Hello all! With Thanksgiving coming up, I have been feeling nostalgic. Do you remember some of the projects we did when y’all were little to encourage you to concentrate on the things you were thankful for? In case you don’t, let me refresh your memories. One year you each could take a construction paper “link” each day and write on it (or have Daddy or I write on it for those of you too little to write what you were thankful for. Of course, the links were fall colors – I do love a theme. We put the links together to make a chain of thankfulness which we draped in the dining room. Two or three years later we did the tree of thankfulness. Sarah painted a tree trunk on the ever present newsprint which we got for free from the Tribune, and I painstakingly cut out autumn leaves (again, fall colored construction paper) for you to write your ‘thankfulnesses’ to glue onto the background. (I discovered several years later that one can actually buy fall leaf cutouts.)
Recently Daddy and I were going through the foot lockers full of keepsakes. They had unfortunately been stored in the shed behind the church building here, and the contents all suffered some water damage (or at least dampness) to a greater or lesser degree. I came across the chain and the tree. Despite their mustiness, they still convey to me a sense of cute little kids wanting to express their gratitude for things large and small. I thought y’all might get a kick out of hearing some of the things you were most thankful for. Of course, during each time you all expressed thankfulness for each other, Daddy and me, grandparents, etc. So I didn’t list any of those, only some of the more unusual ones for you. When there is a name attached I have listed that. Otherwise they were anonymous. Here goes:
God and Jesus, Holy God – Sarah
Being a little girl in a sweet loving home
Three things, God, Jesus and the holey Ghost (Original spelling)
Puzzles
Typewriter – Robbie
Thank you God for not letting me have a broken knee
Christmas trees with windup song – Robbie (Anyone know what he’s referring to?)
Flowers
Shelter, clothes, food – Emily
Chicken – Robbie
Sunsets
Being able to stay home with the kids – me
Pencils – Laura
For Science Fiction and TV – Sarah
Animals, especially cats, horses and bears
For meadows and flowers and forests. And we are able to do as we please unlike other countries – Sarah
Trips alone with Bob – Me
Coming home to little ones – also me!
Zana and piano lessons
Pigs
All cats – “Guess who”
Casey and Fuzzy – Emily
Making Angel Grandpa better
Jeff and Judy
Christmas – Sarah (I assume she meant the holiday, not the dog, since this was pre-doggie, I’m sure)
The sky – Laura
Bed – Laura (Hmmm, not much has changed.)
Little kids’ funny words, e.g. “citizen toast!” – Me
Imagination
Good books
Toys
Cookie Monster – Robbie
Butterflies – Robbie
Our (use to) pool – Laura (Not sure what this is referring to either.)
On the year of the chain, Daddy wrote these links:
For my father who taught me the manly art of gentleness
For my mother who never let on if she thought my dreams were silly or impossible
For Mary – my very best friend and God’s helpmate for me
For Sarah – my “little princess “ (read the book) to whom God has given a deep caring heart
For Emily – whose courage and confidence come from God and whose heart belongs to her family
For Robbie – who chose me for his best friend
For Laura – who is more entertaining than TV (and cuddlier too!)
This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the little kids you were and the adults you have become. I love you all.
Mommy
We took a warm break inside by the bathroom.
The victors slap hands with the losers. Ah, sweet victory.
