Thanksgiving morning has dawned clear, bright and cold here in Williamsburg.
A simply beautiful day, and a good day for traveling; which is very welcome news since our Thanksgiving dinner is already in preparation by loving hands…. elsewhere. We have a pecan pie, some rolls, and of course some beautiful cranberry grape preserves to contribute to the feast.
Vase by Dennis Orton glazed with a custom Raku glaze
I want to share a few photos of our mantlepiece arrangement, completed last evening. This grows and changes a bit each year, and will probably change a bit more before the end of December. This is the simplest of arrangements, depending on branches from the garden and items collected over the years. The birds came from McDonald Garden Center in Virginia Beach. They have such wonderfully imaginative displays. The fairies, designed by Mark Roberts, were another McDonald Garden Center find. This is our indoor forest garden, which we’ll enjoy from now until early spring.
Our very best wishes to you as we greet the season of the solstice, the season of light, preparing for Yule, Hanukkah, and Christmas.
Some of the glass orbs are from Glass Eye Studio, hand blown with ash from Mt. Saint Helens in Washington. Others were hand blown in Portugal.
All Photos by Woodland Gnome 2013
Forest Garden 
Nicely decorated! I love this time of year! I am glad yuou had a good Thanksgiving.
Thanks, Michael. We did 😉 Hope you and your family did, too. Did you shoot your own turkey from the local flock?
Thank you for sharing this beauty
Thank you for stopping by Forest Garden and taking time to enjoy the photos. I hope your Thanksgiving day has been full of love and blessings,
Best wishes, WG
Thanks so much for your thoughtful post! How sad that we have forgotten what the original Thanksgiving was about. It was about a whole lot more than just having a big party with lots of good food. It was It was two cultures–the Native Americans and the Pilgrims–coming together to thank one another and their Creator for the blessings they had received from working together. It wasn’t individual families hunkering down in their homes to eat way too much food and hanging over dessert and football. Rather, it was two communities coming together, and joining as one. Although we can’t know for sure, I feel pretty sure that there were no lonely people sitting at home alone as there so often are, today, feeling lonely and isolated. Instead, I think all were involved in this community celebration, whether single, a couple, or in a large family. If only we could generate such a sense of community and joy, today.
May your Thanksgiving be blessed!!
Thank you so much for visiting Forest Garden and leaving such a thoughtful observation. You are so correct that the original Thanksgiving was a community celebration of differing cultures coming together for better understanding and appreciation- and that is the aspect we have lost in so many ways. Though community Thanksgiving meals served in churches and community centers come close,we have lost that original spirit. We have had a good day with family, and hope your Thanksgiving has also been blessed. Best wishes, WG
Beautiful! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you! I hope you will thoroughly enjoy your day 😉
WG