I swear I can smell it. The gravy, the pies, my uncle’s aftershave...
Thanksgiving/ Indigenous People’s Day has a lure like no other holiday. It ignores not a single one of our senses.
The autumnal colors. The chill in the air. The delicious food. The sounds of family and friends, crackling leaves, and Aunt Carol getting “more animated” after her fourth glass of sherry. And those aromas...
It is the holiday that puts our homes to the test. Is the extra room comfortable for guests? Is the kitchen able to handle a feast? Do we have enough comfortable seating?
Is it time to toss that old afghan? Why does the front porch have four pots of dead flowers on it? We appreciate our spaces more, but we also scrutinize them. We suddenly see them with a fresh eye when 14 cousins are heading over with enough green-bean casserole for Argentina.
And it’s surprisingly easy (and cheap!) to give your home a little face-lift, without blowing the turkey budget.
Outside-huge pops of colors pumpkins and potted mums, corn husks, and anything that even remotely looks like a gourd. Your old Timberland boot? Toss it in there.
No such thing as “too many” gourds.
Inside, accent pillows, cozy throws, and a centerpiece made with even MORE gourds can give a plain room enough cozy for the cousins AND the extras that thought RSVP was “optional.”
Cover the coffee table with appetizers, keep the wine flowing, and not one single soul will notice the dings in the coffee table or the cat scratches on the sofa.
It’s a day to celebrate our blessings. Not to beat ourselves up (or our bank accounts) with imperfections.
Because it’s a day when home means something more.
Something big.
Something magical.
At the end of the day, when the cousins have carried Aunt Carol out, and the dishes are “soaking,” sit down with a slice of pumpkin pie and look around.
Your home. Your space. You’re creating memories.