Our New England Thanksgiving
The Enduring Hearth: Finding Yesteryear in Our New England Thanksgiving
The air is sharp and carries the promise of woodsmoke and pie. Here in New England, Thanksgiving arrives not just on a date, but in a feeling—a profound anchor in the midst of the season's change. This year, as the bare branches of Stick Season frame our kitchen windows, we find ourselves reflecting on the enduring hearths that shaped our gratitude and the beautiful contrasts that defined our upbringing.
This is a day to honor the quiet beauty of tradition, to gather warmth, and to celebrate the simple magic of family—both found and inherited.
The Grand Gathering: A Litchfield Hills Legacy (Mike)
For me, Thanksgiving is forever steeped in the warmth of the Litchfield Hills, Connecticut. It was a pilgrimage to my Aunt Joann and Uncle Dick’s iconic Saltbox home—a structure that felt less like a house and more like a vessel of perpetual, bubbling warmth. The house itself was a character, layered in the scent of butter, sage, and decades of laughter.
The day was always a grand, joyful collision of family. It was a chaotic, beautiful masterpiece of aunts, uncles, and cousins moving through rooms filled with the gleam of polished wood and the sounds of the 90s playing faintly in the background. My memory isn't just of the feast, but of the immense, generous effort required to house all that love. It was a loud, full-hearted gathering that taught me the sheer, expansive joy of hospitality and the comfort of inherited tradition. That warmth, that chaos, and that legacy of connection still burn bright at the core of my heart.
The Quiet Strength: Simple Traditions and Enduring Values (Mark)
Mark’s Thanksgiving table held a different, quieter grace. His upbringing with his beloved grandmother centered on simple, traditional values, where the day was about quality over quantity. The meals were smaller, the conversations deeper, and the work—the hard, honest effort of creating a perfect meal with limited means—was the foundation of the day's gratitude.
This was a lesson in resilience and quiet strength. In that small, focused setting, the act of giving thanks for the simple harvest and the enduring bond of family was powerful and wholly present. Mark’s roots taught him that the true spirit of the holiday is found not in the size of the gathering, but in the sincerity of the heart brought to the table.
Our Blended Hearth: The Golden Rule at the Center
Today, our hearth is a blend of these two beautiful worlds. We carry the generous, expansive spirit of the Litchfield gathering alongside the grounded, quiet strength of the small, cherished meal. We honor the lessons from our grandmothers and aunts who taught us that the Golden Rule begins at home, in the kitchen, and at the dinner table.
As the sun sets low over our New England landscape and we prepare our own simple spread, we are grateful for the enduring framework of family, for the quiet of our country road, and for the grace of sharing this journey with you.
From the deepest part of our hearts, we wish you a Thanksgiving filled with the aroma of cherished memories, the comfort of honest food, and the boundless warmth of community, however you choose to define it.
Happy Thanksgiving from our hearth to yours.
— Mike & Mark, Chroniclers of the Country Road
