happy thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, Long Island!
Or, as our dear pastor said Thursday during his homily at Thanksgiving Mass:
“Thanksgiving=thanksliving.”
What I love about blogging (as inconsistent as it may be) is that it is a chance for me to say “thank you”. Thank you to the people who give of themselves in so many ways, and have the courage to start or maintain a business with their God-given gifts and talents, even in this challenging time. Thank you for the places of natural beauty which are there for us to enjoy, learn from, and experience, and the wonderful people God has entrusted to take care of them. And thank you, Lord, for this beautiful family, these friends, this community, who I have the pleasure and honor to walk alongside.

As some of you may have noticed, my blogging has been gradually moving in a direction that better reflects this important chapter of our family life. Homeschooling has been such a blessing, and sharing it in new ways has been tugging at my heart. I am indebted to the praiseworthy women who make up our robust homeschool community, who inspire and encourage.

On a lighter note, I am thankful for the blessing of the person (not me), who has once again rose to —scratch that, exceeded— the occasion, handling all manners of cooking that are more complicated than mac n’ cheese, rice, or salad. See Exhibit A, a beautiful turkey from Koch’s Turkey Farm (certified organic and humane), made available through our friends at Amber Waves Farm. The bird just fit into our oven.

The fixin’s were as Long Island as Long Island gets: almost exclusively local produce from Amber Waves, Foster, and Balsam Farms. Stuffing was made from bread from a distributor to Giunta’s, and for dessert we welcomed a pecan pie from Milk Pail (and some chocolate chip cookies from Tate’s for people who don’t dig pies). Viva la difference…

​Exhibit B was the strong, silent type, who also accompanied us back from the farm: the 2019 Wölffer Estate Red Table Blend. You know ‘em for their “Summer in a Bottle”, but this perennial Sagaponack winery also produces an integrated, affordable red whose construction is more Cab Franc-y than it lets on (just 5.7%!). Prettily so, however, perhaps in part to that nod of Petit Verdot that marries it with the predominance of Cab Sauv. Green pepper and East End terroir minerality, indeed. Pair it with: whatever.

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​Charlie Brown made at least one guest appearance.

What were your Thanksgiving plans? Whether you went big or kept it small, I hope you had heaps of fun, food, health, and happy memories with your loved ones!

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