eG Foodblog: racheld - Thanksgiving and Goodwill

[racheld]

Thank you all for reading so far. It's been just a delight to be able to share our home and our Holiday with you.

I've mentioned earlier that we'll be traveling in a couple of hours to visit with our children and Grandchildren, who are now a couple of hours South of here, at their other Grandparents' house. I'll be leaving you until late tonight, but I want to leave you with a little gift that's been a long time in the making, and still has a way to go.

The STORY:

Several years ago, our daughter and Granddaughter came to live with us, and stayed a year and a half. Gracie was just two-and-a-half when they came to us, and was with me every day, in and out of the kitchen, the garden, out and about for groceries and museums and parks. We formed a wonderful bond, and are still marvelously close to this day, despite the distance between us. She has her Mom and a wonderful new Stepfather, as well as a dainty/sturdy little sister, who is now the age that Gracie was then.

That Christmas that they lived here, Gracie and her mother gave me a tiny teaset, a doll-sized little affair, with wee cups and saucers, and all the needfuls for doll-tea.

That next Summer, after they had moved away, they were back for a visit. We were sitting around the table after a good supper together, when Chris said, "Why don't we all go Maggie Moo's for ice cream? My Treat!!" I said I'd just stay and do up the dishes, and Gracie said, "I'd rather stay with you."

What a lovely compliment!!! And as we cleared the kitchen, she pointed to the little shelf with the teaset. "I want to wash THAT," she said. And so we got her little step-stool; I put a small plastic pan into the sink to avoid mishaps, filled it with warm soapy water, and she washed. I dried, and then she wanted to have tea. So we sat down; she poured; we sipped.

Then she looked up, reached, caught, and put something into the teapot. She kept at this until she heard no more, and said, "Now they're safe, the Fairies."

We continued our tea, Family returned, and so to bed. I sat down here and dashed off a little story for her, and then months later, I decided to make it into a little booklet for her Christmas present. I found some enchanting fairies online, and wrote to ask the artist if I might use some for a one-of-a-kind little booklet.

She asked to read the poem, and wrote back that she'd like to do some watercolors for it. So she did, and is still sending sketches of the ongoing group of paintings.

Some of them have been in "faerie books" published in England, including one of her own, and the latest Linda Ravenscroft features the teapot as its backcover art.

So, for all of you who have children, please accept this and read it to them; for all of you who just enjoy a little story, please enjoy, and for all of my eGullet friends, thank you from my heart for being so kind and supportive of my little scribblings.

rachel

FAIRY TEA

One nice summer day in August, everyone was out and gone;

Save for Gracie and her Ganjin, who had stayed at home alone.

They were sitting at the table, both enjoying Fairy Tea,

After washing up the teaset, gently, oh so carefully.

In the pan of soft warm water, they so gently washed each cup

Gracie did the careful washing; Ganjin did the drying up.

Tiny muffins, crumpets, teacakes, set upon on the table there

All beside the steaming teapot---Oh, what tasty fairy fare!!

Fairy tea has its own magic, for it never does run out,

And the flavor you imagine will come streaming from the spout.

So each person at the table conjures up her favorite kind--

Lemon, thimbleberry, moonbeam, what the drinker has in mind.

And you never spill it on you, even if you drop your cup,

Its enchantment keeps it safely; you just reach and pick it up.

And the pot stays warm forever, until washed and put away.

It will last the longest teatime, for an hour or a day.

So they sat there sipping, pouring, tasting different kinds of tea;

When they heard a noise above them, a soft humming like a bee.

And then Gracie looked up, listening, hearing hums of fairy flight;

Then she reached up, caught one gently, put it safely out of sight.

In the sugarbowl it rested, lying softly in the sweet

As she reached for several others, placed them gently on their feet

On the cakeplate, where they sampled tender crumbs of cake and pie,

While she kept on catching fairies, as they kept on floating by.

Some she put in cups and saucers, and a few she hid away

In the creamer, where they frolicked, swimming, giggling in their play.

In the teapot went a dozen, with the cover, softly laid,

And they yawned and stretched and nestled, as the light began to fade.

Gracie made the fairies welcome, with a place to spend the night,

With a lot of downy pillows, cushions, blankets softest white,

Then she laid some bits of napkin all across the cups and bowls,

So they’d all be safe and comfy, air-conditioned by the holes.

Gracie worked her childhood’s magic, as the night grew soft and deep,

And she leaned down close and whispered: “You’ll be safe here; go to sleep.”

But somewhere a Fairy Poacher tracked their whereabouts to there,

And he took a Bumbletaxi, coming buzzing through the air.

For it’s a fact, and we all know, that Poachers cannot fly,

And could not catch a fairy, when they’re soaring through the sky.

So he had to catch them sleeping, but he could not find their nest.

They surround themselves with magic, when they lay them down to rest.

He’d been sent to find some fairies, for a circus far away,

He meant to catch some, and be gone, before the break of day.

But he’d been a long time traveling, and was hungry from his flight,

So he sat down on the table, and ate everything in sight.

Crumpets, muffins, little cupcakes, all the sandwiches cut small;

Jam and cream and scones and teacakes—he sat there and ate it all.

Then he reached for that small teapot, tried to pour himself a cup;

But he couldn’t make the tea pour; magic had the spout stopped up.

So he peeked down through the spouthole, and he saw them lying there,

And he squeezed into the teaspout, so’s to catch them unaware.

But those crumpets, scones, and teacakes made his tiny self too wide

And he woke them with his shouting, as he tried to squeeze inside.

He was stuck, and could not move, and thus was trapped inside the spout.

He was dangling, just above them, though his feet were hanging out.

And his little face grew redder, from his being stuck so tight;

So the fairies all took pity, and they freed him from his plight.

Then the Poacher was SO sorry, and he swore to mend his ways;

Now he’s poaching eggs at Denny’s, and he’s cooking Hollandaise.

As for Gracie and her Ganjin, they still hostess Fairy Tea,

People come, and sit, and visit, but the only ones who SEE

Are those who believe in magic, and that dreams, indeed, come true.

You’re invited ANY teatime. And we all BELIEVE----Do YOU?

I hope so.

rachel

Edited November 25, 2006 by racheld (log)

[Swisskaese]

That is beautiful Rachel and the watercolors are also very beautiful. What a wonderful Grandmother you are. I always treasured when my Great-Aunt Erna, may she rest in peace, came to visit and fill my head with stories of two mischievous children named Pumpernickle and Pimpernel. We begged her to publish her stories, but she never did. You brought back wonderful memories of her telling me those stories and speaking to me in French during my summer vacations.

[ghostrider]

Always loved your various signature lines from Fairy Tea. Nice to see the whole thing in one place.

Hope your Hall pots are well & whole.

Thanks for this wonderful blog.

[srhcb]

As for Gracie and her Ganjin, they still hostess Fairy Tea,

People come, and sit, and visit, but the only ones who SEE

Are those who believe in magic, and that dreams, indeed, come true.

You’re invited ANY teatime.    And we all BELIEVE----Do YOU?

I hope so.

rachel

←

Steve and Zach will be there.

"Magic is Afoot" - Leonard Cohen

SB (likes the Buffy St Marie version best )

[Carrot Top]

You know I've had the good fortune to have read in full that poem of yours before, Rachel.

Yet each time my eyes (and my heart) take it in, I am astonished anew at the power it holds.

  And we all BELIEVE----Do YOU?

←

Yes, I do, ma'am.

(Though I must admit to a terrible impulse rising within me to poke that Poacher quite sharply in his behind several times with a sharp sewing pin before he's allowed free from the pot. )

Thank you for sharing your magic with us this week.

[Ann_T]

Oh Rachel, to think I almost missed your Blog. What a tragedy that would have been.

I've enjoyed my morning spent with you getting caught up. You have a way with words that paint a picture and now that you are posting photos , well that is just a bonus.

The shared grandmother stories are so special. No one was more important to me than my beloved grandmother. We, my parents and my older brother lived in my grandparents home for the first 5 years of my life and when I was two months old my mom was in the hospital for a couple of months. So it was my grandmother that I bonded with. My great grandmother also lived with us. When I was 5 we moved to the house next door so my grandparents continued to be a daily part of my life. I spent more time there then I did my own home. I know that I got my love of food from my grandmother. She has been gone now for 23 years and I still have moments when I feel the need to talk to her .

Your poem and the story behind it brought me to tears. The relationship you share with Gracie is something very special.

I wish your blog could go on indefinitely.

Ann

[MarketStEl]

Thank you all for reading so far.  It's been just a delight to be able to share our home and our Holiday with you.

The pleasure, dear Rachel, is ours entirely.

As for Gracie and her Ganjin, they still hostess Fairy Tea,

People come, and sit, and visit, but the only ones who SEE

Are those who believe in magic, and that dreams, indeed, come true.

You’re invited ANY teatime.    And we all BELIEVE----Do YOU?

←

Oh, I do now. How could I not help but be convinced by this charming tale and lovely poem? And the illustrations are just as beautiful.

I assume this has been published? If it hasn't, what are you waiting for?

[judiu]

Rachel, thank you SO much for sharing your wonderful holiday, brilliant poetry and magnificent illustations. You've turned what promised to be a rotten day into a lovely one!

[SuzySushi]

What a wonderful story!!! You really should publish it -- it could become a classic.

[Pan]

Rachel,

Your Thanksgiving feast looked amazing, and that fairy story is so cute!

[eje]

rachel,

What a beautiful blog and spectacular Thanksgiving Dinner. It made me feel as if I was back at my Aunt's in the Midwest for Christmas.

Thanks so much!

[Smithy]

That's a WONDERFUL story, and the pictures to go with it are PERFECT. How fortunate: for you, that the fairies were willing to pose for the artist; for Gracie, that's you're so insightful and clever; for us, that you're so willing to share.

You've added yet another blessing to this holiday season. May the blessings return manifold to you.

[Abra]

It's so nice to finally have time to sit with your blog, so cozy and homey and old-fashioned in the best possible. Thank you for sharing your week with us, Rachel!

[Cadbury]

What a fantastic poem, Rachel, and a most enjoyable blog. My little Rachel is sitting here wondering why her Mummy has tears rolling down her cheeks. I'm sure she'll enjoy the poem, I just don't think I could read it out loud yet without becoming a jibbering mess.

[Marlene]

Racheld, that was a most lovely poem. Tonight, as my son prepared to bid his final goodbyes to his grandmother, I read it to him. At the almost ancient age of 14, when he's too "cool" to be emotional, he asked to print it out to lay with her when she "takes wings".

Our Thanksgiving is long past, but yours has reminded me again how thankful we should all be at all times for good food, good friends, and close family.

Thank you.

[racheld]

I assume this has been published?  If it hasn't, what are you waiting for?

←

It takes a LONG time to paint all the pictures for a verse-by-verse book, and she's quite in demand by firms that actually PAY her the fees that her work commands. I just started out needing a few little things to print out and stick in a booklet, and it's just such fun to see the pictures in and on books, and little snippets of the verse inside, with credit to Gracie and me.

But it's very nice that you think it should be.

We'll save you the moustache cup.

[racheld]

Marlene,

That was more touching and more valuable to me than all the publication in the world. What a sweet thing to do!! I've known from your posts that you have a very special young man there.

Thank you for telling me.

rachel

[racheld]

That is beautiful Rachel and the watercolors are also very beautiful. What a wonderful Grandmother you are.

Thank you so much---I can take no credit for the pictures; I picked her off the internet, and she just ran with the idea. The Grandmother part is one of my favorite and proudest accomplishments. I'm glad it provided you with a good memory to savor.

rachel

[racheld]

Always loved your various signature lines from Fairy Tea.  Nice to see the whole thing in one place.

Hope your Hall pots are well & whole.

Thanks for this wonderful blog.

←

Thank you so much, fellow pot-collector!! I appreciate your kindness, and the Halls, McCormicks, et al, are all well, but perhaps dusty during this hectic time.

I'm glad you are enjoying this; I certainly am, and wish I had had more time to do it justice.

rachel

[racheld]

Steve and Zach will be there.

Ahhh!!! We'll be delighted. Five lumps or six?

[racheld]

You know I've had the good fortune to have read in full that poem of yours before, Rachel.

Thank you for sharing your magic with us this week.

←

You're quite welcome, and have been tossing around a little magic, yourself. Always glad to hear from you, and thank YOU.

rachel

[racheld]

Oh Rachel, to think I almost missed your Blog.  What a tragedy that would have been.

Your poem and the story behind it brought me to tears. The relationship you share with Gracie is something very special.

I wish your blog could go on indefinitely.

Ann

←

Well, I'm glad you found it---always good to hear from you. I'm glad you enjoyed today's little surprise, and I appreciate your kind words. I, too, wish I had more time to do justice to what I meant to do, but I'll give it my best in the next two days.

Thank you,

rachel

[racheld]

Rachel, thank you SO much for sharing your wonderful holiday, brilliant poetry and magnificent illustations. You've turned what promised to be a rotten day into a lovely one! 

←

I'm SO glad. Wow.

Thank you so much, and I hope tomorrow is wonderful.

rachel

[racheld]

What a wonderful story!!! You really should publish it -- it could become a classic.

←

My goodness!! What a lovely thing to say!! I wish we could, but it takes time and depends on lots of things. But the artist is amazing, isn't she?

Thank you so much,

rachel

[racheld]

Rachel,

Your Thanksgiving feast looked amazing, and that fairy story is so cute!

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I thank you, sir, and wish I could be in some of your concert halls this holiday season.

rachel