Tiffany Painter

Another Thanksgiving meal has come and gone – except for the leftovers. For all most 30 years I have hosted this meal. We have had over 20 people around the table to just 8 people this year. No matter the size of the table, the biggest challenge is getting the timing right so all the food gets to the table hot – or at least relatively warm. Every year I try to formulate a plan on when dishes need to go into the oven, what dishes can share oven space, assigning a serving dish and spoon for everything, and most importantly, what time the turkey needs to go in to get it all started. But all the planning in the world still leads to a major juggling act at the end. Everything needs to finish about the same time and get to the table quickly. My hands cannot act alone. It takes a village to make the magic happen. This year my village included some amazing hands. It started with the potatoes. I plopped the 5 pound bag of spuds on the counter and started the dreaded task of peeling. This is not a hard task, just time consuming. After a couple bare-skinned potatoes hit the bowel, my son offered to take over. I didn’t expect him in the kitchen because the football games had started and that is his favorite part of the day. But there he was removing the peeler from my hand and taking on the task for me. His gift gave me time to set the table and get ahead of schedule. Later, when more things needed to be juggled, my daughter arrived and added her hands to the mix. She also brought new ideas and dishes to the table. I know when to push my list aside and welcome change. The prep time in the kitchen was a joyful time of sharing and bonding. When we got down to the last thirty minutes when everything is finishing up and gravy needs stirring, rolls need to be put out, and the turkey needs carving, more family members pitched in. My daughter’s boyfriend took on the gravy stirring, my niece helped my daughter get all the dishes from the oven to the table covered to keep in the heat, my mom added serving spoons and forks, and I hacked away at the turkey (the mess I made could not be called carving). We all sat down at the table to enjoy the warm food that so many hands had come together to prepare. After a lovely time of eating, sharing, and laughing, everyone helped clear the table and my nephew and husband did the dishes while I put away all the leftovers. The timing was perfect for a day full of thankfulness for my family – it helped there was still pie.

11/12

decorate the sky
brush pulls orange across canvas
end of day painting

11/20

waiting is so hard
they must have forgotten us
starving side by side

11/22

morning sun rises
shaking off frosty blanket
zestful beginning

11/29

persnickety cat
punctilious with her preening
pets not permitted

If you ever tried to carve out space for creating something, you will understand this. Sometimes you just have to run away from home so you can slow down and do the work. At home, even when you give yourself time, there are distractions and demands. There is a to-do list waiting for you, a dog that needs walking, a spouse with a “quick question,” weeds that need pulling. You get the idea. It is very hard to get lost in your thoughts and then lock yourself away from all of that to be able to arrange those thoughts into sentences that make sense. So I did what needed to be done and I left home. Just for a week. I am about to embark on a week at a writing retreat/workshop where the only thing on my must-do list is write. I will be able to stick with a thought and not have to try to stay in the moment between stops and starts. Life has a way of creeping in when it’s not wanted at home. I started my adventure yesterday with a day of flying. For some reason, every flight must have a transfer in Chicago. Someday I hope to leave that airport and see the actual city. My baby plane (only room for 50 passengers) got me to another city where I spent the night at a hotel and started meeting fellow creatives – who all flew through Chicago. Today five of us will share a car and drive another hour to our destination. There, we will spread out in cabins and lodges to enjoy five days of writing heaven. There will be 21 kid-lit authors working on their stories alone, with each other, with faculty of published authors, and, most importantly, undisturbed. I’m not saying a change of location will make me an award winning author, but it will let me focus on something important to me. For five whole days – longer if you count the time I outlined on the plane and in the hotel room. Some people will take golf trips, go on fishing adventures, or beach vacations. For me, this is the dream. I forgot to mention all meals and snacks will be prepared by dedicated staff. And there is yoga in the morning to kick off the days. Seriously, I’m living in a fantasy this week. I have had a few months to push aside any guilt about running away. Funny that I started with guilt about taking a week for myself and what I fully consider my work. But with a little help from my friends and family, I let those feelings go. Everyone should be allowed time for their craft if possible. It would be wasted time to be here and guilty. So I hope the rest of you have a great week and the world doesn’t fall apart without me. I have someplace to be.

10/15

promise of a new day
before missteps can happen
dreams still possible

10/18

attendees coming
check-in table ready
names displayed today

10/24

morning shadows chill
glowing reds of autumn warms
spotlighted by sun

10/25

start of the journey
headed for adventure
bags and mind ready