the horrible things that have gone on there in the last 3 days. Unbelievable.....I still can't fathom how people can be so cruel to people....

Callie said...

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving, Victoria, I was happy to be home cooking rather than at work or sleeping to go to work. LOve the Holiday and I love the Macy's Parade, I force all to watch and I couldn't believe that Macy's Rickrolled us all, LOL!