HOMEMADE THANKSGIVING MAGIC

We’re talking Homemade Magic today.💖 Do come along, won’t you? MUSICA!

Thought I would talk about the magic of this season . . . We’re all going to be making some this next week (and month)!

We’re cooking up some magic at home and taking it to a friend’s house for Thanksgiving this year! I’m making my heavenly Pumpkin Cheesecake (you can make this gluten free by making one change in the recipe, use gluten-free ginger snaps for the crust, and voila!)I’m also making my Sweet Potato Casserole ⬆️ a wonderful recipe which I sometimes serve in mini pumpkins . . . 

But this time I’m just baking it in a casserole dish so it’s easier for travel. (Like my apron? Quite the garment! No mistaking the holiday!)🎃

I’m also providing the cranberry sauce which I almost force them to let me do because I love this simple recipe so much, to me it sparkles ~ plus I’ll make extra for my must-have-for-the-holidays, Christmas Jam. Both recipes are below:I get to jump over it this year, because they are making the turkey!
And we’ll taste someone else’s “idea” of stuffing 😱 but we’ll be brave, it’s good for us, makes us better people. But Joe has gathered the ingredients to add some extra gravy to the general good.

I’m not making Rainbow Jell-O this year because we’ll be all adults (and one new baby!) but if you’re having kids at your table, this is a wonderful recipe for them to put in their forever memory banks. It’s kid food, and they know it and I believe, feel grateful for it. But trust me, big kids like it too! 

This was our dinner last year, the leftovers looked almost as good as when we put the dinner on the table! We tried to make enough for every one to have leftovers to-go!

I thought you might like a few photos of Holidays-passed, of some of my decorated table ideas . . .

This was a casual dinner we had at the kitchen table using my old mix-and-match pottery collection, and the antique black-iron candlesticks I found somewhere along the way. (No marks on the bottom of these, I’m sorry to say, would love to tell you where they come from!)

Candlelight makes everything look better! More romantic, prettier colors, softer light, the food even tastes better in candlelight! And a little poem or a prayer written on a menu stand helps to set the tone. Because Thanksgiving is so wonderfully about gratitude and memory.

Cookbooks, wooden spoons, and recipe boxes (with mom and grandma’s handwriting on recipe cards) make evocative Thanksgiving table decorations. I love using stuff I have around the house. A table with lots of little framed photos works too. Makes for lots of happy conversation. Also, you can make placemats out of old photos (enlarge on copier), that’s fun too ~ you can even use them as place cards, “find your photo and that’s where you sit”. (I’ve forgotten to take pictures of my table settings in the past, I try not to let that happen anymore!)

Pile together a few of your favorite things, collections, or family memories, interesting things to look at that relate to you and yours . . . the little shoes, remember from my book? I wrote how I found them in the attic at Holly Oak, left behind by Agnes, my secret guardian angel. Now there she is, on our Thanksgiving table.

More found objects . . . Leaves and pinecones make perfect place cards!

Small low vases of flowers are good too, you can see over them! See the candlestick with the star bobeche? I found those bobeche years ago and LOVE them, I bring them out any time I need a starry night!🕯

I always use them for the holidays, but in the summer too, under the stars . . .

I looked for them for years to put in our web store, but never found them. Off and on, I’ve managed to get people to make them for us, but they’ve been very hard to get. See how you set the bobeche on top of the candle stick?⬆️

And then the candle slips through the hole and into the stick ~ 🕯 

Voila! Anyway, I finally found a new manufacturer! And this time I had them made from lightweight acrylic, just like the ones I found so many years ago. In case you need some starry light on your holiday tables!🕯

Bobeche! Here’s how they look without the candles. And, something special, to celebrate this wonderful season . . .For YOU! YES, leave a comment at the end of this post, and we’ll have a drawing, and see who is going to be the winner of this pair of starry bobeche!

I love it when they play Little Women on TV on Thanksgiving. It’s such perfect background “music.” Reminds me of simpler days and the things that really matter. The smell of dinner cooking is enough to set the entire mood of the day. And isn’t it wonderful, it’s not about gifts?! Only the little ones that really count. Like home. And P.S. Something special for PLU (people like us) . . . LOOK what’s coming this Christmas

Because magic can come in very small packages. It doesn’t have to be fancy. All this decorating is nice, if you have the time, and are in the mood, but there are no rules. Just one little pumpkin on a porch or a kitchen table is lovely and festive and says it all. That, a roasted chicken, a baked apple, a little candle, and a prayer is all we need.And the day after Thanksgiving, while filled to overflowing with gratitude and contentment and pumpkin pie, and blessed by everything we have, feed your soul in nature on Green Friday. I fear we are teaching our children greed by celebrating consumerism the day after Thanksgiving. Instead, teach magic, take your spirit and your kids to the sky . . .

Because God made the dirt roads, the woods, and the critters and gave them to us has His gift. And it’s our job to take care of them for Him. Honor them for Him.

Quiet places with wind and bird sounds fill your heart with thanks and wash the stress away. (Would you like to read my Love Letter to Martha’s Vineyard? In your spare time!)

A wonderful gift from the sea, free! And we didn’t have to stand in line under klieg lights to get it!

The pause that refreshes. The sound of snowfall is good for you!The gift that keeps on giving. Other things to do besides hugging trees that cause magic: have a turkey-sandwich, pumpkin-pie picnic outside, or surprise the lady down the street and have your whole family go to her house and plant bulbs. (I’ll give you my address!) Bring someone who’s stuck inside OUT, and take them to nature. Adopt a new petty pet! 💖 Or,

Cuddle in front of a fire . . .

Dreaming of a better tomorrow? Let it show in everything you do.💞 We are so lucky!

Here’s a Thanksgiving Prayer bookmark, for you to print out, just click there. I’ve memorialized the childhood prayer Joe “sang” to me when we first met. (Suzy, Nosey, Inky, and so on, were his family’s pets!❤️)

And don’t forget to leave a comment for the starry bobeches. Blessings on you and yours darling friends! Have the MOST wonderful Thanksgiving.🎃 

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1,522 Responses to HOMEMADE THANKSGIVING MAGIC

  1. MO says:

    Love a beautiful bobeche! A perfect combination of function and charm… Have saved many of my Grammie’s lovely old tablecloths.

  2. Kisha says:

    Love your posts as always and thank you x 10,000 for the cranberry sauce recipe. I love the stuff and almost forgot we needed it for thanksgiving !!!!

  3. Julia says:

    I love your blog. It makes me feel warm in a sometimes cold world. Blessings to you and yours this Thanksgiving season!
    I am thankful for my family, home and the wonderful parents that raised me.

  4. Julie Deppe says:

    Happy Thanksgiving!! I’m so thankful for you and the joy you bring to me and so many!!

  5. Kathy Madigan says:

    Thanks, Susan, a beautiful way to start my day! Thanksgiving blessings to you and Joe!

  6. Laura says:

    And may we each find our true North Star in this season of being grateful!
    Thanks for always reminding us that the north star is really inside us!!
    Blessings to you and yours.

  7. Jeannine Leonard says:

    Happy Thanksgiving! Isn’t is wonderful to hug a tree….

  8. Dar Bik says:

    Happy Thanksgiving Susan and Joe!

  9. Jana Jopson says:

    That you quoted this Van Morrison song made my day!

  10. WA Judy says:

    Trying to make ThanksLiving a daily practice. So grateful…. God Bless…

  11. Nancy Trump says:

    Those starry bobeche…how heavenly! ✨ Many blessings to you and Joe for a sparkling and most joyful Thanksgiving!

  12. Nancy R Alexander says:

    Absolutely love the bobeches, I have found some over the years but never as fancy as these. Your post brings the holiday so much closer….I can almost smell the delicious aromas from the kitchen, thanks! OH and PS…the sound of snowfall is a must….Be still and listen…

  13. Heather Frederick says:

    Happiest of Thanksgivings to one who makes so many of US happy with her beautiful heart — and art! You’re a treasure, Susan!

  14. Kay Bennett says:

    Dear Susan
    Wishing you and Joe the most wonderful Thanksgiving❣️ I’m also giving thanks to you for all the wonderful years of heart warming blogs you’ve sent our way and the several times my daughter,Cheryl and I were able to speak with you personally at your book signings. Enjoy the day!

  15. Kathleen S Williams says:

    Sweet potato casserole it is! Thank you! I will ever be thankful for this lovely blog too. Happy Thanksgiving to Susan and Joe!

  16. Gretchen says:

    It’s another rainy, cloudy day in my neck of the woods. What better time to read a cheery, Hygge infused Susan Branch blog. Susan, you make the sun shine, in my imagination, if not outside. I love your starry bobeches. I owned two lovely candlesticks, similar to yours, that acted like prisms making rainbows on my walls. I felt a bit like Pollyanna. Yes, they did also give me the Pollyanna feeling. Alas, one of them broke. One candlestick on a table doesn’t cut it.
    I love your idea of an old recipe box as part of a table setting. You are my creativity maven.

  17. Amy OQuinn says:

    Such a lovely post and wonderful reminder about the things that really matter! My mama has some bobeches, and I’ve always loved when she’s used them on the candles, but I never knew what they were called–now my candle has been lit! (That’s the term my southern family uses when we are given information we didn’t have before.) 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!

  18. Karen Lotito says:

    Hi Susan, A very Happy Thanksgiving to you and Joe! We’ll be spending ours in Maine with our new neighbors! And so, I’m making the turnips – they are a tradition! – and the butternut squash and a rustic apple tart and some cinnamon swirl muffins. Our house is moving fast now and, best news of all, I’ll be retiring next year! You’ve found a lovely sea glass treasure. Our beach is Maine is wonderful for collecting! I fully agree with you; instead of Black Friday and consumerism, let’s have agree Friday and spend time in nature. It truly is one of the best gifts of all from our dear Lord! Have a wonderful and blessed holiday! Love, Karen xoxo

  19. Mary Kaeli says:

    Gather together, give thanks, eat pie!
    Let the stuffing begin!

  20. Mercedes González says:

    Thank you for yet another lovely post.Hugs from Spain.

  21. Diana Hyman says:

    Thank you for the sweet potato casserole recipe. I recently made a crust less sweet potato pie and served it with roasted pork and even my picky grandson ate it because it was shaped like pie!!! The bobeches are so pretty and must make wonderful shadows.

  22. Marguerite says:

    Wow, I’ve learned something new today – Bobeche – who knew?The more sparkle the better!

  23. Linda Hurst says:

    All of this reading makes me wonder why the good holidays don’t last longer than one day. Maybe leftovers count as day 2. Nice!

  24. Sherri Curtis says:

    What a lovely post! I’ve always loved Thanksgiving, it’s such a wonderful family type holiday. It has all the best features of holidays: great food, loving friends and family, loads of memories, and superb leftovers. I loved the photos of your tables. I’m so excited about the bobeches and candles. I’ve been looking for them for years. Have a lovely holiday!

  25. Michele Salazar says:

    Susan,
    You are the coziest of all things COZY!

    xoxo
    michele

  26. Sherri Curtis says:

    Your blog always cheers me. Thanks for the recipes and photos of your holiday tables. I’ve been looking for star bobeches ever since I first saw them on your posts. Have a lovely Thanksgiving!

  27. Sue in Houston says:

    A new blog post…what a lovely way to kick-start Thanksgiving week. November has flown by…a trip to Pensacola for the Blue Angels’ Homecoming weekend and change of command; a weeks visit from a cousin and his lady-love; and Wednesday, heading for San Antonio for T’giving with dear friends. Whew!

    Here’s hoping you, Joe and Jack have a wonderful Turkey-Day!

  28. Jane says:

    Thank you for another lovely post. For the past twenty years, and as our chosen antidote to the commercial aspects of the holidays, we like to hike on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s days. No matter where we are, there is always a wonderful trail or roadway to walk. As a result, most of my best holiday memories are about being outside in addition to those of good meals with good friends and family.

  29. Kathleen R. Helland says:

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family,
    Always wonderful and heartwarming to get your post. Will be making the cranberries and the jam!
    Have a wonderful holiday,

  30. Jackie in Colorado says:

    Happy Fall and Winter Holidays to you , Susan, and your dear Joe. May you both continue to be blessed with good health and fine friends, a warm winter home, a kitty to make you smile, and full hearts.

  31. Sharon Stroud says:

    I have a chandelier with “dangles” and I love them. Good luck to everyone, and many thanks for the wonderful posts and the chance to win!

  32. Sherri Curtis says:

    I made a comment but don’t see it here. Perhaps it takes a few minutes. Anyway, I would love to win the drawing this time. I’ve been looking for bobeches like yours for years. What a wonderful gift this would be. Speaking of gifts, your blog is a welcome present each time I find it in my in-box. Thank you for years of comfort and joy!

  33. Christie Stafford says:

    Ooh pumpkin cheesecake! So yummy! Always a treat to see a new post come out from you, a lovely addition to the season 🙂

  34. Such a beautiful, magical Thanksgiving greeting! Thank you for all the joy you bring to our home and to our lives! Love to you and a very Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

  35. Gloria says:

    Oh, they are lovely! Happy, happy Thanksgiving to you and those you surround yourself with! <3

  36. Ann Y says:

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and Joe ! I thought of you as I made your cranberry sauce to go with pork tenderloin this week. My high school girl friend also college roomie came to stay and I thought she would love it with the pork and some good potatoes. She did…and I shared the recipe with her, too ! Sad, she was staying over to drive with us the next day to the funeral of a college friend…who fought a long battle with cancer. There were 6 of us who all ended up on the same hall in the same dorm….an angel must have placed us together, because for 46 years we have been friends. Getting together a lot some years, and sometimes just for “Friendsgiving”. We were blessed. I tell you this because my wonderful friend was an accomplished water color artist (she painted us all a gift for our weddings and it still hangs over our bed!) and at her funeral they talked about how she saw beauty in everything, found joy in living, and made others feel that way, too. AMEN…a reminder to love all the cozy comfort of home, light a candle(with those bobbles!), make some tea, and remember to give thanks for it all. Thank you, Susan….for always reminding us to enjoy all the gifts we are given…thank YOU for sharing yours!

  37. Laurie Nico’s mom says:

    Hi Susan. When I first started reading your blog my husband and I shared our home with seven house bunnies. My sign off was “Laurie and the Magnificent Seven”. As of last Monday we are now down to two bunnies. I adopted them all one after the other, never thinking that they would then die one after the other. We lost Kukla to a bevy of age related issues that made it kinder to let her go. Kukla was a big, beautiful girl with eyelashes to make Maybelline jealous. Always happy, she would dance for our entertainment. Kukla enjoyed a good snuggle with mom and vigorous head pets from her dad. She will be missed.
    Thank you for your posts they never fail to cheer me.
    Laurie
    =:3

    • sbranch says:

      Sometimes I feel like I knew your bunnies. I’m so sorry to hear you lost Kukla. I wish I could have met her. Lovely to see you here Laurie, I’m sorry for your loss. xoxoxo

      • Laurie Nico’s mom says:

        Thank you, Susan. I wish you could have met them all. They each have very distinct personalities and idiosyncrasies. We have had to say goodbye to eleven bunnies so far. No regrets! We have loved each and every one of them and feel privileged to have shared our home with them. ❤️

        • sbranch says:

          It must have been heaven! There are two sides to everything, I know, but I would imagine that the pros way outweighed the cons. Just to have them to LOOK at, and PET!👏

          • Laurie Nico’s mom says:

            And they so love their pets!!! Bunnies don’t really purr like a cat, but they will gently rub their teeth together making a similar sound. This is known as a bunny purr. Their dance moves are known as binkies, and running around the house at top speed is a zoomie. Stick with me Sue, and I’ll turn you into a bunny mom! 🐰

          • sbranch says:

            I wish I could clone myself. One of me gets a Corgi, one of me gets bunnies, one of me gets many more kitties, one of me has chickens and another of me cooks with Joe and has dinner parties, one of me hangs out with my girlfriends, one of me spends all my time with my family, one of me travels, and another one writes books. Wouldn’t that be great?!!! I would love it.

  38. Laura Ann in Vermont says:

    I’ve started doing most of my Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving Day. That way, I’m not tempted to worry about sales when I’m trying to enjoy myself with my family over the long Thanksgiving weekend.

  39. Francine Pedro says:

    Happy Thanksgiving to you both..thank you for the happy thoughts you send us all yea long!
    And good health to you and yours!

  40. Robin Nichols says:

    By request of my grown daughters, we are having New Lane Peas from your Summer Book as part of our feast. Thanks! and Happy Thanksgiving!

  41. Susan Elizabeth Roubal says:

    A timely and quiet reminder of the true spirit of the season: thankfulness. Softly sparkling light from a candle with a sparkly bobeche anchoring it won’t hurt, either! Susan in the U.P.

  42. Karen says:

    Happy Thanksgiving Sue and Joe! The bobeches are lovely!

  43. Lindy S says:

    I have enjoyed your blog and books for many years. I am enjoying them even more now because we have just moved to the northwest after living in a very hot climate for 25 years. The recipes and the holiday spirit fit right in with my new climate. I love the bobeche!

  44. Mary J says:

    Happy Thanksgiving, Susan and everyone! This year is the first year I haven’t hosted and cooked in about 25 years or more…I am trying to enjoy it, but I do miss cooking! I did promise my 12 year old grand daughter she can cook beside me next year so she can learn how to make the stuffing!
    Thank you again, Susan, for a sweet blog that takes us away from the unpleasant news that seems to surround us.

  45. Suzy says:

    The bobecheas are glorious I would enjoy for many years and pass on to my daughter! A real keepsake!

  46. Phyllis says:

    Happy thanksgiving, Susan!

  47. Jeanne says:

    Bobeche? Oh my! It’d be fun to have one just so I could learn to pronounce it & say it! And what a LOVEly magical set it would be! Tea hee hee!
    Thank you for sharing your Thanks- giving with us! Feeling blessed!

  48. Vicki says:

    Dear Susan,
    I always feel joyful and thankful after reading your beautiful newsletters. It’s a blessing for my soul. I cannot wait to make your cranberry jam the morning after Thanksgiving. Every fall I get fresh cranberries from the bogs of Northern Wisconsin.
    I had foot surgery and have been off it for almost 6 long weeks. It has given me the gift to slow down, read, organize my recipe books, watch precious videos of my children when they were young and carefree,try to accept being
    waited on…my desire is to have my foot healed by Thanksgiving so I can take that walk on Green Friday. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

  49. Carolyn Winemiller says:

    Really enjoyed reading this. I love Thanksgiving.

  50. Heather says:

    Your words are such a welcome reprieve. Thankful for you, and have a wonderful holiday season! CHEERS.

  51. Pam Bair says:

    Thank you, Susan, for another beautiful post! And Happy Thanksgiving to you, and Joe and Jack.

  52. Melissa Olson says:

    Every year I make pumpkin pie with COCONUT milk – it is sooooo good! And your pumpkin cheesecake looks like a good idea too Susan! Would love to have those stars to add sparkle on my holiday table!

  53. Cindi Leonard says:

    Dearest Susan and Joe,
    Nothing takes me away from the craziness of this world 🌍 and puts me into a mindset of the holidays🎃 🦃🎄,like you and your blog !Ive read and reread every book and have poured over your recipes for years.Ive even written notes to you telling of my Thanksgiving past where my sister and I would kick each other under the table because my mother’s second husband’s stuffing/dressing ( by the way what is the differece?)stuck to the roof of our mouths😂. You sent a lovely note back😉.To you ,and all the girlfriends out there , I pray for a beautiful Thanksgiving holiday. Pour love over family young and old as the years go by those at our table change . Some pass away, some are new family members while others are without a place to go.Whatever your circumstances, have a blessed Thanksgiving and put your roller skates on ….Christmas 🎄 is just around the corner😉.

    • Elaine in Toronto says:

      Hi Cindi, it’s called “stuffing” if you stuff it in the turkey and “dressing” if you bake it in a casserole dish. Happy Thanksgiving all!

  54. Jean Giuggio says:

    Pumpkin cheesecake AND a recipe for whole berry cranberry sauce that can be used for jam as well! Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes and ideas for decorating with things we love. I really enjoy your blogs …

  55. Susan Green says:

    I love the idea of using old photos as placards! That’s fun for everyone, especially the younger members of the family. Happy, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! And here’s to GREEN Friday!!!

  56. Paula LaMont says:

    Just when I think I should get rid of my sweet ceramic pilgrims and pumpkins, to go to minimalist you SAVE me and off I go to my cherry happy maybe cluttered a bit TABLE thank you Susan

    • sbranch says:

      Whew! 🤣

    • Chris Well Knickerbocker TX says:

      Paula…i hate to comment on a give away because you have to swim through 1000’s of comments, BUT minimalism is nothing more than a FAD and will fade into history as all fads must! 😀. Don’t fall for it, keep your stuff!

  57. Ashley T says:

    Happy Thanksgiving Sue! I love reading your blog posts, they are *such* a pick-me-up.

  58. Sandra Mailey says:

    Happy, Happy Thanksgiving to you, Joe and all your lovely friends! XOXO!

  59. Chris Ditzler says:

    Happy Thanksgiving! I’m always thankful for your posts. Chris

  60. sharon taylor says:

    Happy Thanksgiving to you, Joe and Jack!!! May the year be filled with wonderful blessings. Bobeche is something new to me. Now I’ve learned a new thing today.
    Very pretty and practical?

  61. Jenny says:

    Could you possibly make replicas of those wonderful cast iron colonial couple candlestick holders and sell them in your store? I would buy them! I smile every time I spy them in your pictures and I’ve googled to try to find but have seen them only once on an Etsy vintage shop and they were gone. With your contacts maybe it could be figured out! 🙂

    No matter your answer your posts make me happy and I appreciate you! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

    Best,
    Jenny

    • sbranch says:

      I have tried Jenny! But iron-mongers are hard to come by these days! I’ll never not be looking, I love them too, it would be wonderful to find them for everyone else!

  62. Maria Shiyou Holden says:

    What a sweet little prayer!
    Happy Thanksgiving to you and Joe 🍁
    God bless y’all 🍁

  63. Donna says:

    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

  64. Charlotte P Mcclure says:

    Starry bobeiches!! yes please. And, thank you for the reminder of what is really important

  65. Rebecca Britt says:

    I loved learning about bobeche! I found a variety of them on Pinterest and realized that the little paper circles around the candles we use at church when we turn off all the lights and sing “Silent Night” are also considered bobeche! I love learning new words 🙂

  66. Susan leary says:

    Dear Susan, In keeping with your gratitude for nature theme, I would like to recommend The Overstory by Richard Powers. You’ll relate to the book as evidenced by your tree hugging. Happy thanksgiving.Susan from Falmouth

  67. Sue says:

    Happy Thanksgiving. Our kitchen is in disarray so headed to a family members house with pies in disposable pie pans since mine are buried in a box. Your cheesecake looks delicious but maybe will have to be a later in the year dessert.

  68. Lorraine says:

    This is our Thanksgiving blessing at our house. I found it on a greeting card, years ago at an airport gift shop. Wishing all this for you and yours.

    Wishing you
    Walls from the wind
    Roof for the rain,
    And tea beside the fire.

    Laughter to cheer you,
    Those you love near you,
    And all that your heart may desire.
    Author Unknown

  69. Debby says:

    Happy Thanksgiving Susan. Huggs to Jack. Debby

  70. Karen Cafarella says:

    Happy Thanksgiving!

  71. Susan I says:

    Beautiful ideas and recipes for a lovely start to the holiday season!

  72. Darlene says:

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and Joe!
    Thank you for the chance to win a starry giveaway

  73. Judy B. says:

    Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for your inspiring and uplifting blog!

  74. Danella on the Canadian west coast says:

    Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Such a lovely post! I’m always inspired and made happier by reading your blog. I’m definitely thankful for you!

  75. Ellen Marie says:

    Thankful for you, dear Susan. Love the starry bobeches.
    Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

  76. Patty says:

    I’ve already made your cranberry sauce once for our Forever Young Thanksgiving dinner at church. I’ll make it again on Thursday and a third time for Christmas. We have had it every year since I first saw it in one of your posts. A family tradition!

  77. Rachel from PA says:

    Thanks for another wonderful post. Wishing you and Joe a wonderful Thanksgiving. Will be making your cranberries and yummy jam again this year.

  78. Theresa S says:

    Happy Thanksgiving! Another great movie for Thanksgiving Eve or Thanksgiving Day is “Going My Way” although I adore Little Women

  79. Jill in Kansas says:

    Cranberry sauce is simply the best. I make mine like you, just add some orange zest. Those boboches are to die for and I need some!

  80. Lisa says:

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and Joe from beautiful Pennsylvania! Grateful for all the beauty you spread throughout the year!

  81. Janie says:

    What a wonderful Thanksgiving message! Thank you. and the bobeches are darling. I’m thankful for you. xo

  82. Glenda says:

    Yummy meal and great for the holiday. Love the bookmark!Thank you! 😁

  83. Linda says:

    Happy thanksgiving 🦃🍁🍽! Luv the 🌟 starry candlestick bobchkas !

  84. Joy says:

    There’s no place like home!

  85. Dale says:

    Always love your beauty and charm!

  86. Mary says:

    LOVE all your posts and pictures!

    Here is a lovely little memory, from my son, who was just 4 years old at the time, “Thanks for the big fat chicken!”

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! <3

  87. Barbara says:

    I love your blog. I never get tired of reading them over and over again. I have some of the original Willard’s. I treasure all of them. You have taught a lot of us what is exactly important in our lives. Thank you for that! I wish you and yours Thanksgiving Blessings. P.S.
    My Mom always did her stuffing like you do yours, great memories.

  88. Kathy says:

    I’m thankful for each day and when I find
    A message from you in my in box it’s an
    Extra special day. Thanks 😊

  89. audrey Bell, LaBarque Creek,MO says:

    How sweet is Joe’s childhood prayer! Susan, each year I look forward to your moon bookmark. I so enjoy watching, waiting and enjoying the moon in all its phases, but that big round glowing full moon is such a wonder and delight. And my favorite full moon happens when the forest floor is covered with snow and as the moon shines down it makes those mystical moon shadows in the yard. Thank you for the Thanksgiving Prayer bookmark, enjoy your home made feast, what a wonderful way to celebrate our many blessings.

  90. Deborah Hatt says:

    Thank You! Thank You, dear Sue, for your home-sweet-home post about Thanksgiving (my very favorite holiday of all!). Thanks for the recipes, all the beautiful photos, and especially your sweet watercolors!! I am full to over-flowing with a thousand million blessings – and thank you for being contribution to a number of them! Happy Thanksgiving, Susan!!

  91. Rosemary from Oregon says:

    Greetings, Susan
    Thanksgiving: Planning, cooking , family, lighting candles, memories, kids making turkey placecards for the table, teenagers helping in the kitchen, spending time in Nature, playing pantomine games and appreciating the leaves and Season makes Thanksgiving one of my favorite Holidays.
    Reminds me of a memory of my then, 5 yr old son (now 35) running back to say Goodbye to a tree, as we finished a trail walk. Thank you again for the inspiring musings, recipes, memories and color to all of us!

  92. Mary Hennessey says:

    Another delightful and timely post from you Susan Branch!! A good reminder of what is really important in life and a respite from all the disturbing news from the nation’s Capital. What you have written brings to mind all the wonderful things that nature provides for free and that the joy of Thanksgiving is in the preparation and days leading up to it as well as in the Thanksgiving Day gathering itself. It makes me want to get busy cooking and decorating…I’d better get my coat on and run to the store before it closes!! Mary in Colorado

  93. Wendy says:

    I love reading your blog and admiring your watercolor painting and your messages in their special font!

  94. Lisa Cummings says:

    I love to set my table for thanksgiving! Your posts always make me happy!

  95. Jane says:

    I love the bobeche!!! They are so hard to find and I would so appreciate having these starry ones! I enjoy your blog and your beautiful artwork. You are such an inspiration to me. Keep on doing what you do!

  96. Catherine Beach says:

    Happy Thanksgiving to you! Also looking forward to green Friday. 🙂

  97. Mollie Corcoran says:

    Happy Thanksgiving!

  98. Susan K. says:

    Would love the star bobeche to add to my décor, Happy Thanksgiving ya’ll!

  99. Kelly Houlton says:

    Aaahhhh…. your posts are always such a breath of fresh comfort 🙂 Happiest of Thanksgivings to you and Joe!!

  100. Lorrie says:

    Oh, so cozy and lovely. Tablesettings, warming recipes, stories and quotes that are perfect for this season! We’ve already celebrated Thanksgiving (in Canada) so I’m moving right on to Christmas. Just a few things – planning, some twinkle lights, and some secret crafting. A most wonderful time of the year! Happy Thanksgiving, Susan and Joe! I’m thankful for YOU!

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