Gifted Corn

And the rest had become a hidey-cave for sleeping small animals –

that I finally noticed that there was actually CORN on these things, still nestled inside the little shuck cocoons that studded the stalks.  First I was curious about what I’d find inside the purple shucks, so I braved the husk cuts (and there were many in the end), pulled open the shucks, and found this glorious surprise:

Indian corn is one of my FAVORITE THINGS OF ALL TIME.  But I thought you could only get the stuff at grocery stores.  It’s not like I ever just found any on my own in the wild.  Finding this was the same kind of epiphany I had that time I helped my roommate’s parents harvest their garden potatoes – it had never ever occurred to me in my day-to-day mind that you could find food treasures in the dirt.  (Yeah – I’m culturally deprived.)

After I found that first ear, I started wondering what I’d find inside the normal old white-boy husks.  So I began to open those – and THIS is what I found: inCREDible.  Lovely, lustrous, wildly colored ears of fabulous corn.  It was better than Cracker Jacks, better than Easter hunts – it was AMAZING, the treasure hidden at the core.

Okay – can you see the almost pattern in this ear?  I begin to wonder if native American beading started because somebody found an ear like this and realized that you can make patterns with kernals? And LOOK at these colors.  Better than flowers, even –

So each time I opened a new one, I ran in and stuck it into my gourd basket till I had this lovely heap of riches on my hearth.

I do believe that I love harvest best of all the year.  Better than the lush greens and pastels of spring, better than the deep pine green and gold and red shimmer of the Christmas fest.

I

A not so formal feast.  My mother’s red glasses.  The platter from the old Franciscan, a few mongrel gravy boats I’ve picked up here and there, sparkly cider (why?  It really tastes kind of ratty), a pitcher from Cam and L’s wedding, the new Thanksgiving candle and the new chargers.

Chaz made pumpkin pie and, as is traditional, laid out the table in fine style.

We had to take pictures in shifts, as Scoots – who was supposed to be napping, wouldn’t.

We had our dinner on Wednesday so Cam and L could celebrate Thursday with other fam.  We didn’t know how it would feel, having Thanksgiving dinner on a Wednesday.  But it was cool.  We ran an errand in the morning, and saw this huge line outside the new In and Out Burger – and I was thinking, why the heck would these people be buying burgers on Thanksgiving?  But it was actually just Wednesday.  Even though it FELT like Thanksgiving to us.

So today, on the very day itself, we went to my brother’s house, where my lovely sister L (yes, another L) made us a beautiful dinner, much different than the one I had made (read: better).

My swell bother, the computer geek.

M

A very serious man.

And L, who hasn’t killed him yet.  And made this gorgeous dinner even though she and her man are on strict food rules these days.  Their recent moment of fame.

And Chaz, helping to get dinner on the table in the tradition of both our families’ children.

And various and sundry cousins – as they were rousted out of their hiding places.