This is my eighty-fifth “On Whirlwind Hill” blog post. It doesn’t seem possible that I’m two-thirds of the way through this one-year blog.
The arrival of this Thanksgiving week reminds me how very grateful I am for the support of my family, my readers, my friends, and my aging computer. Writing a blog involves ego, humility, tedium, excitement, curiosity, joy, and occasional panic – (“Did I really publish THAT?”) Reading blogs written by other people reminds me how very much a beginner I am. I’m amazed at how generous and interesting and accomplished are the bloggers I follow, and how long some of them have been at this. I learn oodles of wonderful things from them all.
Doing “On Whirlwind Hill” is one of the scariest and most fun projects I’ve ever done. I often think about church ministers and pastors who sit down each Saturday to write a sermon for the next day. One of my readers is a pastor, and she must be continually thinking about how to make her congregation listen and relate to her preaching. Like her, we bloggers are preachers in a way. We all feel that we have something important and unique to say, and spend hours figuring out not only how to say it, but how to keep at it week after week.
So thank you to all my fellow bloggers, to the loyal readers for their kind and welcome words, to my family for roots past and present and future, and to the friends who teach and encourage and egg me on.
On Wednesday I’ll talk about Thanksgiving with a capital “T.” It was the biggest holiday on the farm, steeped in years of tradition and history.
“A View from Whirlwind Hill,” Carol Crump Bryner, watercolor, 2014
On Wednesday: Thanksgiving
Dear Carol,
We thank YOU so very much for your diligence and perseverance in doing the Whirlwind Hill blog! What a blessing it is for each of us who await Mondays and Wednesdays to race to the computer and continue to find out more about the farm. (And, yes, a quick peek on Friday in case there is an extra blog) Your writing revives our memories and keeps us in touch with family. So often we will call another family member or friend and share memories and thoughts aroused by a blog. So,dear cousin, keep up the great work. I hope you keep going past a year. And know how thankful we are to you for helping us put our history together! Much love and thanks, Nancy
Love and thanks to you, Nancy, for reading and for sharing your photos and stories.
Dear Carol, I agree with everything Nancy has said! You have given us an amazing gift which I treasure at least twice a week. Thank you, thank you , thank you.
Love, Ellen
You’re welcome, Ellen. And thank you for sharing family documents, letters, etc.
looking forward to your next reading-Thanksgiving Day remains a favorite for all! steeped in tradition from our father,Kirtland,and passed along to our whole family everywhere…just love all of the history opened up to us through On Whirlwind Hill…just love it-THANKS, Carol!! with Love and blessings to all our Hall lineage and their families… Edie Hall Seyler
So nice to hear from you Edie. A happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Ditto to all that.
(And … I don’t wish any extra posts on you unless that’s what you and Whirlwind Hill want and need. There’s something wonderful about knowing to savor this now.)
I love you. And very grateful to have you in my life.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Imagine sharing a chocolate eclair! Ahh!
Margy
And I’m grateful for you too. And, yes, wouldn’t that be wonderful to be eating some of those eclairs!
Carol – Thank you for the pleasure you have brought to me via your reflections on Whirlwind Hill. I did not grow up on a farm, but many of your thoughts resonate with my experience. I head for Anchorage today for Thanksgiving with Anna, Jim, Nina and friends. I will think of you as I enjoy my turkey, cranberry, corn pudding, pumpkin pie….xoxo Molly
Thank you Molly. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with Anna and family in Anchorage. Safe travels!
Hi Carol-
Thanks for doing this. I really enjoy reading each new episode.
Cousin Skip
You’re welcome, Skip. Good to hear from you. Glad you enjoy reading.
Hi Carol,
I have a history with your family. My parents and yours were friends and I also knew you folks at the Farms Country Club as well as having sold them furniture. I also have known Kirt and think very highly of him. I think I sold him his first clock from my furniture store in Wallingford.
You are doing an amazing job with your blog. I relish it every time it appears and I have saved all of them. I have the honor of writing a book called Legendary Locals of Wallingford. It will be published next year by Arcadia Publishing, a company that does this sort of history recording around the United States.
I was fortunate to have been chosen by them as a result of a video I have presented at the Wallingford Public Library several times, one of which brought attendance of over 300 people! Carol, I would love to be able to send you my standardized questionnaire to entice you to participate in the book.
Thank you for your beautiful offerings. Please let me know if you can supply me with a means of communication.
Thanks!
Tarn
I hope you’ll do it, Carol, and be in Tarn’s book. You ARE a Legendary Local, that’s for sure.
We’d all be so proud. xo
Hi Margy. Local, yes. I’m not so sure about the legend part. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving with your kids there.
How nice to hear from another Wallingford person. I’m glad you’re enjoying the Whirlwind Hill offerings. I am sending you a separate email about your project.
And we readers say “Thanks” with a capital T for taking on this project. It’s been a joy!
Every time I see your name I think of my mom. I’m very happy to share this project with you, and I’m very glad you enjoy it.
Carol, I’m just now catching up on the entries to your blog – I enjoy reading your posts so much. Sometimes I “binge read” because I’ve missed several days. I admire your hard work on this – it is daunting to have weekly (and more) deadlines looming. That’s one reason I’ve never attempted a blog – I’m not sure I could take one more deadline in my life! So I will enjoy yours, which brings back many good memories of Whirlwind Hill. Thank you!
Thanks, Sue. The deadlines are daunting, but sometimes I think I wouldn’t get things done without them!