giving thanks

Technically it's a little late for Thanksgiving, I know. But giving thanks is supposed to be a lifestyle choice, right? If thankfulness is an every day thing then I'm right on schedule.

We had a great Thanksgiving this year. A few days earlier on a trip to Ikea Kendra and I saw these crazy napkins and we got the idea that they'd make great turkeys. (Actually, I'm pretty sure the whole thing was Gord's idea :) A little construction paper, a little glue and we had a row of these fine fellows to set each place. Before long the spices were out and it was time to make pie. Is there anything quite as wonderful as walking into a kitchen that smells like pie? We had pumpkin pie and apple pie and cherry pie. Kendra makes great pie. I highly recommend it.I tried something new with the decorations this year. For the past several years I've done leaf garlands over the fireplace, but I don't have that fireplace anymore so it was time to try something new. There's a crazy commercial for Safeway that has been playing these past few weeks. There's this perfect, Martha Stewart set-up right down to little pumpkins in the trees outside and soup served in little carved out gourds. Then they pan to the kitchen where there's a store bought Safeway pumpkin pie still in the box. Riiiiiiiiiiiight.

On the table in one of the shots they have flower arrangements set in gourds as vases and they looked beautiful so I thought I'd give it a shot.Not bad for a first attempt. I was pleased with the way it turned out. I made a pair of them and we took them over to Shannon & Gord's for the feast. We set up the table and it was the perfect backdrop for a drop dead delicious turkey. MMMmmmmmmm. In looking back over these photos I realized that I've got pictures of all the accoutrements, but none of the people. Whoops. I am thankful for the colours and smells of Fall. I am thankful for the beauty painted so carefully across the landscape. But I much more thankful that wherever I turned my eye that day I saw people I hold dear.

Thankfulness is all in the details. It's in taking a moment to notice what has been done with you in mind whether that's all the work of cooking a feast or cooking the peppers on the side (just for me). Thankfulness is a state of mind. And I am thankful. Still.