The Honorable Harvest asks us to give back, in reciprocity, for what we have been given. Reciprocity helps resolve the moral tension of taking a life by giving in return something of value that sustains the ones who sustain us. One of our responsibilities as human people is to find ways to enter into reciprocity with the more-than-human world. We can do it through gratitude, through ceremony, through land stewardship, science, art, and in everyday acts of practical reverence.
~ Robin Wall Kimmerer
(Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge & The Teachings of Plants)
Happy Thanksgiving!
Blessings, Barbara! 🦃🍁🍂💛
Thank you, Eliza! ♡🦃🐿️🍂♡
Perfect pairing for today, Barbara!
I thought the hummingbirds left because I only saw Woodpecker Jr yesterday. But as I was standing next to the feeders, grateful for this wonderful cold front that is blowing in this morning, the hummingbird buzzed right up asking me to refresh the sugar water. I am so thankful that I have such beautiful creatures visiting me! I went right inside to reciprocate its request!!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you, Teri! You are so lucky to be a hummingbird whisperer! 🙂 I know how much joy and brightness your bird friends bring to your days. We’re enjoying our cardinal couple and a flutter of juncos that hang out on our rhododendrons and at the bird bath. Sometimes when I’m cleaning up the dishes after supper the cardinals catch my eye as they peer into the kitchen window. I didn’t see cardinals very often in Connecticut so I’m loving seeing them every day here.
I like the painting and the verse Barbara – a great choice. I wish it was the beginning of Autumn with its colorful but sometimes muted display. I think our lake effect snow, brutal temps and high winds will likely zap all the remaining blooms that have lingered so long and signal Winter is on the way. I hope your Thanksgiving was an enjoyable one spent with family.
Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed the combo, Linda. Autumn flies by so fast, although it does seem more drawn out down south here. There’s been some snow in the mountains west of here but no snow in central North Carolina for three years now. When it does finally snow, if ever, I will have to get pictures and use up all my snow quotes. 🙂
I did – Fall is usually so fleeting here. We never had our hard freeze all that time, to enjoy an Indian Summer Day – we had it all for so long that this cold, biting wind and snow was like a slap in the face. I could live without seeing snow again. Many a time when I took the bus to downtown Detroit to work, I left hours before my start time as the bus may be late getting there. One time they let us out early, I called my mom and said we’re getting out at 3:00 and I’ll catch the first bus home I can get. This was way before smartphones. At 7:00 pm I used my “emergency dimes” and called and said “no bus yet” – sigh. I didn’t get home until 10:00 that night. But better than driving – I hated driving in snow and ice.
About 20 years ago I slid off the road while driving during a snowstorm and never drove in the snow again. Having to get to work in spite of the snow understandably filled you with anxiety. Even so, I do miss the white stuff, but I have the luxury of staying home whenever it snows. I found some snow scene videos on YouTube to play on mute on the TV during the holidays. I have my own seasonal music playlist to listen to on shuffle. I don’t much like the usual pop Christmas tunes they play in the stores. I also decorate my tree with a snow theme, a white blanket wrapped around the bottom for a tree skirt. It helps because I doubt I will ever see real snow again.
That must have been scary Barbara. I don’t blame you for not getting behind the wheel again in snowy weather. The first year I drove, I hit a patch of black ice, near where the Ford Estate is. At that time, it was an undeveloped woodland past the two colleges that are near the Ford Estate grounds. It is now a huge mall, so they plow it well, but I spun around three times and came close to a ditch. I had exams that morning at Henry Ford Community College down the street and was a nervous wreck. I drove home (my mom and me) after my grandmother’s funeral. It was snowing lightly in Toronto, but it started snowing heavily and I drove about 150 or so miles of the 240-mile trip on the 401 Highway and I tried to stay behind the plow. My Pacer was fishtailing all over. I decided then, it would have to be something very very important to get me to drive in the snow. I used to watch some videos on YouTube of a crackling fire … that is very relaxing. There is a fireplace in the living room here, but it is electric, so doesn’t look lifelike at all. We have an all-Christmas songs, 24/7 station that usually starts the music November 1st, but like you, it is loud or remade songs and very few of the classics. You might see snow if there is a rogue snowstorm – a fellow blogger was living in California and got a snowstorm and she took pictures of it for her blog. She was excited to see it as she and her husband grew up in Ohio.
My goodness, you’ve had more than your share of driving-in-the-snow mishaps! I had a firepalce DVD, too, which I might dig out if I get tired of the snow scenery. 😉
I hope that is the last driving-in-the-snow mishap for me Barbara. I go for allergy shots once a month, but I go at three weeks, my own schedule, because if the weather is bad, (not only snow, but we are having volatile Summer weather), there’s no way I’m going out in it for a five-minute appointment with the “shot girl” – I don’t see the doctor. They had walk-in appointments since 1975 when I began getting shots, but changed to an appointment only after the pandemic began. So I e-mail the bookkeeper and ask her to move me to the next day or I have wiggle room until the next week without being “late” necessitating shots two weeks in a row. I find the crackling fire video very relaxing.
Happy Thanksgiving, Barbara!
Thank you, Donna! 🦃
“… in everyday acts of practical reverence.”
I do like that phrase. Hoping your Thanksgiving was a good one.
We had a very peaceful Thanksgiving. It’s good to stop and take stock of those possible everyday ways of giving back. 🦃
I love the picture you selected. It’s depicts the harvest season very nicely. I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Thank you, Sheryl. Our Thanksgiving was wonderful and I hope yours was the same. I’m going to miss these autumn colors as winter sets in!