It Was Such Fun Having Company
My 27th birthday and the first one I've ever had when I didn't receive a single present. Was sort of disappointed that Elsie forgot. We celebrated Thanksgiving tonite. I invited Mr. Chen + Miss Su + Doc + Mrs. Chen. It was such fun having company for a change. We had a very nice dinner I thot - chestnut stuffing + a pumpkin pie with nuts. Our table looked very pretty with candles + the jack-o-lantern, tangerine place cards + red autumn leaves. - Annette, November 1942
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. My family has a history of large Thanksgiving celebrations with polished silver, place cards, and delicious food made with love by all our guests. Every year, my aunt and I start working weeks in advance to plan all the details. This year, my Thanksgiving will be a bit smaller - just 6 instead of 20 - but I am excited for new traditions! As I worked on my to-do lists, I started thinking about Annette's Thanksgiving celebrations.
While in China, they were never really sure when Thanksgiving was supposed to be, so they would have their celebrations when they could. This one happened on a Sunday - maybe to celebrate her birthday as well! I love that she used fresh tangerines as place cards, and decorated with leaves from their trees. I love that they made chestnut stuffing and pumpkin pie. I love that my grandfather carved a pumpkin as decoration. I can just imagine this beautiful scene, and as I embrace my own inner hostess, it makes me feel so connected to her.
I also love that she mentioned how glad she was to have company. And that she was a little bit sad to not receive a birthday gift. So much of our existence on this planet is tied to the people around us, and celebrations can sometimes be bittersweet. This will be my first Thanksgiving since I was I child that I won't be with my aunt. That makes me a little sad. But, I'll be celebrating with fiancé's family, whom I completely adore, so with the sadness there is also joy! To me, Thanksgiving is a celebration of family - whether family by blood, by choice, by circumstance, or anything else. I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with good food, good company, and love. And maybe a place card or two.