As we gear up for Canadian Thanksgiving, into my in-box lands an e-mail from a publicist (I get a lot of these). This one’s kinda neat: “Last Minute Ideas for Thanksgiving that Thank the Earth,” it says. I’ve heard of last-minute sales on roasting pans and cranberries, but earth appreciation?
The promotion is for an Edmonton-based “eco designer” who thinks we should be decorating our holiday tables with strung acorns for napkin rings and hollowed-out pumpkins for flower vases, not high-end earthenware gravy boats shaped like turkeys, or jacquard placemats accented in harvest gold.
According to the tag line, this designer “sees opportunity where most people only see waste.” Now, putting aside the mildly disgusting image this instantly brings to mind, I can see her point. It’s all about being grateful for the resources we have, and doing our planet a good turn by upcycling raw materials instead of consuming yet more junk leading to yet more landfill.
I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving (or “Thanksliving,” in the spirit of an eco-friendly holiday). And whether you’re eating from fine Danish porcelain dinnerware or a giant organic grape leaf, the important thing is you have food on your plate, and love all around you.
Be still my beating heart: Hands-down best use of a Thanksgiving pumpkin. PHOTO COURTESY OF LINDA BODO
50 Good Deeds 