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Every day's Thanksgiving

11/25/2024

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Blue bowl with green leaf decoration at top - Every day's Thanksgiving

Every day's Thanksgiving

We never sat together
at the table, but
but we shared meals ...

Warm fish chowder
delivered in a wide-mouth
mason jar

He said it reminded him of
Friday night fish suppers
and the chowder
his mother made when
he was a boy

He marveled at the
dice-cut potatoes,
chunks of cod, and
the thin, soup-like
broth he slurped from
the bottom of the bowl

He said after the first
spoonful he knew
the only thing missing
from the recipe
were his lips

That made us laugh

And then there was
Thanksgiving

Year after year we
invited him in, but
year after year he
declined

Thanking us with
clasped hands
and a slight bow

He wouldn't join us at
the table, but he welcomed
the overstuffed bag of
Thanksgiving
we left under the hood
of the rusted-out grill
that stood in his front yard
next to the flagpole

He was a Vietnam veteran
who greeted neighbors
with gusto

Who, at the sight of you,
would fling his arm out
the side window of his
pickup truck to
deliver a broad wave

Who'd yell, Go home and
hug your baby

Who every year, reminded
us to wear long sleeves and
bring a broomstick to push
back the thorny branches
and help ourselves to the
blackberries that grew
wild in his yard

Who, the day after
Thanksgiving would
leave a message that
sounded more like
a love letter

For what he deemed
the silkiest mashed
potatoes he'd ever eaten,
turkey that had him
licking his fingers,
and pie so sweet
he could manage only
one or two bites
because he wanted more

tomorrow

Who would, no matter the
time of year, turn his palms
skyward and part ways with
the words: Every day's
Thanksgiving

And we knew he was
right

Yes, Irving, every day is
Thanksgiving.

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If you want something, you've got to plant a seed

7/2/2020

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collage of peas on the vine
At the end of the block on the corner there's a garden planted on the edge of the road. It's tucked between the street and a stockade fence. It's so small, and jammed into such a small space, it seems more than a garden. It's a declaration. A fertile sign of determination and grit.

Someone wanted a garden and they were not to be deterred.

They wanted to grow peas, and tomatoes, and peppers. We know that's what's growing because they impaled the empty seed packets on sticks to mark what was in the ground. And we've watch them grow for weeks now.

There's a tradition in New England ... peas and salmon on the Fourth of July. Why? The salmon swim upstream this time of year, just when the peas begin to sprout.

I'm not sure the neighbors will pair salmon with their peas, but the garden's bounty is proof there's plenty to be savored when the seed of determination is planted.
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Beyond the boiled dinner

3/14/2020

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soda break with words: beyond the boiled dinner
A recipe of one's own

Forgive me, but I’ve never liked a boiled dinner.

I know. A lot of people like a boiled dinner, and for many, it’s the traditional meal on St. Patrick’s Day.

I’ve got a wee bit of Irish in me and I like to cook, but I had to find my way beyond the boiled dinner. It took some trial and error, but this has been my St. Patrick's Day dinner menu for a while now. And I won't say who, but even those who remain on the side of the boiled dinner have been known to ask for seconds.

St. Patrick's Day Menu
• Corned Beef (flat cut) with a brown sugar/mustard glaze
• Colcannon - mashed potatoes with sauteed onion and cabbage
• Roasted Carrots
• Soda Bread
• Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes
I sometimes make the cupcakes a day ahead, but otherwise make all the dishes the day we celebrate. Especially the soda bread. It’s best the day it’s baked.

What holiday dishes and traditions do you modify and make your own?

Picture

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