Readiness...

 Slow and steady, I am checking off my Thanksgiving plans.

The china dishes have been washed and stacked at the ready. Same with the serving platters and cake plates. I pulled out all of my mismatched serving pieces: spoons, meat forks, and pie servers. I love the different patterns. The square-bottomed spoon that begins at the top left of the photo has an excellent heft and my mother's initials engraved on the end. They all needed a date with some silver polish and elbow grease, so I got to it. The table clothes and napkins are laundered, folded, and ready to be put to work. Ditto the low crystal candle holders that will line the center of the table. 

Our son-in-love kindly volunteered to sharpen our kitchen knives and spent a long time putting a razor edge on them. This will make feast preparation much easier and more pleasant. 

Brenda popped in today. She is like a magical being, appearing at a moment's notice and leaving beauty and laughter in her wake. She decorated the claw foot bathtub at the end of the drive, and the arbor, too. 

This will help us slip from one holiday to the next before the weather gets too interesting. 

Chris stopped at his favorite florist today. You have to love a man who has a favorite florist. He brought me a dozen yellow roses. My mother loved to have yellow roses at Thanksgiving when she hosted all the family. This is my nod to the memory of her and all the holidays she created to make happy family memories. 

I hope that is what I am doing, too. That one day, my daughter and her family, various friends, my nieces and nephews, and perhaps even the great-nieces will reminisce about the fun times and good food they had here at FairWinds on Thanksgiving.