A Thanksgiving That Rings Hollow

Though I always love Thanksgiving, and it is my favorite Holiday . . . . even more than Christmas . . . . as I make my traditional Thanksgiving foods and prepare to gather with family, I am grateful for many, many things, but most of all, for the blessing of having a Grandmother, Ferne, who passed away this summer, on July 4th.   She was 98 years old, she lived a very long, full and amazing life.  In her years, from 1915-2014, she witnessed many of the richest times in American history.   But most important, she was a vital part in so many people's lives.  She was undoubtedly the most loving, giving, smart, gifted and creative person I ever met . .. also the single most interesting person I ever met.   Here she is, in 2009, in her nursing home, watching me spin. 

She also was a knitter, spinner, weaving and phenomenal seamstress.   She stayed mentally sharp as a tack her entire life, even when her arthritis left her immobile.  She was the single biggest gift in my life, and I miss her terribly this Thanksgiving. So as I find myself struggling to recreate a few of her recipes, and share them with the family I have left (many have passed away in recent years), I feel her invisibly lingering over my shoulder and guiding my hands and squeezing my heart. 

Love you, Grammy.