Welcome to Mountain Brook Ink’s 2018 Holiday Blog Tour! We’re so excited you’ve decided to join us on this journey of family, friends, traditions, and memories over the next month. You as our reader have done so much to pour into our lives, and this season we want to give back to you with insights into our lives AND some giveaways. The more days you follow, share, comment, and engage with us, the more entries you’ll have toward a Kindle Fire Grand Prize or one of three Amazon Gift Cards! For more information about the blog tour go to: http://mountainbrookink.com/2018/10/23/2018-holiday-blog-tour/
As Thanksgiving approaches, I’m reminded of the lyrics to an old cherished song. The words to “Over the River and Through the Woods” are about traveling to Grandmother’s house in a horse-drawn sleigh. As a child, I associated this song with my family’s trips to my grandparents’ farm in Kentucky for Thanksgiving. Though we didn’t have snow that early, it was always a special time when my family gathered with aunts, uncles, and cousins in my grandparents’ old farmhouse. Each November, I looked forward to Thanksgiving with excitement and anticipation of the fun we would have playing games like Dominoes or Rook all night and the delicious home-cooked meals my grandmother lovingly prepared. Those times at my grandparents’ farm sparked my love for the outdoors and adventure, themes I enjoy sharing in my books.
Other sources of inspiration for my stories have been the trips my husband and I have made to state and national parks. In recent years, we’ve taken road trips in November and visited Southwestern national parks on our way to visit family for Thanksgiving. It’s a great time to explore the parks without the usual crowds or summer heat, and fall weather is ideal for camping. What better way to experience the autumn season than sitting around a toasty campfire with family and friends or taking long walks under a colorful canopy of falling leaves?
And what’s Thanksgiving without great food, like turkey, stuffing, and all the trimmings? Since I’ve developed food sensitivities, I’ve learned to be creative when making a Thanksgiving meal without dairy or gluten. These days with good alternatives to milk and butter as well as gluten-free flours I can join in the holiday feast with everyone else. One of my favorite desserts is pumpkin pie. After years of trying different variations, I’ve finally found the right recipe that more than satisfies my cravings. I simply use a gluten-free graham cracker crust and soy or coconut milk instead of condensed milk. Around this time of year, I also like to bake pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, and anything else you can make with the ubiquitous squash.
The Thanksgiving season also causes me to reflect on the Pilgrims and the sacrifices they made coming to this country in search of religious freedom. As a child, I associated my mother’s Pilgrim decorations with the holiday, so as an adult I wanted a pair of Pilgrims for my own home. These days, it’s not so easy to find Pilgrim memorabilia. I finally found a pair of figurines at a holiday craft bazaar a few years ago. I also like to read books and watch movies and documentaries about the Pilgrims and the Mayflower to remind me of the first Thanksgiving in this country, which helps put things in their proper perspective.
With that in mind, the most important aspect of Thanksgiving for me is spending time with God and thanking Him for His blessings and abundance. That’s the main ingredient for a truly Happy Thanksgiving, and it’s a tradition I want to keep.
Whatever your traditions, may your holiday celebration be blessed with much joy, good food, and thankful hearts.
Join us tomorrow for Stop # 8 with Christa MacDonald. The links for Christa’s and all the blog stops can be found here: http://mountainbrookink.com/2018/10/23/2018-holiday-blog-tour/
AND Don’t forget to leave a comment below and enter the MBI Blog tour giveaway. (Void where prohibited by law.)
Happy Thanksgiving!
Gayla
P.S. Here’s a glance at my latest book, WILDFIRE:
Sparks fly when wildfire researcher Rachael Woodston clashes with firefighter Dylan Veracruz in Rocky Mountain National Park. The June fire season has just begun, yet a long-standing drought has already turned the park into a tinderbox. Rachael’s computer data indicates the fire Dylan’s crew is fighting is about to accelerate, but he doesn’t believe her—until the fire suddenly gets out of control and they have to evacuate.
Suspecting arson, Rachael and Dylan join forces in search of answers and soon discover that chasing fires isn’t all they have in common—they’re both survivors of deep loss. However, their difference of opinion about faith keeps them at arm’s length, despite a growing attraction. As the danger escalates, Rachael and Dylan soon find themselves in a firestorm they cannot escape. All seems lost until Rachael has a profound encounter that restores her faith and gives her hope. The close call also fuels her determination to stop the fiend behind the flames. But can she and Dylan solve the mystery and extinguish their enemy before disaster strikes again?
To Purchase WILDFIRE go to: https://amzn.to/2KhK7Ec
Stop #1: October 28 – Kimberly Rose Johnson
Stop #2: October 29 – Christina Coryell
Stop #3: October 30 – Mary Davis
Stop #4: October 31 – Angela Ruth Strong
Stop #5: November 1 – Susan Page Davis
Stop #6: November 2 – Amy K. Rognlie
Stop #7: November 3 – Gayla K. Hiss
Stop #8: November 4 – Christa MacDonald
Stop #9: November 5 – Linda Hanna & Deborah Dulworth
Stop #10: November 6 – Richard Spillman
Stop #11: November 7 – Annette M. Irby
Stop #12: November 8 – Miralee Ferrell
Stop #13: November 9 – Jeanette-Marie Mirich
Stop #14: November 10 – Anna Zogg
Stop #15: November 11 – Teresa H. Morgan
Stop #16: November 12 – Kelsey Norman
Stop #17: November 13 – Barbara J. Scott
Stop #18: November 14 – Patricia Lee
Stop #19: November 15 – Linda Thompson
Stop #20: November 16 – Janalyn Voigt
Stop #21: November 17 – Cynthia Herron
Stop #22: November 18 – Trish Perry
Stop #23: November 19 – Heather L.L. Fitzgerald
Stop #24: November 20 – Sara Davison
Stop #25: November 21 – Taylor Bennett
What are your favorite things about this time of year?
20 thoughts on “Thanksgivings Past and Present (A Holiday Blog Tour Stop #7)”
Hey Gayla, I enjoyed this blog post. In what part of Kentucky did your grandparents live? My wife, daughter, and I lived in Wilmore, Kentucky, about 15 miles southwest of Lexington for almost four years in the early 70s. I was in college and working full-time, so we spent Thanksgiving in Kentucky three years and had moved back home to Virginia before the next Thanksgiving rolled around. We missed going to Grandma’s house while we living there, but we managed to get back home for Christmas every year.
Thank you, Edward! My grandparents lived in western Kentucky, not far from Paducah. You lived in horse country around Lexington. Pretty area. We lived in Virginia Beach for a short time years ago. Virginia is a beautiful state.
I miss my younger days when we would gather at my Grandparents for Thanksgiving. It was a fun banter around a large table.
Me too, Melissa, but it sounds like we both have wonderful memories. That’s a blessing!
nice memories
Thank you! 🙂
Going to Gramma’s house was always a special time!!!! Thanx for shating your memories!!!
Hi, Jennifer, Yes, Grandmas are great, aren’t they?
We’re going to my brother’s a few days before. He lives about ten minutes from us. I can’t wait because I’ll see my ten year old grand-niece.
Hi, Beverly, That sounds like fun. I love to spend time with my nieces and nephews too. Have a great time!
I really liked the excerpt. I’ll be looking forward to reading Wildfire. Thank you for sharing your Thanksgiving beliefs and traditions. I love your Pilgrim figurines who definitely belong during this season.
Carol Luciano
Lucky4750 at aol dot com
Thank you, Carol! I hope you enjoy Wildfire. I learned a lot about firefighting writing that story. Glad you like my Pilgrims too. 🙂
Beautiful memories!
Thank you, Caryl! Good to hear from you!
This makes me long for the days when the whole family would get together to celebrate.
Yes, me too, Maria! Those are sweet memories.
Love your tradition of keeping the Pilgrims’ memory alive. It’s SO vital for us, and especially kids, to never forget this important part of our Nation’s history. 🙂
Thank you! I totally agree!
We visit my sister-in-law for Thanksgiving and stay for a few days. Even though we only live about four hours away, we don’t get to see her as often as we’d like. It’s always a great family time and we play our annual card game Skip-bo, while gorging ourselves on my homemade pumpkin pie and martinelli’s sparkling apple cider 🙂
That sounds like a fun way to spend Thanksgiving, Trixi! I’ve never played Skip-bo. I’ll have to check that out.
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