thanksgiving ripples
This issue is sponsored by CB2's Design Legends Collection - Collector-worthy reissues of iconic MCM designers
I was lucky enough to spend Thanksgiving with my mom's family this year in northern Indiana, just south of Chicago. My grandma, 93, was there, and it's always wonderful to see her.
The early design influence of her home really impacted me as a kid - I've written about this a couple of times before. It's incredible, every time I visit, even now that she's in an apartment in another state, how the feelings come right back and envelop you. All those pieces and colors I remember are still there, the backdrop and set for so many of my impactful childhood memories.
This is a watercolor sketch my Grandma made of the bathroom from her old house that I remember so well. Now hangs in her new bathroom. I love her loose, sketchy style.
Putting out the candles in that candelabra with the snuffer was my favorite activity when I was a little guy. I was always a little wary of that Spanish mask on the wall (top left).
This is a watercolor sketch my Grandma made of the bathroom from her old house that I remember so well. Now hangs in her new bathroom. I love her loose, sketchy style.
Putting out the candles in that candelabra with the snuffer was my favorite activity when I was a little guy. I was always a little wary of that Spanish mask on the wall (top left).
My aunt, who now lives with my grandma, made us this incredible Mediterranean feast on Wednesday night, and both of my kids got to eat at their apartment for the first time.
After dinner, we had dessert on these glass plates. My aunt clipped little vintage Christmas tree candle holders to them, stuck a birthday candle in each, lit them, and then everyone blew out their candles before eating. I had completely forgotten about this, but it was always the way we ate dessert with them when I was a kid. It's probably been 20-25 years since the last time I did this!
These small, seemingly insignificant things create ripples in your life across decades, good and bad, sometimes conscious, sometimes not. A good reminder to be intentional - family is forever.
So much of family history is things. Objects, paintings, furniture, toys, lamps. Pieces that you played with as a child or remember very differently.
The preservation of these things, and the traditions that accompany them, is so much of the visceral and rich experience of life—the physical manifestation of lore. The atomization of families today, spread out across the country and the world, makes it all the more special.
My daughter had a great time, but afterward told us how much she missed our usual Thanksgiving at our house - the southern-inspired menu I cook and the simple ritual where we all go around the table and talk about the things we are most thankful for that year. Those were some ripples I hadn't even thought about.
I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving and were able to make or catch a few ripples yourself.
I am sincerely thankful for all of you!
