A Thanksgiving post after all...maybe

The girls are gone to have Thanksgiving with some of Jeremy's family, and then will come back here for us to have our meal later on.  I have been sitting looking on-line at rag rugs and the different ways to make them.  This led to looking at quilt blogs that I look at occasionally, but don't usually comment on.

One guy gave a list of what he was thankful for and encouraged us to think about at least one thing we are grateful for.

I think for me, first and foremost, I am grateful for my husband who encourages me and loves me in spite of myself, and thankful for our daughters who we are so proud of, and very, very grateful for Lorelei.  I think she makes all of our lives just little bit brighter.

I am so grateful for my old friends....there is just something about old friends that have known you all your life.  They know me better than anyone else...other than maybe Roger.

And talking of friends, there are the blog friends that share their lives and the places that they live.  Some have inspiring stories, others provide laughter and warmth, and others I feel are kindred spirits.  I want you to know I appreciate the effort you put into your blogs.
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I love that I came from a big family....there is just nothing like a bunch of brothers and sisters.
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Then there are the 'things' I am grateful for.  I am so grateful for a warm house...food to eat, and a place to lay my head at night.  And I want to add that it is a safe place.  I cannot imagine living in some of the war torn countries. 

I am so grateful for the internet--in so many ways.  E-mail, the ability to find out almost anything without leaving the comfort of my own home...listen to music...watch movies.

And so grateful for my digital cameras and my sewing machines.  That may sound sort of frivolous...but I am grateful for them....for probably 10-15 years I did not have a good sewing machine.  Let me tell you, that is something I am thankful for.  Even though I have had the good sewing machines for over 20 years, now, I can still recall the frustration of the one I had before these...

And I often wonder what I would have done if I could have had a digital camera when I was young.  For I have loved cameras and quilting since I was a kid...now I can take all the pictures I want and really don't give it much thought at all. 

This is an old house we passed on our one and only drive in Tennessee.  What a waste....another that you can just imagine the excitement when it was built.  Another one I wish that had the ability to tell its tales.  I cannot help but wonder how many children grew up within its walls.
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I am in a mood.  We watched The Dust Bowl on PBS....I really liked it.  There was one line in the very beginning of the first episode...I cannot recall the exact wording.  But it was saying something along the line that the farmers plowing up all the land was looking for easy money....whoever heard of farming being easy money?  Does that strike you almost as an oxymoron.  True, they were wanting to make money, but I just do not associate farming as easy money.
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This of course got me to thinking of our childhood...how every little bit of money was scraped together.  We raised 4 hogs almost every year that I remember.  And I do not remember once having ham to eat that we raised.  We sold them, but Neal thought we had eaten them, too.  So, I had my SIL ask my other brother...he is the authority that Neal and I usually go to for stuff like this.

Well, he said that we did have ham every now and then, but it would have been when I was too young to remember or before I was born.  So, I guess Neal and I are both right in one sense.

I could remember one person that always bought one of our hams, and he could name another that always bought one.  He also said there were several others that bought them.  And the reason we sold them was because we could get more for one ham than would be paid for a whole hog.  They were salt cured...I do not know how people fixed them.
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At one time we had a small strawberry patch and sold strawberries....I was pretty young and don't remember a lot about that.  Or maybe I don't remember much because we didn't have them long.  We also always raised extra green beans....sometimes some of my aunts bought them.  But others either dad or I would call around to the produce markets till we found someone that would buy them.

Another year we had a big patch of okra that we sold...sometimes to local people, sometimes to the produce markets.  I can't remember if we sold anything else that we raised...but any little bit extra was a help.  And anything we sold, we sold top quality. 

In addition to what we raised, we would pick blackberries...they grew wild down there.  I wonder now if someone had originally planted them and they spread here and there or were they there from the start.  I can remember a few favorite places that had them hanging down big, not in exactly a cluster, but like grapes.  Well, actually, I remember two places.  I remember reaching above my head to pick them...and them hanging down so big and dark....

And we hunted ginseng...I can remember when it went to $56 per pound.  We sure thought that was something.  I don't think we always found a pound per year...that is a lot of bunches of ginseng.  And we only hunted it a bit in our spare time for fun.  Now it brings hundreds of dollars...
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I need to get busy...Lorelei went home Sunday evening...I just cannot get into anything when she goes home.  So, slow to start blogging again.  In fact, this may be my only post till after Thanksgiving sometime.  Lo and her Mommy are coming back Thursday...her daddy has to work.  Not sure how long the two of them will stay...but looking forward to them being here.

Life don't get a lot better than this...

I met Sarah today at the halfway point...picked up Lorelei.  She has played around all evening.  Her Papaw went hunting, and when it was time for us to eat she got sad for just a minute...said she missed her Papaw.  Then she thought and said she miss her Mama, too.  And that is what she calls Sarah about half or two-thirds of the time...Mama.  Such a sweet word.  If she is mad/aggravated, it is done 'OH, Mom!'

Anyway, good to have her here for a day or two...makes life worth living.