Carving the Table on Thanksgiving

This year we started a new tradition at our house on Thanksgiving day. I had been thinking about the idea for several weeks leading up to the holiday. What got me thinking about it was the knowledge that this year Miss Tammy and I would be joined by my oldest daughter Jen and her family from Kentucky and my son Matt with his family from Florida. That would mean there would be twelve of us together for Thanksgiving dinner. It has been years since we've had a crowd that size at our table for the holiday. Who knows how long it will be before we are together again. I wanted to do something we would all remember.

So, while the last of the dinner goodies were being prepared and the turkey was roasting in the oven I announced to Matt and my son-in-law Grant that their project for the day was to see that all their family members names were carved into the top of our dining room table.

Our dining table is one I acquired while in the antiques business several years ago. It's a really cool 1850's cotton sorting table with a drawer and turned legs and retains the early painted surface. The original top was damaged when I found it. I removed and kept the top replacing it with two old wide pine boards and finished them with several coats of tinted shellac. When I announced the name carving project there were several "are you sure" comments from the family. I was sure.

After a little practice on a piece of scrap paper, the names or initials, which ever was preferred were written in permanent marker on the table, and then carved deeply into the table top. It takes a while to carve a name into a pine board. By the end of the day a lot of progress had been made. We also had additional family members visit us and there names have been added to the table. They'll have to visit again soon to continue the carving project.

When all the names are cut in I'll stain the carved areas with a darker color and then finish with more shellac. It will look like the names have been there a long time.

The last year has been long one. Dad passed away in the fall of 2010. The following holiday season in the retail business where I work was hectic. Miss Tammy was diagnosed with breast cancer in January and the resulting surgeries and chemo regimen have taken their toll. Our list of important things and priorities has been dramatically rearranged.

We had a wonderful visit with family. Yesterday they all had to leave to get back home to jobs and life. It's quiet at our house tonight. But you know, every time we sit at our dining table there will be laughter and fun and kids and smiles and memories there with us. And there's talk that our new tradition may be making its way to Kentucky and Florida. I hope so.

And it all started when we carved the table on Thanksgiving.