Everything is homemade this time of year, so let’s celebrate! 🎃 Because really, it’s one of the most amazing and wonderful things that make us human … our creativity! All hygge, all the time! MUSICA? 
So what’s been keeping me busy at home? I’ve been working on new embroidery kits. I want a large, old-fashioned HOME SWEET HOME cross-stitch, and thought the words should be stacked, and decided to wrap embroidered flowers around the first ‘H’ and the last ‘E’ … so first I drew them in pencil . . .
Here are the embroidered letters so far . . . I think its going to be cute. I’m going to make a pillow out of it to match my blue kitchen! I’ll let you know when it’s done. In the meantime some of our 
. . . like this one, have arrived at the Studio! The Redwork Ornament Kit is here! The little house with the heart is already hanging in my kitchen! These ornaments take no time at all to make, so simple!
And “Tea Party,” a counted cross-stitch kit has also arrived!
A nice way to spend the evening, light some candles, put on a good old movie or listen to some good old musica and sew something up for the holidays. Creativity is the best! There are no better words to say than “I made that!”
And what else? . . . Oh yes, Martha’s Vineyard Isle of Dreams has gone in for a second printing . . . the printer just sent me all of this ~ to approve color, paper, and layouts ~ so that’s been keeping me busy too. The only difference in the new printing is that we fixed some spelling and punctuation mistakes 😜 (better late than never), and added a banner to the cover that says, “New York Times Best Seller” (my first and only on that august list, so I want everyone to know it)!
The new printing won’t be in until February (if all goes as planned), but we saved back a few signed copies for our Blog and Facebook Girlfriends, just in cases you need them for gifts. 💞
Joe and I are still in the throes of planning our trip to England and Ireland . . . we think and talk about it a LOT, every day ~ we’ve picked out some houses we like (to rent!). I keep thinking about the baby lambs we will see there in the spring and have begun to paint them . . . because I’m going to keep a diary while we are there, and paint a new book of this trip when we get home! That’s why we’re taking such care to plan interesting places we want to take YOU! Before we know it, it will be time to GO!
And don’t forget . . . May 11!
My shadow helps me paint … there’s always room on my art table for a kitty. My theory is that cat hairs in watercolor add to the homemade quality and make every page more valuable!
See this? This is an old painting of the village of Lower Slaughter in the Cotswolds where we will be staying for two wonderful weeks. This painting was done in 1903, but I’m pretty sure this town hasn’t changed a bit. The stone cottage we’ve rented is one house down the narrow little road on the left! You can almost see it! It’s across from the Old Mill, and walking distance to pretty much everywhere. When we get there, I’m going to stand right here, and take this exact same photo as it is today. Hopefully there will be descendants of these very ducks waiting for me. I can’t wait!
And here’s what else I was doing one cold, late-fall, sunny morning when we got back from our walk ~ making crisp HEART-SHAPED WAFFLES. 
They’re so quick to make from scratch, and so delicious and festive and homey. I put a recipe for them in my LOVE Book (p.41) … but recently I found the most perfect waffle iron, not electric! and wanted to show you because there will be many times in the months to come where heart-shaped waffles will be the perfect thing. This time I used a girlfriend-approved gluten-free waffle recipe made with crunchy cornmeal . . . so here we go! First, into your mixing bowl goes 3/4 c. medium-grind cornmeal. (Don’t worry I’ll put the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
. . . then add the same amount of gluten-free all-purpose flour. I got mine from King Arthur Flour ~ measure for measure, and completely interchangeable for “real” flour.
Whisk in baking soda and baking powder . . .
add cinnamon and nutmeg . . .
And a tiny bit of sugar . . . and whisk all dry ingredients together well.
Mix a cup of buttermilk with two beaten eggs . . .
Melt two TB of butter over low heat . . .
Add the buttermilk-egg mixture to the dry ingredients along with the melted butter, and whisk until well blended. It’s supposed to be thick.
And here’s what makes it fun. You know whenever I get something I love I try to carry it in our web store? Well, this pan makes these waffles so easy ~ all you do is pour the batter into one side of the pre-warmed pan. (It’s coated so nothing sticks, although I also spray it lightly with vegetable oil~ the top separates from the bottom for easy cleaning). And something I didn’t do, because this was my first time using this pan, I didn’t take a spatula and spread the batter evenly. But you can and should. The first time you use this pan, it seems like you might have to hurry . . . but you don’t, you have all the time in the world, because you can regulate the heat under it. And the handle doesn’t get hot!
You just fill one side of the pan with batter, put the lid down, and wait a few minutes while it cooks over medium-high heat. And yes, you can peek! And if it’s going too fast, pull it off the heat, or lower it . . . and yes, it works with an electric stove too.
And while I was waiting the few minutes for it to cook, just outside my kitchen window . . .
… a squirrel was having his breakfast too!
He saw me see him! Here’s where he tried to decide if I was real, and if I was, how actually close was I? He finally figured it all out, and went right back to stuffing his face, confident of the double-glass that separated us, oblivious to me and my camera!
I turned the waffle maker over, cooked a bit longer to brown the other side, and there they were! You can lift the lid and put it back down until they are the crispness you desire. You can see that if I had spread the batter better, the hearts would have been perfect! But perfect?
Joe thought they were perfect, buttered and syruped. And that’s all that mattered.
Here’s the pan … it’s very thin and can even go into the dishwasher. Way better than the old electric waffle irons!
When we sell them in our store, we include the recipe card above, with the original recipe. Hope you get a chance to try them! (By the way, the recipes work in any shape waffle iron!) Next time I’m going to add a little bit more milk, and put in 1/4 c. cocoa powder and make chocolate waffles!
And I’m sure you are all fully aware, next Thursday is
A L R E A D Y ? ? ? Yes!
And for me, first thing I have to do is get the bread for My Grandma’s Turkey Stuffing. It has to be the cheap kind, forget about any fancy “healthy” bread, these soft old-fashioned loaves I used to get my baloney sandwiches on are what makes the perfect Grandma-approved stuffing texture. 🍁
This recipe is on page 106 of the original Heart of the Home, on page 112 of the 30th Anniversary Edition, on page 64 of my Autumn book, and I think it might even be in my 
Christmas book ~ BUT if you don’t have those books, here’s the How-To . . .
My mom made this dressing every Thanksgiving of my growing-up life, and I’ve made it every year from the time I was able . . . my grandma learned the recipe from her mom . . . it’s the way I’ve kept my mom and Grandma close every Thanksgiving. The butter and sage fill our kitchen with fragrant memories of home. It taught me that you can do that for people, with foods and smells of their childhood, you can take your loved ones back in time. If you have someone new coming for Thanksgiving this year, and they want to bring something, ask them to bring the food of their childhood. 🍲
So onto the ironing board goes the bread tomorrow because it must air-dry for three days! Can’t dry it in the oven because, like everything that matters, this luv-lee recipe won’t be hurried. ⏰
And I’ve already made the first half of the gravy. This little trick for added abundance is such a huge help, because you can never have too much gravy! I’ll make my cranberry sauce on Wednesday so it will be icy cold . . .
The thing I love about this recipe, besides that it’s the most delicious I’ve ever tasted . . .
. . . is the color! Isn’t it pretty? Very gorgeous on a mostly brown Thanksgiving plate. Here’s the recipe . . .
Could not be easier!
Another colorful thing for your table, especially if you are feeding children or even the young-at-heart, is my layered Jell-O … festive on the table, and absolutely delicious too … it’s not too sweet ~ it’s tempered with sour cream, adds a wonderful lightness to an otherwise heavy meal, and you can find it on page 62 of my first book, Heart of the Home.
I’m trying to decide my Thanksgiving table settings . . . which plates do you like? I have these two vintage designs from Vernon Kilns … that one ⬆️ is called “Chintz” ~
This one is called “Delores” ~ I mix and match both designs when I use these two.
OR, should I use these? This is the Johnson Brothers “Windsor Ware” I used for our waffles ~ I like the purple with other fall colors . . . time for decisions! It’s all coming together, slowly but surely, for my favorite holiday! I love tradition ~ And this one, all about counting our blessings, is even older than our country.
Touch hands, touch hands with those who stay . . . 🍂
Be sure and take you and yours on a walk in nature for a breath of fresh air on the otherwise soul-eating Black Friday (still trying to figure out who’s idea this was, and I think I know 🤑) and make it a tradition in keeping with the word “Thanksgiving.” Maybe then it will become Green Friday. 💞
Here’s my darling Jack. Who watched the entire waffle-making experiment from the kitchen table and never changed this expression! But I read everything I need to know in those green eyes. We rub our foreheads together, and there’s information transfer. 💓
Jon, from England, who works for the manufacturer of our bone china cups, came to the Island to visit us yesterday. Joe asked him, “Would you like a cup of coffee, or tea?” And Jon said, “Yes, please, coffee.” I sat in front of the fire talking to Jon ~ Joe went to make coffee and when he came back he brought this tray for us! So pretty! I jumped up and said, “Don’t touch that, let me get my camera!” Joe. What a guy. I’m reminded every day. Blessing counting!
With all my L O V E …. XOXO
H E A R T – S H A P E D , G L U T E N – F R E E , C O R N W A F F L E S
- 3/4 c. gluten-free all purpose flour
- 3/4 c. med. grind cornmeal
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 c. milk or buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamonLightly spray your waffle iron with vegetable oil, and preheat it. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter. Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk eggs well, whisk in buttermilk. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients along with melted butter and whisk until well mixed. Use a measuring cup to pour batter into the waffle maker, filling each heart, spreading the batter to get into all the holes. Close waffle maker, cook for a few minutes, turn the pan over, cook for a bit longer. Check for color, and cook until browned and crisp. They pop right out of the pan when you are ready. Keep warm in the oven while you make more, or serve immediately, hot with butter and heated maple syrup, powdered sugar, or fresh fruit. If you’d like chocolate waffles, add 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder to dry ingredients, and 1 TB additional milk. ❣️
Have a Happy Thanksgiving! My vote for your table setting would be the Chinz and Delores patterns.
Thank you for sharing your recipes. I comb through your cookbooks often and enjoy making Susan specialties. Nana’s apple pies are family favorites here. Tom, the hubby, peels and slices for me while I prep the pie crusts. Then I add all our favorite sugars and cinnamon and butter, yay butter! I always have to make 3. One for Thanksgiving dinner. One for the next few nights when my children and grandchildren have gone. One to freeze to reappear in another evening’s dessert and make the house smell wonderful when heated up. I am cleaning and making sure my house has hygge, which it always does, so we can watch the parade, see the real Santa 🎅 at the end, and then ready to feast in the afternoon. Friday I start to decorate for Christmas and will be using my Susan Santa mug! Thank you for the needlework. I look forward to them all. Some are on my Christmas list. But wait… Need to enjoy Thanksgiving first and to give thanks for all I have. And thank you, Susan for everything you do that makes me smile. I am a chatty one. Just re-reading this proves it. I also love all your dishes. None of my dishes match. Fun! Love you.
Love you back Peggy. xoxo
Happy Thanksgiving to all,
Thanks again for your homey blog! My grandmother is always in my thoughts but more so at the holidays. I used to go to market to shop at the many vendors, then help her prepare foods for the holidays. She has been gone for more than 20 yrs., but I remember those fond memories every year. I have my mother/grandmother’s old waffle iron(electric)…makes th
waffles crunchy…love them…must try the the cornmeal recipe!
The question about china preference is difficult. I am always partial to Johnson Brothers
china, but the other selection is nice too!!!
I love your sewing kits…I can do embroidery not counted cross stitch, though.
Have a wonderful holiday!!! Thanks for your creativity.
Peace to the world!!!✌️✌️✌️
Kathie from Limerick
My same fervent prayer!
Thanks, as always, for your delightful blog. Nice to make a cup of tea and relax for awhile!! Love the felt Jack — is it new? I don’t remember seeing it before.
Thanks again for your lovely blog and a Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family and friends, and all the girlfriends who read this blog!!!
Yes, a gift, the little perfect Jack with a pumpkin! Happy Thanksgiving!
So cute!!
Happy Thanksgiving Sue, Joe, Jack, and all the Girlfriends! Sue, I love to watch your preparations, setting the table, etc. And it’s fun to see Jack watching you prepare … I can see in his eyes that little boy has a wonderful soul. You are lucky to have each other.
Of course we want photos of the final table setting and all the goodies! Wishing you all a lovely day.
Your heart-shaped waffles reminded me of the big old heavy electric waffle iron my Mom had when we were kids. I have no idea whatever happened to that thing. It would have been a good candidate for the Smithsonian.
I’ll be having Thanksgiving at my nephew and his wife’s little house in the woods in western New York State. (As long as it’s not snowing … if it does, I’ll go to my friend Kris’ house six miles away, LOL!) My brother and SIL are driving up from Florida, my niece and her family are flying in from California, and my nephew’s wife’s mother will be flying in from North Carolina. Haven’t seen them all for so long, so it will be a wonderful visit. Please, no snow!
I hope they have enough chairs …
I hope everyone has a lovely day with family and friends …
Barb
Sounds like a wonderful time!
Wishing you a very happy thanksgiving, Sue and Joe. Your embroidery kits are going to be just lovely!
Thank you Gill!
Thrilled to see a gluten free recipe here, Susan!
I made another of your stew recipes from the Autumn book this week. Nothing short of delicious..now need to try these waffles soon😁
May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving,
XO Robin
They’re finally giving us easy tools to make gluten-free taste JUST as good as non-gluten-free, so why not! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Susan
I can’t wait to try that waffle recipe. Love love love that waffle maker. You can even put it in the dishwasher. That is amazing. I love all of your dishes but the last one is my favorite* My girls eat wonderbread when they make a sandwich. I used to take the inside out when I was a kid and mush it into a ball 🙂
have the best Thanksgiving Ever Susan and Joe*
deezie
Can’t believe how alike we girlfriends are . . .!
I used to make dough balls out of the inside of the wonder bread and use them for fishing. best bait I ever used.
Really? How interesting! We made dough balls, but after forming them into shapes, we couldn’t figure out what to do with them!
Happy Thanksgiving love birds! I know you will enjoy your day as as I will. Love this newsletter with all the recipes and pictures. Love that you are going to England and Ireland and you’ll see the baby lambs, nothing more tender to look at than lambs. I must go look at the waffle iron as my roommate, aka granddaughter, is Gluten Free and makes waffles almost daily. She puts one on a plate and with fork in hand and coffee steaming in a cup, out the door she goes! So, I suppose she eats at every stop light, IDK!!! But I love her and love that she loves waffles as much as I do. Can’t wait to see the photo look-alike!
I imagine you could make a tasty little sandwich out of them if you were so inclined!
Yes, traditions are wonderful things! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Susan. We all have so much to be thankful for. I especially liked the saying from Brian Andreas…. And Jack is so sweet. My cat, Sammy, has started sitting on the kitchen table watching me get dinner ready. I don’t have the heart to shoo him off the table, but if I have company, I usually tell them that he Never does that!!
Most of my friends have cats and they know the problems with controlling them! We just wipe down our tables and counters before we use them!
We stayed in Lower Slaughter. Loved it. Love the Cotswald!! Didn’t want to leave but as we traveled , everywhere we went I loved… All the way to the coast. Can’t wait for your book. Happy Thanksgiving.
That’s what happens to me. Joe and I have driven, town to town in the Cotswolds, and have stayed in Bibury . . . but we loved Lower Slaughter when we drove through and promised ourselves, “we will return!”
Looks like an interesting waffle recipe, we just bought an electric waffle iron, wished we had waited for yours with the hearts. We tried the electric one and the first one was overdone and the second one underdrone. I like the idea of being able to check it by lifting the hatch. Love all your different plates, everyone will know which beautiful one is there’s. Have a warm and beautiful Thanksgiving. ♥️♥️♥️
I have to say, I’ve used both, and this thing on top of the stove is SO easy, night and day from the electric one we used to have. What took them so long???
The way it used to be?
Susan, I am going to make your stuffing this year but in a pan instead of inside the turkey. How do I bake it in the pan?? Also have a wonderful, magical Thanksgiving! I like your suggestion to go for a nature walk on Friday, I think that sounds grand after all the eating on Thursday!
You cover it with foil and bake it at 375 degrees. Funny, this time of year there’s hardly anyone walking on our road in the morning, but over the holidays, we see several whole families out there. It’s wonderful!
Hi Susan, wanted to let you know that I made not only your stuffing, but also your baked cranberry sauce and molasses cookies and they were all wonderful! My brother in law was watching me wet the bread and ring it out, and with a skeptical look told me that just didn’t look right and I must be doing it wrong. He had 3 servings I think! Haha!
That was a very good sign Rachel … thank you for letting me know!
What a calming post at this point in busy two seasons. I’ll remember to dry the bread for stuffing in the air rather than in the oven, to count blessing-gifts from God, to touch hands with those who are near, and to touch hearts with those who are far away. God Bless You, Joe, and the kitties.
Thank you for your lovely remembrances!
My wonderful Susan,
Thank you. In an accident yesterday and feeling bad, depressed.
Your blog showed up today in my email. As I read, I totally agree with everything you said. Plus, going to try a few easy recipes you mentioned for this Thanksgiving, such as cranberries. I always bought the can, who knew how EASY? Home-made this year.
You are a ray of sunshine in my heart, made me smile, warmed my heart and feel much better; so thank you once again. Bless you my dear.
I hope I may meet you someday … my dream come true. (I’m young at heart) 🙂
Wait until you taste it! Eye roll and complete forgetting of all unhappy things! xoxo Hope you’re okay, things get better with time!
You help me to see the wonderful things in life. I can count on you.
Thank you Ginny, makes me feel good. xoxo
the Slaughters, Lower and Upper, are both nice. My cousin lives near there and has took us (my daughter and myself) there when we visited. Maybe not so much has changed since 1903. you may be surprised, happily. just a few more bloody tourists!! My cousin lives in Finstock in a wonderful 800 year old home. nice village that too.
I know. Tourists. And here we come to add to the melee. But we will try to keep a low profile and stay off the roads as much as possible! So many adorable little villages there. Can’t wait to explore!
Read Life in Lower Slaughter a thousand years ago but driving past a sign in the Cotswolds reading, “The Slaughters” said to my husband, “I’d change my name if it was Slaughter”, and, then, “Wait, go back, that’s Upper and Lower Slaughter!” We had a delightful quiet visit and saw our first loon (Great Northern Diver, as it is known there) in the mill pond.
My favorite part of a trip is discovery. I really don’t want to know too much or over-plan, we try to leave room for serendipity, like your loon. You’re just out wandering and suddenly you find something wonderful!
I love Mix and Match:)
So many pretties here..I am going to pull out my ♥shaped waffle maker:)
I love trips that leave you wanting more..as Provence did for us.
Love all the stitching and painting and baking..
the vintage pic..
Happy TG Susan et Joe.
Monique et Jacques.
So inspirational seeing new things . . .
Thank you so much for the gluten free waffle recipe! And oh my goodness, the stove top waffle pan is a MUST!!! How smart (and adorable)!
SO much easier than the old kind, especially when it comes to cleaning! But even the waffles are easier to judge for doneness.
Hi Susan! What a lovely blog! Traditions are such an important part of holidays, that make them stay with us, long after the participants are gone. After reading your blog, I was remembering how we helped Mom get ready when it was our turn to host; dusting and polishing furniture, polishing the silver, ironing the huge white linen tablecloth, and setting the table with the “good” dishes. And, since Mom roasted the turkey all night, we woke up to the most scrumptious aroma. Have a blessed Thanksgiving, and thank you for sharing your life with us!
Those memories are some of the joys of life. xoxo
You are really something Susan Branch!!!! Never give up the beautiful sensibility that is your’s. I know you won’t!! Your descriptions of what’s in your heart and soul delights me every time you share it with us all out here the world!! It makes me look around my home ,my life, the children I’m raising and the beauty outside my own windows with appreciation for all that is mine….mostly homey,simple things.Happy thanksgiving to you from Mary in Colorado!
I don’t think I would know how to be different, because I don’t even realize I have a sensibility! I know I have an INsensibility! But the fact you are writing me about the beauty around you makes my day to hear. Thank you Mary!
What a blessing it was to see your blog when I checked out my email @ 30 minutes ago! OMGoodness! I love hearts, I love waffles, and I love Susan Branch! It’s going to be a fantastic day! Thank you for sharing your time with me!
My pleasure Jan, and thank you right back!
I vote for the Vernon Kilns patterns because their vintage charm creates a memorable setting for your traditional meal.
I’m thankful for the many ways you remind me that gratitude transforms us into more open-hearted and joyful people.
It’s a big help for a happy life! Thank you, Diane!
My husband and I are making chicken stock today from your recipe. Makes the house feel warm and cozy on a cold day.
Talk about homemade!
Just finished our ‘small and early’ Thanksgiving with our 90 year old Mom. She isn’t up to the bog one with 20 plus family! But what a fun and hilarious sweetheart she is! She loved it❤️We are so lucky!
Thank you for this heart warming post. I savoured every word! Must get thay waffle iron!
Happy Thanksgiving, Sue!
You ARE lucky! Smart to have a quiet early Thanksgiving with your mom!
Hello Susan……..welcome my dear friend. Come,in make yourself at home. Are you chilly, it sure is outside isn’t it. Well let’s warm up with a nice cup of tea. I have all kinds, so which would you like to try today? And I have some miniatures scones…….are you up for some? Are you smiling yet Susan. This is what I would say if you were actually arriving through my door. You know we have the same wonderful imagination. WE DO WE DO!🤓 I too am so busy with ideas for the holidays ahead I must keep the lists a going all day as not to forget a thing. Last night I curled up with a few Christmas magazines while I watched a movie.( yes we are great MULTITASKERS aren’t we?) It was entitled ” Christmas for a dollar.” It was wonderful, but of course being the sentimental softy that I am, I managed to do in a portion of a Kleenex box. I cried at the end even though they were tears of joy. I think you would like it. If you have never seen it give it a go. Well soon Roger and Missy will be arriving from the NORTHWOODS. These 800 mile commutes are a dilly but I am so glad the weather has cooperated enough that we can me together for Thanksgiving. We will enjoy the time together and then they will return north once again. Then I must pray for good weather for their return for Christmas. Have a wonderful day dear friend, and may your Thanksgiving be fill with all things wondeful. With love and grateful blessings Gayle Hall 🍁🍂🦃
You sound wonderful Gayle. xoxoxo I’ll look for that movie!
Well my goodness Susan, what a lovely compliment. Guess that is because we are soooo much alike.🤓. Do look for that movie, it is so sweet. Bet you get teared up too. The little boy with the brace on his leg will just melt your heart. Do you get the show “Sheldon” ? Thursday night here. That child just cracks me up. And then there is THE GOOD DOCTOR. It is so good that people will now learn about children who may be different, but who are so wonderful if given the chance for the world to open up and understand. Let’s face it we all want love, and we get it by giving it. You of all people should know that by now. My mama used to tell me I wore my heart on my sleeve for the whole world to see. I told her once she I was little. That way Mama no one has to waste time trying to get to know me. I will always be here waiting to give out HUGS!!! The family made it home safe, Love Gayle Hall
Best place for a heart to be ~ right out there for all the world to see! xoxoxo
I love the Chintz pattern! Or the Johnson Brothers purple pattern…decisions, decisions! Of course the most important thing is not what’s on the table, it’s who’s in the chairs. I wish you and Joe a blessed, wonderful Thanksgiving week!
You are so right about the chairs! Thank you Monica!
What a beautiful post! I’m going to keep it forever and ever and love on it. My teacher said I was the Queen of Run on sentences. 🙂 So much to be thankful for even in difficult times. The waffles are beautiful, I may have to treat myself. So looking forward to my after Christmas gift to self, of your Winter mug! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Susan and Joe ~ love on the gorgeous Jack and thank you for the blessing that your newsletters and art are! Lots of Love from Donna Wilson xoxo
Thank you Donna! xoxo
Dear Susan,
Happy thanksgiving to you ,Joe & Jack, Thanksgiving was my very favorite holiday when I lived in northern California, the air was finally cool the colors had changed on the trees and the sky was the most beautiful blue, and I got to spend it with wonderful friends.
Ok I cannot wait any longer to tell you , I’m bursting with excitement, I’m walking on air, my sister her husband and I are going to the picnic next year. Everything is arranged.I’m thankfull to have this wonderful event to look forward to, how lucky can one be.
Best wishes for the Holidays
P.S my sister says hello.
FUN FUN FUN ~ I think we are going to have the BEST time. Wait until you see the beauty of the area, of the little villages, and spring! It’s going to be great! See you there, and hello to your sister!
Oh my while reading your success I forgot to cover the monkey bread with aluminum foil the last 10 minutes. Talk about brown but hey it gets flipped on the plate. lol
That’s the way I would look at it too! Yum is yum!
Happy Thanksgiving, Dear Susan and Girlfriends!
Dear Susan,
Thank you for a lovely Thanksgiving post. Everything sounds so yummy, and Woah, what a waffle iron! Way cool! Our Thanksgiving will be a quiet one this year; my son Alex is in Japan for his work, and won’t make it home, and our two oldest kids are out of state also–Emily in San Francisco and Will in ME, spending the holiday with his fiancee’s family. So just the three of us–DH Frank, our youngest daughter Irina, home from college for a few days, and me. It’ll be the first Thanksgiving without Alex so I’m a bit teary-eyed, but I will get to see him at Christmas, and they will go and grow up on you–of all the nerve! (just kidding). After I read your post I saw another link, that led to the beautiful book the kids from Mrs. O’Brien’s class made for you. Such a kind, thoughtful gift, thank you so much for sharing all those great letters and drawings. I’m off to church in a few minutes, my daughter is baking an apple pie to take to our Youth Group’s Thanksgiving celebration, so I’m chauffeur. Sending you wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving (I really like the Chintz and Delores dishes), full of food, friends, family and fun. To quote a Thanksgiving card I received this year: “May the Fork be with you!” Much love, Rosemary and family
Ha ha! Very cute Rosemary!
Love your blog, and Willard, they make me feel all homey and happy all over.
Thank you Janet xoxo
Janet,
My sentiments exactly. Have a lovely day on Thursday, everyone!
Happy Thanksgiving from our house to your house! <3 Enjoy! Thank you for all that you offer and do! All the best for a wonderful Thanksgiving!
You too, enjoy Lorraine!
One of the best posts. I love traditions and reading how others share this, my favorite holiday . Happy Thanksgiving to you and Joe.
Same to you Audrianne!
I am so happy you are planning your next book. My son went to Ireland for a weekend whilst studying at Oxford and had a million stories about how friendly the Irish were to him and his friends, who were all too young to rent a car. It literally took a pub full of kind people to help them figure out car rides, bus schedules, and trains. But thanks to several people, they covered most of what they wanted to see in three quick days. Although you won’t like this part, they had to take a plane back to Oxford to not miss class on Monday (because after all that was the reason they were there). And they did make it to class on Monday with an hour to spare and running on coffee, hubris, enthusiasm and bragging rights of no sleep for over 24 hours. His pictures of the cliffs of Moher were amazing. So basically, I’m so thrilled for you and Joe for your adventures. And I’m so thrilled to read your blog and your book so my husband and I can follow in your footsteps! All my best, Tami
We’re going to be in Ireland for almost 3 weeks! Because staying up for 24 hours would just not work for us! Your son’s trip sounds like a memory that will be relived with his friends for the rest of his life! xoxo
Your recipes are intriguing, especially your turkey dressing. I usually make my
Mother’s egg bread corn bread dressing, southern, and it is delicious, but I might
try yours. You always make everything sound delicious! Thank you for sharing,
so thoughtful. By reading your blogs I feel you are a friend. You write with such
Aliveness and friendliness.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving🦃
Thank you June, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Well how special I feel. I didn’t know there were dishes named after me. I will really like the idea of knowing my namesake dishes will be on your Thankgiving table.
Blessings,
Delores McElmurry
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to you, Joe, and the kittens. Loved your story of making waffles…. I have often looked for waffle iron, and the iron featured is perfect 😁 Off I go to your website ❄❄❄ Thank you ❤
You bless me in more ways than I can count….I greatly love your subject matter, and the way you handle prose…..poetic prose I would say! Back in my early 20’s even then I adored this kind of writing! I eagerly soaked up every word Gladys Taber wrote. Maybe I was from a different time frame….who knows? What is very clear to me is that most of my friends didnt share my feelings, so I was very careful to whom I raved and shared! When I discovered you it was new-found, and immediate love, Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Nita Nell Hurse……Gainesville, Florida
You’ve come to the land of kindred spirits! Thank you Nita Nell!
Happy Thanksgiving, Susan! Thank you for the blessings you so generously drop on all of us. God bless you and Joe.
Thank you Jo, same to you and yours!
I just love the cozy feeling your blog evokes! Homemade is so much nicer than commercial, too.
It is! Has such intrinsic value not easy to come by in the commercial world.
I have made your cranberry sauce recipes countless times as my daughter has as well. We live states apart and play this came of whose grocery store gets cranberries first, proof is an iPhone pix, of course. After that there are countless sandwiches made with cranberry sauce, grilled cheese, ham, turkey etc. and we mix the sauce with mustard, maybe a little horseradish and yes, even have it as a side dish, imagine! Thanks so much for the memories as well as the recipe, it truly is the BEST!
And I can’t wait to try the waffles on my old fashion electric waffle iron. 😉 waffles are my hubby’s favorite.
Perfect! Happy cranberry making! Have you mixed the cranberry sauce half and half with orange marmalade? Spread it on biscuits or toast! Yum!
Hi Susan,
I just wanted to say that I am always so excited to see you in my email! What a joy!!!
Thank you so much Kristin!
Dear Susan,
You add more to my list of things to be thankful for, you and your blogs! Enjoy a fabulous Thanksgiving:)
You too Denise!
I like the Johnson Brothers plate. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I love everything you do!
Thank you Lorraine!
So much yum, yum, yumminess and so much CUTENESS! I’ve been cross stitching again so I love seeing your pattern making!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, dear Susan! xoxoxo
Love the in and out of the thread!
Thanks so much for including a gluten-free recipe!
Looking forward to our first Thanksgiving for our first GRANDchild — we are thrilled. Yesterday was my husband’s 50th b-day and I’m certain that getting to hold (and show off) our little Granddaughter was my husband’s favorite gift! 😉 I so enjoy watching him (and our other children) with her – so heartwarming!!
Have a lovely Thanksgiving!
Congratulations on your new little granddaughter! And a Happy Birthday to your husband!
Thank you, Susan, for a lovely piece of comfortable! You are an inspiration for all things home! Please scratch Jack’s chin for me and tell him hello from Ripley, who is melting across a dining room chair as I write…..
I’ll do it!
Hi Susan,
I just finished reading Emma Bridgewater’s “Pattern” and knowing that you’re an Emma Bridgewater fan I highly recommend it (along with “Toast and Marmalade”) if you haven’t read it already. Happy Thanksgiving.
Thank you Paula!
Dear Susan,
I hope you have the most lovely Thanksgiving. You bring me such joy and inspire me to make each day special.
Blessings and Thankyou,
Anne
Thank you for sharing a gf recipe!! They sound yummy! Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃
Thank you for all the yummy recipes! I’m doing the turkey, stuffing, and gravy for our family gathering. Which plate do I like? I don’t think I could choose! Why not use all three? I have a few vintage plates that my mom gave me when she moved into assisted living. I love them all.
Happy Thanksgiving, Susan and Joe and Jack!
Dear Susan,
I love the Brian Andreas quote. Don’t you just love his books–he’s one of my all time favorites! Thank you for the sweet posting full of Thanksgiving recipes, quotes, thoughts, etc. Very inspiring for my favorite holiday! Enjoy yours as I know you will…we have much to feel so blessed with in our lives.
Hugs and bountiful wishes from a big fan!
Kathryn
Yes, Love Brian Andreas! Thank you Kathryn!
Love the chintz plate!
Happy Thanksgiving!
You too Mary Ann!
❤️~❤️Happy Thanksgiving❤️~❤️ Don’t forget ~Shop Small Saturday!❤️~❤️
Be an Elf!
I’ve become quite Elvish already, shopping at our church’s annual holiday fair, finding wonderful things for neighbors and friends, picking up the odd stocking gift…Oh yes, I–um, Santa–still prepares stocking for for the whole family, including now significant others. The stuffers may change, but the pleasure of opening up a stocking lasts forever!
I love stockings. All those little bits are so much fun!
😉❤️
~I have Hall’s Autumn Leaf dishes I use for Thanksgiving~ I think any ones that you use will be festive& beautiful❤️~
It’s hard to make a mistake with dishes!
Don’t you turn it over to bake both sides? 😀
Yes!
I would go with the Chintz dishes for your Thanksgiving table. I love all the colors. Thanksgiving will be very different for me this year. I am having surgery on my foot tomorrow morning, so I won’t be doing much cooking. We have been invited to our best friends’ house, and I am getting my daughter-in-laws to do some of the dishes I normally prepare. My dear hubby has promised to help with the sweet potato casserole, which is my specialty. It may mean I will be sitting with my foot up, offering advice and encouragement to him. Hope your Thanksgiving is everything you deserve, dear Susan.
Sometimes taking a year off, makes the next year even more wonderful! We were on a ship last Thanksgiving, coming back from England. So we are VERY happy to be home and cooking this year! Enjoy your role as program director, Mary Ann, and get better soon!
I still can’t believe our Grandma’s had the same stuffing recipe. No one else I know has ever heard of it or wanted to spend the time it takes to make it. Not even my own daughter.
Though they all love how moist it turns out and the wonderful taste.
I also have been making it every year since my marriage in 1971, except 2009 when I had both my knees replaced. To me it just isn’t Thanksgiving with out it.
I vote for the Delores plates. They look like my Grandma’s.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
I’ve tried other stuffings. The worst was the one from crumbs in a bag. The texture was just not what I was used to! So we stay happily and permanently connected to my great-grandmother and beyond.
In my list of thanks for the holiday (and all year long), you’re included – the joy you give us from this blog with wonderful, wonderful posts as this one today; along with your cups and art and books and thoughts and perspective, just everything, so thank you, Susan, and I wish you and Joe a blessedly beautiful Thanksgiving Day 2017.
Thank you so much and back to you Vicki! Thank you for your sweet words and blessings!
I vote for the Chintz combined with the Delores china! Setting the table for Thanksgiving is something I always look forward to – Furnivals Brown Quail china pattern, handmade grape vine napkin rings from a friend, unbleached muslin napkins stamped with leaf prints (dipped in acrylic autumn paint colors; made these with friends one afternoon years ago), Heisey butter pats (John’s grandmother), and crystal. Family, table talk, candles burning, and blessings all around. Thanksgiving for sure~May your day be one of great happiness~
Your loved ones faces glowing in candle light, it’s a wondrous thing!
What a lovely treat to come home to Susan. Thank you so much . I never tire from your sweet words of inspiration. May your holidays be blessed with joy and love. Hilary
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you!
I needed your charming blog today as I just had word that my friend died. You can always cheer me up. Thank you for your cheery reminiscences of our and past.
I’m so sorry Maggie. A terrible loss, in the deepest sense of the words. xoxoxo
Dear Susan. What a marvel you are. Thanks so much for your words of cheer. Hilary
Happy to have you here Hilary!
Such a beautiful post, one of your best. You are so right about the food from childhood becoming so important in our holidays. We make my grandma’s wild rice dish each year, like my mom did and my sisters and my aunts. Makes me teary thinking about it as most of them are gone now. Wonderful memories. Happy Thanksgiving!
Makes it all the more important. Hope you’ve taught the next generation!
Dearest Susan, on this Thanksgiving Day, I will be counting my many blessings, including the blessing of “knowing” you, and being the recipient of your heart-warming blogs, and the owner of several of your beautiful books!! You inspire me endlessly to create a cozy home, and to enjoy the beauty of the natural world around me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your loves and your passions with all of us. I have recently “introduced” you to my 79-year-old mother, who shares all of the same interests and talents as you – – she was enthralled! Have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving, dear Girlfriend!
By the way, I cast my vote for the vintage mixture of the Chintz design plates!
Thank you Patti, and give your mom a hug for me!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and to Joe!! Thank you for all of your wonderful words and kindness. Love to you all.
Marilyn
Same to you Marilyn!
Happy Thanksgiving Susan and Joe. I’ve made your cranberry sauce many times. Tasty, easy and looks like jewelry heaped into a bowl!
It’s a good one!
Susan, I’m not very good at computer, can you tell me why it says:
your comment is awaiting moderation, under my name. Have I hit a wrong button along the way?
You did everything right. I’m the “moderator” and I like to read the comments first. When a new post goes up, quite a few comments come in at a time, so it takes me a little longer. But here we go!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Blessings to you, Joe and your sweet furry friend.
Thank you for so many great quotes, especially Salvador Dali’s quote, and Louisa May Alcott’s, ‘A house needs a Grandma in it”. Absolutely will try the yummy looking waffle recipe. Thank Jon for making your lovely cups. I can hardly wait for my Winter mug to arrive! Happy Thanksgiving & may blessings drop their blossoms around you! (another great quote).
I vote for the purple china! Happy Thanksgiving and may the Lord continue to bless you!
Susan, What is the recipe for your dad’s gravy, including the make ahead part?
I wrote that in my Autumn book . . . I hope you have it. When you make your gravy ahead, the good thing is you have time to get it really cold, and when you do, all the fat rises to the top and you can scrape it all off and just keep all the flavorful juices at the bottom. Making gravy at Thanksgiving, it’s bound to have more fat in it, which is good, but it tastes just as good without it!
I am so glad to see gluten-free recipes! Thank you
It’s getting easier all the time to get good gluten free products!
What’s the best time to visit Martha’s Vineyard?
You make want to take a trip there. Carol
Best times are late May to early June, or from around Sept 12 on through the fall.
I vote for mixing all of the China patterns together! They all have the same colors and it would really add interest to your table. 🍁🍂
Happy, Happy Thanksgiving Susan!!! I love that your dressing recipe has been passed down for several generations and you have kept the tradition alive and unchanged. In my humble opinion, these sorts of family traditions are very important in today’s fast pace world. We can take solace in the fact that some things don’t have to change at all. Thanksgiving is one of those celebrations where we can bring out the family legacies of a certain dressing, cranberry salad, pumpkin pie, hot rolls etc. and not worry about whether we should try something new. Perhaps that is part of the glorious day enjoying all the smells coming from the oven and seeing those little elements of past set tables in their place and ready for another feast.
I am already getting excited about “our GF trip ” along with you to England and Ireland next Spring!! It is going to be AWESOME and I will be tagging along “in the backseat with everyone else” enjoying the scenery and exciting new places you discover.
Thank you for your newsletter – a wonderful way to celebrate my birthday! And I love looking at Jack. We have two kitties ourselves, and almost lost one this June. $6,000 later and she’s almost as good as new. Worth every penny, though!
Happy Birthday Elizabeth! xoxo
Happy Thanksgiving, Susan! I count you and your lovely books and art among my many blessings.
Thank you so much, Martha! xoxoxo
Thank you, Susan, for another beautiful Thanksgiving post! My vote is for the Chintz and Delores china combination. This year I’m having Thanksgiving at a wonderful friend’s house, so I’ll be missing the Thanksgiving leftovers. To make up for that, I’ll do a Turkey and all the fixins’ on New Year’s Day. I just have to have my mom’s stuffing and gallons of gravy! Did you see CBS Sunday Morning today? They featured The Black Swan restaurant in Oldstead, Yorkshire, England. Quote: “Tommy Banks’ little family-run pub in Yorkshire, called The Black Swan at Oldstead, has been named by Trip Advisor the “Best Restaurant in the World,” based on posted customer reviews. The honor has had even more impact on business than the Michelin star that Banks earned years ago.” Oldstead and the restaurant/pub look so beautiful, so invitingly comfy and homey, so quintessentially English, I thought you might be interested since you’ll be in England next year. As you say, “Just in cases”.
Darn, I was so busy writing this post, I missed it! Would have loved that!
Susan, you and Joe are going to love the slaughters. Your local pub, The Fox, lady Bamfords, spread at Daylesford Farms, you will want to visit there often! And of course darling Stow-In-The-Wode….about the darlingest town ever! We stayed there 4 years ago (I told you about it then), and last year we were back again! Slightly different area, but equally as charming. Don’t miss Cirenchester for a day trip. The museum there is fabulouso! Have fun, and I can’t wait to hear all about it. I have several other suggestions if you are interested.
xx, Penny
Thank you Penny, love to hear your favorites!
Hi Susan….just a note to wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving….thanks for sharing your recipes and all……and your special days too. Enjoy the holiday..
Loretta/Calif.
Thank you Loretta!
Hi Susan,
Oh my gosh what a wonderful surprise to see the painting of one of our favorite places. We were there in May. You will be enchanted by the beauty all around you. Don’t miss the little gift and craft shop with so many interesting things. It’s just behind the old mill. We (my daughter and I ) will visit it again with you as you visit it on your blog. Wishing you, Joe and the Kitties, a wonderful Thanksgiving!
You’ll know the neighborhood when I show the photos Kay! Fun!
Oh Susan….i visited Lower Slaughter in the summer of 2016. I know exactly where the mill is…..how wonderful that you are staying in a cottage by it. I remember standing by the little shop by the mill and admiring the sweet cottages. If I recall they all had names too.
I think they do! There’s a walk past the mill that goes up to Upper Slaughter, to a country hotel that we visited once, where we can’t wait to take our books and the paper and have tea!
Hi, Susan,
I’m loving the embroidery kits you are working on! I’m a cross-stitcher but my grandma taught me how to embroider and appliqué. Thank you for the recipes, too. I’m in the process of making my shopping list for all of the ingredients I’ll need for the Thanksgiving celebration at my brother’s house this week. I make the pie and an apple cake and the bourbon sweet potatoes, too. I think I’ll add your cranberry sauce to the lot. I love a relish style sauce over the canned jelly style every time! Love to you and Joe – I’m so grateful for your inspiration in your blogs, books, calendars, etc. Thank you! Melissa
And you can make it ahead! Any leftover, mix half and half with orange marmalade for a wonderful jam! Happy Thanksgiving Melissa!
Hello Susan!
I always look forward to your blog. It lifts my heart. You have a way of mingling past and present and making me feel like I’m in both places!
Your recipes are always so simple and fun. Thank you for all you share!
Happy Thanksgiving girlfriend!
I think we are in both places. Lucky us because we recognize it!
Happy Thanksgiving! I vote for the two Vernon Kilns patterns☺️ Thank you for this lovely post. Hubby makes your blueberry cornmeal pancakes quite often, and this waffle recipe sounds wonderful, too. We are heading to WV Wednesday to spend Thanksgiving with my 92 year old mom. We’ll be having Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant this year but she loves the roasted cranberry sauce, especially mixed with orange marmalade…so happy you told us about that little trick! I’ll make it for her next weekend, along with baked ham and biscuits.This has been a turbulent, stressful year, but we still have SO much to be thankful and grateful for. I cannot thank you enough, dear Susan, for always keeping us mindful of that. Hugs❤️
How perfect, ham, biscuits, and Christmas Jam. Hugs to you and your mom!
Oh those waffles look yummy, and Jack’s face in this pic is priceless! Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes, I make the cranberry sauce every year, so easy too. Wishing you, Joe & Jack many blessings this Thanksgiving and in the year to come. (new book ~ oh my)! oh, I love, love the Windsor Ware, gorgeous with the blue accents and beautiful white cloth.
Odd that purple goes with so many other colors! Nice with orange too! And even brown!
Lovely quotes, lovely recipes (definitely making the waffles), lovely you. Thank you again for sharing your life with us Susan. You’re a ray of sunshine in a too often gloomy world. Happy Thanksgiving to you & Joe.
I have my days! There is always so much for us to be thankful for. xoxo
On a VERY sad note One of my fav illustrator, writers has passed away😥 Jill Barkley. I LOVE all Brambly Hedge and have a ton of it. I haven’t read all comments so forgive if already mentioned!!
I know. So sad. I guess she’d been ill for quite a while. Lovely imagination on that girl, her talent will be missed.
So very sorry to hear this. My kids and I LOVED the Brambly Hedge books when they were growing up. We collected all of them. We wished we could shrink and become small enough to fit into their cozy little world.
That’s exactly how I felt too, wanted to shrink into one of her darling scenes. She left her magic behind, for the ages.
Dear Susan, Thanks so much for your post today. I too will try to carry on with my family recipe. Your Grandma’s stuffing is one that I loved and will continue to use. My Mom put chopped walnuts and sometimes apples in hers, but she used the stale bread you recommend and lots of sage. My touch is some sausage. Nothing like it. And when the next day everyone wants some leftovers, I mix up the leftover mashed with some stuffing and make little patties browned in butter. Yum. Thanks for all you do for us gals. I wish you and Joe and Jack the very nicest Thanksgiving.
Yum is right. I can imagine how the sage flavors everything, sounds delicious, I will try it! Happy Thanksgiving Ruth!
I’ll never forget the first time I used my new wedding gift waffle iron (1969). I followed the directions to a T (I’m a directions following girl). The waffles baked nicely I think, but I really don’t know, because those two sides of the iron were glued together better than Elmer’s would have done. Pried them apart with much force. Waffles ruined of course. Took about a week to get that thing washed, and I NEVER used it again (well I used the reverse flat sides for pancakes and grilled cheese). Now I use frozen!
I vote for the Chintz! 🌿🌸🌿
Ha ha ha … remember how big and clumsy they were, and you could never get them clean!
And speaking of lids that lift….two days ago I got out my George Foreman grill which I hadn’t used in quite a long while. My niece had told me to marinate chicken breasts in dill pickle juice and then grill and I wanted to try it. So I got out the grill, heated it, picked up the plate of chicken, lifted the grill lid, and there was a plastic bag which had the spatula, drip dish, and the two legs that lift the grill higher if needed. Melted. Melted all over. I have no remembrance of having placed the bag there–I never had before. Husband and daughter both denied knowledge of this…. I’m now staying away from ANYTHING with a lid.
Ha ha ha! But how irritating, you were all ready to cook and what a mess! (Dying to know how pickle juice chicken turns out!) Sometimes I turn on our oven to heat up, and find that Joe’s left something in there. He got into a habit of “crisping” the crackers by leaving the box in the oven with just the pilot light on. He’s over that now.😜 Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! xoxo
Susan,
The dill pickle juice chicken was very very tender and good, but I didn’t notice a huge change of flavor. Maybe my “taster” was off!
Maybe it was more tender from the chemical reaction from the pickling, and not so much about flavor…
I think you should use the “Chintz” china on the big day – so pretty! I feel the same way about Black Friday (ugh). Our family always went out to a Christmas tree farm that day to chop down the best one, then back home to eat leftovers and dig out all the Christmas ornaments and lights. No shopping no way! Enjoy the Thanksgiving prep, dinner and a relaxing long weekend!
Perfect. Just what it should be all about!
Hi Susan! Oh, those waffles look so yummy. Nothing better than waffles slathered in butter and dripping with warm syrup. Fall is my very favorite time of the year, and Thanksgiving my favorite holiday. Something all of us get to celebrate at the same time! I don’t know if others agree, but it still infuriates me that stores can’t even wait anymore for Black Friday, so open on Thanksgiving Day. 😞👎 Shame on you stores! There are not too many days in our lives when we can sit down as families and friends and be altogether. This is one of them – but I see that brick and mortar stores are starting Christmas earlier and earlier because of on-line shopping competition, so there we are… I, for one, stay home the day after Thanksgiving, away from the craziness, and make myself a big turkey sandwich on toasted white bread, with a thick slather of mayo, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. I put on an old movie, make a cup of tea with honey, and am in heaven… 😇 Enjoy your Thanksgiving Susan! xoxo
I won’t shop in one. That’s my little protest. I hope we all stop letting them run our lives. But I’m sure some folks see it differently, which is why I’m not in charge! Love your day after celebration. Heavenly!
Lovely, all of it lovely. I’m glad to see you use aluminium-free baking powder and King Arthur flour (from Vermont of course)! Thanksgiving is such a special time to be with family and good friends, and someone who has nowhere special to go…
To answer your question, I prefer the mix-and match china Dolores and Chintz to the Windsor Ware, but it’s all loverlee.
I am writing your quote: “Nothing on earth can make up for the loss of one who has loved you” to someone close to me whose husband died this afternoon. That’s lovely too.
So you and Joe have a warm, tasty, safe, happy Thanksgiving! Blessings
Ohhh, sad. Nothing can ever take the place of that . . . all your ribbons are left blowing in the wind. xoxo
Susan, Susan. How I suffer from dish envy. All your china bits are pretty but I have always loved Rose Chintz best. I think the two floral in a mix and match will be nice on Thanksgiving. Any you choose will be perfect. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you Carolyn . . . all dishes available at antique stores near you . . . the fun is in the search, and the other fun is in the setting of the table!
I loved every single thing about this post! I’m slowly putting Thanksgiving together for 9 of us this year…7 adults, 2 little ones. I’m keeping it simple and traditional. Happy Thanksgiving, Susan and Joe, and to all who read here!
Perfect number, everyone talks together!
The “Chintz” plates…and I made Pickled Cranberries to try this year. Absolutely addicting! So much to be full of thanks for, health, home, and heartfelt appreciation for all we have been given this year. Tossing a pinch of salt over my left shoulder to not jinx it all by being too happy. “And I hear the voices of loved ones past every time I take a bite of my Mom’s, Grandma’s, and Great-Aunt Laura’s yeast rolls on Thanksgiving Day.” My thoughts go out to all those without whatever they are without, be it home and hearth, or family and friends.
As long as you are grateful and aware, you don’t have to throw salt! My prayers are for the folks who lost their homes in the California fires, or in the hurricanes. I’m hoping there are families everywhere, making Thanksgiving extra special by entertaining strangers.💕 xoxo
I love to see your blog pop up; it’s always full of so many wonderful things. I saw a reference to what I think was your sweet potato recipe, but after checking the posts twice, it seems to be playing hide and seek. Is there a link where I can find that recipe? Thank you.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
~Sharon
I checked and I don’t think it’s been put on the Internet, because I can’t find it either. It’s in both my Christmas book and my Autumn book . . . I hope you have one of them!