Written by For those of you celebrating Thanksgiving today, I hope you’re having a fabulous day filled with family, friends, and lots of wonderful food! In our house, we don’t eat the big meal until dinner time, so Philippe is still preparing things and I’m about to open a glass of wine for us. He’s got quite a menu planned and since nobody else will be joining us this evening, it looks like we’ll have enough leftovers to last through the weekend. A bag of cranberries was sitting out early and I asked him what he was going to do with them. He just looked at me and shrugged. It had seemed like something we should buy when we were at Trader Joe’s early this week, as it’s normally on the list of Thanksgiving treats. But, after buying the cranberries and getting them home, we realized we had no real plan for them. I’ve still no idea whether they’ll make an appearance this evening or just sit there like a bit of decoration. Either way, they’re a wonderful part of what has been a festive and glorious day!
I have a habit of getting things that just feel right for an occasion, when I’m excited and in the mood to celebrate. A few years ago, I saw a large styrofoam polar bear head that you could hang on the wall. He was wearing a festive red scarf and was a bit glittery so he charmed me thoroughly. We often forget to take him down after the season, however, so he’s often accidentally left up all year. He’s become a bit of mascot and now I feel a bit bad about shoving him into a closet. One year we managed to leave the Christmas tree up into February. It was a real tree, which Philippe lovingly watered daily, and it was so content in the house that it actually began to break bud and grow. These are likely things one would attribute to eccentric people, but I like to think we’re just laid back. We like to take each day as it comes and enjoy life without all the fuss of having to live it in a horribly scheduled fashion. Those with a Type A personality are likely shocked beyond belief, but the Type B folks know what I’m talking about.
And as the evening comes closer, and I’m about to enjoy a wonderful dinner, I’m so thankful for everything. Life doesn’t always turn out perfectly, but perfection is equally an impossible thing to judge. What happens more often is that the thing we thought would occur turns out quite differently. This perfectly imperfect aspect of life is what makes it so darn interesting and keeps me coming back for more. It would be terribly boring if everything turned out exactly as I had planned. I love the crazy surprises that life brings and I love the people that I’ve met along the journey. I’m thankful for each of you in this wonderful watercolor community. Thanks so much for sharing your vision and your passion and making the world such an exceptionally beautiful place. Together, we’ve built something amazing and without any real recipe or plan of attack. That’s the beauty of just letting things happen as they should. It’s a definitely something worthy of thankfulness. Even if, in the end, you’re still left wondering what the heck to do with that spoonful of cranberries.
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Quinacridone Red, Yellow Ochre, Terra Cotta, and Cobalt Blue. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. |
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Your cranberries are berry wonderful (ah! I’ve been using that joke all day). Our Thanksgiving got canceled due to illness but I’m thankful that the Doodlewash community was here to keep me company instead!
Thanks so much, Sandra! 😃💕 And oh my! So sorry to hear that! Much so thrilled that the Doodlewash community kept you company! Cool! That’s awesome!!
Love the shine and red of those cranberries. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Thanks so much, Susan! 😃💕 You as well!
Leaving the little bit of white space works so well for cranberries!
Thanks so much, Marrianne! 😃💕 Yeah, I sketched a bowl of them and erased it and started over! hehe
So lovely! I can see cranberries jumping out of the spoon – “don’t eat us! paint! just paint!” 🙂
Thanks, Violeta! 😃💕 hehe!! Yes! Save the cranberries!!
Lovely cranberries,Charlie,,,enjoy your dinner,ours was wonderful as was our time with family..
Thanks, Pamela! 😃💕 I’m so thrilled to hear you had a wonderful time!
Happy Thanksgiving, Charlie and Phillipe (and bear head mascot 😁)! I am very thankful to be a part of this awesome World Watercolor Group!
Thanks so much, Carol! 😃💕 To you as well! And I’m so thrilled you’re part of the group!
Although I am not an artist in any sense of the word, I still wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving! I am a dedicated follower of Doodlewash, because I love your doodlewashes and I love your writing! It seemed the perfect day to tell you this, again. Thank-you for the pleasure you give to me everyday.
Aww you’re so sweet, Ellen! 😃💕 I’m so thrilled you enjoy my posts! And I bet there’s a doodlewasher inside you waiting to paint… give me time… I’ll convert you! hehe Thanks so much!!
Oh Charlie O – your Type B life sounds just divine and wonderful! I hope you opened a bottle of wine and not just a glass 🙂 – I made an amazing fresh cranberry appetizer I must share with all soon. It was sooooo yummy! Happy Thanksgiving! so thankful for you!
Thanks, Jodi!! 😃💕 hehe.. you can’t open a glass, so yeah, it had to be a bottle! LOL And yum!! Can’t wait to hear about your appetizer. Happy Thanksgiving to you! And back at ya my friend!!
A nice way to paint the cranberries. And a nice story too. Hope your Thanksgiving was special just like you.
Thanks so much, June!! 😃💕 To you as well!!
I don’t remember what we did to make cranberry jam last year for our holliday, we did something but darned if I can remember, lol. But how about sticking them in the freezer to freeze then using them as gorgeous ice cubes in your champagne or spritzer. :o) Maybe someone else has a cranberry sauce recipe. Enjoy all that wonderful food Charlie, I’m a little envious up here in cold Canada. ;o)
Thanks so much, Jennifer! 😃💕 Yeah, I’m sure we’ll figure something out for those cranberries… hehe… And yep… it was t-shirt warm here today. Wait… now I’m just gloating! 😊 lol
*Rolling my eyes a little jealously”hehehehe. Enjoy it while it lasts my friend.
The bear head story is sooo good! Sounds just like me!
Best cranberry sauce
1 bag cranberries
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup fresh orange juice and zest from one orange
Toss all in a pot. Bring to boil. Berries will start to pop. Summer for 5 minutes till thick. Cool and eat. Easy peasy.
Yes this is the recipe I use.
Thanks, Lisa! 😃💕 That’s awesome!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Woooo…..lovely red….I loved them…!!!
Thanks so much!! 😃💕
Hope you and Philippe had a wonderful dinner, Charlie! ❤️ We had my MIL for dinner. She has dementia and kept repeating herself. Enjoy the little moments as they are precious. 😘 xo
Aww thanks so much, Jill! 😃💕 The little moments are definitely the most precious of all. Sending you love and hugs!!
Charlie u made a wonderful berries no idea of making what with them but of course .
I made Custerd with whiped cream
Some furits with berries. Thanks .
Thanks, Snehlata! 😃💕 Custard and whipped cream??? YUM!! I’ll have some please!! hehe
Happy thanksgiving to you and yours
Thanks so much, Rod!! 😃💕 It was a wonderful day!
Cranberry cheesecake is the best!
YUM! I’d definitely try some of that, Hania! 😃💕
You can always string them with popcorn for the tree! Hope you enjoyed the day and will be eating all weekend!
Yes! Yay! That would be fun to do! I’m not sure I could go without eating all the popcorn though… I love the stuff! LOL 😊💕
Ok, when the cookbook is done, and then the collection of essays is published, how about a book of O’Shields’ One Liners with Illustrations.
“so content in the house that it actually began to break bud and grow”
That wonderful line is as joyfully poetic as anything I have ever read.
As for the cranberries…they make me feel good just looking at their happy redness.
Aww you’re always encouraging… I don’t really consider myself a writer and yet you always manage to make me feel like one. Thank you so much for that! 😃💕
You’ve certainly captured the essence of cranberry Charlie!
Thanks so much, Tom!! 😃💕
I don’t know what you ended up doing with your cranberries, but my mother in law cooks raw cranberries with a cup of orange juice and a cup of sugar until the berries split. They are so yummy. Giggle, she makes them for me every year. 🙂
Yum! That sounds delicious! 😃💕 Actually we still haven’t managed to do anything with them yet. hehe
Try the orange juice thing it is seriously yummy.
I’m thankful for doodlewash!
I’m thankful for you my friend! Thanks so much for being a part of it! 😃💕