Happy Thanksgiving 7


The sweet potato pie has been baked.  (Yes, it’s sweet potato because that’s what I grew up eating, not pumpkin which is more usual in Boston.)  (And I made my own crust.)


The greens have been cooked (mixed collards, mustard and turnips).  The veggies for the dressing have been sautéed and the cornbread made.  The potato salad is complete.
The turkey is brining.  The stock for the dressing and gravy has been made and skimmed of fat.  The cheeses have been shredded and chopped for the macaroni and cheese.


Tomorrow the turkey will be cooked, the sweet potatoes candied, the cranberry sauce concocted, and the apple pie assembled and baked.


My son, the tall, lean, gentleman he is, arrived today and we have had good and deep conversations.  He makes me laugh.  He amazes me – he is both a man and my little boy at the same time.  My husband is knocked out – the heavy lifting of watching me cook and those delicious chops made for tonight’s dinner did him in.


We watched the Barbara Walters interview of President Elect and Mrs. Obama.  He’s the right man at the right time with the right vision.


I have talked to my sister as she finishes her dinner and dishes she’s taking to the family dinner in St. Louis.  I have talked to my daughter as she finishes the multiple dishes she’s making for the big gathering she’s holding tomorrow in Charlotte for her extended family and loved ones.  I put my first holiday card in the mail today to beat my cousin to the punch.


I am so filled with gratitude for the good fortune of family and friends and sharing a table with my good friend’s family.  It’s great to know that so many of us made it yet another year.


Problems, annoyances, worries, come what may…tonight and tomorrow (and beyond) I give thanks:



  • For these eyes of mine seeing
  • And these hands of mine writing
  • And having food to share and eat
  • And having a warm house
  • For having love, friends, family…

I could go on and on and on, but I’ll stop.


Happy Thanksgiving y’all.


About Candelaria Silva

Candelaria Silva-Collins is a marketing, community outreach and programming consultant; writer; and trainer/facilitator who lives in Boston, Massachusetts. She has designed and facilitated workshops on a wide variety of topics including communication, facilitation, job search skills, team building, and parenting issues. She currently coordinates the Community Membership Program of the Huntington Theatre Company. Her work as Director of ACT Roxbury was profiled in several publications, including The Creative Communities Builders Handbook. Candelaria’s children’s stories, short stories, essays and reviews have been published in local and national publications and she is an active blogger. Her publications include the booklets, Handling Rejection; Pushing through Shyness: Networking Tips when You’re Shy, Slow to Warm Up or Just don’t Feel you Belong; and Real Questions about Sex & Relationships for Teens: A Discussion Guide for Parents. She has served on the boards of Goddard College, Wheelock Family Theatre, Boston Foundation for Architecture, and Discover Roxbury. She is currently Chair, Designators of the Henderson Foundation.

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