ramblings from an arkansas farm girl
Good morning, Sunday Letter friends—
I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving (or at least survived it).
Today is the first Sunday of Advent. I love this time of year as we begin to anticipate the Christmas season and the birth of Jesus. The word Advent is derived from the Latin word “Adventus” which means coming in Latin.
My house is still decorated for Thanksgiving but over the next few days, I will put away the turkey decor and bring on the holly-jolly.
But first…
Dear Sunday Letter friends,
This morning my heart is full of gratefulness, and I want to share it with you.
I just returned from a weekend nature-writing retreat at Rockvale Writers’ Colony in middle Tennessee. What a fabulous three days! I’ll probably write more about my experiences there, but for now I’ll just say I came home with a big dose of Vitamin N (Vitamin Nature). The owner of the colony referred to the experience as soul-keeping, and that’s exactly what it was, taking a little time to tend to myself, to immerse myself in nature, to just be.
You know, we go to the doctor to get our bodies tuned up. We try to eat right and get a little physical exercise, but how often do we do those things that really soothe our minds and souls?
Well, I intend to do a better job of it.
Now, as we approach Thanksgiving, I am ever-so-thankful for the way fall came on slowly this year, so slowly I worried we wouldn’t see fall color at all. And, as the leaves began to turn, they kept turning and turning until the landscape around our house truly became glorious. The color may even hang on until Thanksgiving.
Today I’m sharing tips on how to make a charcuterie board. This is my new favorite thing to create for any type of get-together. If there’s one thing Covid has taught me, it’s to make even the smallest gatherings festive.
Making a charcuterie board isn’t rocket science, but there is an art to creating a beautiful arrangement. Charcuterie boards have become so popular, catering businesses create entire grazing tables for parties and events, charging $60 per square foot (as though buying real estate). So yes, knowing how to make one can come in handy no matter the size of your gathering—from a few couples to a wedding.
(Unsplash)
The definition of charcuterie according to Merriam-Webster is a delicatessen specializing in dressed meats and meat dishes. Also, the products sold in such a shop.
Over time, we’ve taken the French word charcuterie and made it fit our personal tastes, made it generic. What I’m trying to say is I sometimes make charcuterie boards without meat. But in the true sense of the word, it would include dry salami and Italian prosciutto.Continue Reading
