I think Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s about being with family and friends and sharing the bounty of life, or whatever it is that life is about this year. Whether it’s feast or feathers, at some point, everyone sits down at a shared table, and that’s where the pottery comes in.

At our house, there’s pottery everywhere. There’s the stuff I’ve made over the years. And then there’s the pottery my wife and I have collected over the last 30 years, and it’s mostly all stuff we use all the time. It’s an eclectic table with mugs and bowls and plates and serving dishes and lots of little things – some match, some don’t, but they all belong.

Tonight, my mother-in-law had dinner with us. She suggested we ought to have a room for our pottery. I quipped back that we do, and we’re in it. Then she pointed out that there’s pottery in every nook and cranny in the place. That made me feel happy. Looking over it all, I wonder what the potters are doing now? I wonder if they would be happy knowing some of their work gets lots of use in our house? I know I would. As we’re getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, I’m having fun looking at each piece of pottery we’re handling, thinking about where each came from, or when it was made. The table will be set with old friends, in wait for family and friends to arrive. I think that’s what I like so much about Thanksgiving.

And the food, too, of course. Best wishes for a very happy Thanksgiving celebration for you and yours!