It started earlier this year than in other years. In fact, it has been going on since last year’s fire in the pasture was drowned in the rain. The excitement of the Thanksgiving holiday over the years has grown, until this year’s fire is more of a “fire in the belly” than a “fire in the pasture”. For sure, there will be a fire burning in the pasture for the kids to poke and stoke, but I am talking about the fire in the boys and some girls to be out on the hunt. The closer we get to our annual trek to the small farm in Arkansas, the more the talk and the bigger the stories. Since last year’s bust in the woods, a lot of hunts have taken place. Deer stands have been built and put on Texas deer leases. Hunts have taken place on private lands that have not been hunted in many years. And visits to the small farm in Arkansas have been extended in order to help Shawn put more deer stands up for this year’s hunt. This year there is not a deer within all of southwest Arkansas that is safe! Boys with guns --- thru the centuries, nothing has changed.
It doesn’t seem that long ago when Thanksgiving was about the dinner; and the dinners were served on plates with roses on them and sterling silver utensils to eat with. Pink stemmed goblets, and later, rose covered glasses held the water. The hamburger bun dressing was done to perfection and the pies were baked and ready to eat. The bell was rung and kids and grandparents sat around the Capitola table and we gave thanks and ate till we were thankful for Rolaids. And that was before the dessert! There was roasted turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy and a colorful array of wiggly, jiggly molded salads. Those Thanksgivings will always have a special place in the hearts of those of us who sat at that table and loved those dinners.
Our annual family reunion Thanksgivings reminds me of the Thanksgivings of my childhood. As a child, we had our Thanksgivings at the beach, in the Capitola house, sitting around that same Capitola table, or the two or three kids tables sitting in the living room. We didn’t have a fire in the pasture, but we had a river on the beach and a wharf in the ocean. It was November and the weather was not unlike what we have now in Arkansas; some years we had warm sunny days, and some were chilly and rainy. We took them all and loved every minute. We ran in the sand and “sailed” our ships from the end of the wharf. And those dinners – oh my gosh…. Such delights as dry turkey and two kinds of dressing – wet and dry! Mom’s getting up and putting the turkey in the oven at 2 AM for a noon dinner…turkey cooking right up to putting it on the table. Mom’s apple and pumpkin pies and Aunt Dee’s pecan pies topped off the dinner. And the slice of apple pie swiped after dinner and put under the bed for later. I would be willing to bet that many pieces of pie were found when the mom’s cleaned the house before closing it up when we all went home. And the memories that have lasted a lifetime to those of us who were the children of the Capitola Thanksgivings.
The key to those Capitola Thanksgivings is the same as the key to our Arkansas Thanksgivings – kids. All we do is for them – to make memories that will last into adulthood and will become the stories of the Thanksgivings of their youth. For some, it will be their first buck, and for others, the first time they drove a 4 wheeler. As I look forward to our trek to Arkansas in just a few days, I am excited to watch the older boys playing with the fire or their DS’s; to watch the girls talk moms and aunts into taking them to the mall, or to give the boys pointers on tending the fire. I am anxious to put on my boots and pick up my walking stick, and take the hands of 2 and 3 year olds and take them for walks with Mimi to see the horses, cows and chickens. This is turning into a GREAT Thanksgiving….a wonderful Fire in the Pasture that will give us a warm glow for the rest of our lives. And like our lives continue, so will this post!
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