Monday, October 11, 2010

The day after -- nostalgia and peace

 
 A fall bouquet at the window
Charcoal on bond paper
18 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2010
(This is a sketch I did for a 
painting I'm thinking of doing.
Steven and I were at Todmorden
Mills, a historical site in Toronto,
examining the old houses there.
Steven was carrying a large bouquet
of fall flowers I'd bought, slung over
his shoulder.  I loved how this looked.)

Getting ready for a big family dinner is a huge
deal in our family.  We try to keep it light, but at
the same time there are so many details to remember
for even the simplest of occasions.  Yesterday
was our  Thanksgiving celebration dinner, and it
was fantastic.  We felt so lucky to have both our
whole family here, (Christopher and Megan, Sam
and his friend Nata) and to welcome friends
at the end of the night for dessert.  Steven's pumpkin
pies seemed even more delicious than they did in
anticipation.  And just before he popped the pies
out of the oven, he dashed out, picked the last of
the apples off our apple tree (there were some that
were late maturing), and made a good sized bowl
of incredibly fresh and delicious applesauce. Of course
there was turkey and stuffing, home made cranberry
jelly, roasted potatoes, salad.  And there are enough
left overs for quite a few days.

The great thing about holding the dinner the day
before the actual holiday, is that we were completely
free today.  After we'd dropped Sam off at the bus to
go back to university, we sat on the back porch eating
our lunch.  Then we took off for a walk with the dog,
and sat outside drinking decaf coffee in Forest Hill
village.  I love having my family together, and felt
a tug of sadness this morning realizing that we won't
all be together again for a while.  Yet I love having the
quiet, contemplative day too.  Both are wonderful --
I'm extremely thankful for my life.

Have a loving-your-family day.

10 comments:

Linda Popple said...

Nice sketch, Barbara.

We celebrate out Thanksgiving in November. Reading your post made me excited as all our family will be together here. :-)

Laurel Daniel said...

what a sweet time and a great sketch. I can't wait to see the painting that comes from it! Happy Thanksgiving!!! XOXO

Anonymous said...

Happy Thanksgiving Barbara! nice idea for the painting!

eldon said...

We are too Barbara. Thankful for your life that is. And I agree, those quiet days are like special pages in a diary.

Nicki said...

Hi Barbara,

It sounds like it was a perfect day. I'm glad you were able to share it with your friends and family. We are so fortunate to live in a country where we can enjoy freedom and peace.

Hugs,
Nicki

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Linda,

It is so much fun having the family at our table. My sons are funny and it's so rewarding watching them growing up.

Take care,

Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Laurel,

It will be fun to create a painting from that reference. My husband looked sweet in every photo holding this huge bouquet of flowers.

XOXOXOXOXOBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Happy Thanksgiving Sally,

I would love to turn that into a painting. It was such a super day.

XOBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Eldon,

I am so glad that you are one of my earliest artist friends on this blog.
You are a fabulous painter and a kind and supportive friend.

Take care,

Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Nicki,

I think of how lucky we are every day. And those of us in this blog world are especially lucky.

XOBarbara

Portrait Artist

My photo
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I paint and draw on commission and for shows. To commission a portrait, or purchase one of my paintings please contact me at: barbara.muir@sympatico.ca
A major highlight in my career? Drawing Oprah Winfrey live via Skype for her show "Where in the Skype are you? Galleries: Studio Vogue Gallery, Toronto, Canada. The Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York City. Gallery at the Porch Door, Kingston, Canada. Your positive comments on this blog mean the world to me. I'd love to hear from you!