Underestimating and Accomplishments

Planning Thanksgiving dinner is one of my most favorite meals to get ready for.  So I've already started.  Now you may think it's a bit early to do so or even a little crazy but...  When dinner is walking around in the back yard you notice how much weight he is or isn't putting on.  Here's the question to ask yourself, is it time to increase the feed allotments.  Will young Tom be big enough for all those you have sitting at your table.  We're increasing the feed.  There will be at least 9 of us at our table so Tom needs to fatten up.

Planning this meal will consist of what we have already put up.  What we will have from the fall garden and what we can get from our local farmers.  You cannot understand until you've made one, how good a pumpkin pie can be from fresh pumpkins and not from a can or frozen.  Anytime you can make it fresh you are helping your family to get the nutrition they need without preservatives and building memories.  I don't know about you but I have fond memories of sitting at my grandmother's table with my mother, aunt and grandmother making pierogies.  My job was to crimp the ends with a fork, both sides.  Thanksgiving was so much fun; I helped stuff celery with cream cheese and a cream cheese and olive mix.  Fixing fruit bowls, cookie trays and nut baskets.  As for pies they bought them from a local diner and they were good, so good they were delicious. 

We often think life was simpler back then, and in some ways it was.  Remember though, there were problems those families had.  Problems that were much the same as ours today.  The big difference was they looked at the problems of the day in a different light.  They would look to each other.  There wasn't looking outward but inward.  How can we solve this problem together?

Though it may seem like I'm underestimating what many of us are facing,  I think we are underestimating what we can solve for ourselves.  When life hit us in the face with the reality that my husband wasn't able to work anymore, my first thought was to plant a bigger garden.  When there wasn't any money to buy new clothes, I pulled out the old patterns and when it came time to give a gift, we looked around and thought what can I make?

New things are nice to have and shopping can be fun but we need to recognize the difference between wants and needs.  Someday the wants may be a reality again but for now the needs are being taken care of.  You know it's funny, given the chance not to get the wants, you may come to the conclusion you really didn't want it after all.

So for now, I'll start planning a meal that gives a real sense of accomplishment.  A meal that we are truly thankful for.  We will also continue to give thanks to the one who gives us strength to carry on through all we are facing and allowing us to feel his presence.

Have a great and blessed day.