The simplicity of a pear salad during winter dining brings the bounty of fruit to the table — our special place to gather with our family and friends. Slice pears into linear halves and remove the center sections. Cut a parallel small cut on the outside of each of the pears so that the pears sit flat. Place the pears with the hollow sides up. Fill the hollow sides with pitted apricot halves. Fill each apricot halve with goat cheese. It’s a colorful and simplistic presentation.

I also find simplicity in sewing. I am a generational quilter. Years ago, women frequently gathered to share their sewing projects. As a child, I recall the endless laughter and camaraderie that was enjoyed during the sewing sessions. I find it a loss that many women do not know how to sew today. It is a loss of the skill and it is a loss of the conversational skill. My suggestion is to host a lovely winter tea. Provide samples of cloth with needles and thread. Demonstrate simple stitches and listen to the conversation and bonding soar. Laughter and camaraderie are delightful forms of simplicity. We all have simple days but sometimes when we touch the life of another we make our own lives better through that basic simplicity. Emily Dickinson once wrote:

“Don’t put up my Thread and Needle —
I’ll begin to Sew
When the Birds begin to whistle —
Better Stitches — so — ”

Your table may offer many blessings and bounty; but, the best gift from the table is the simple gift from your heart. Kelly McBride Loft