November 17, 2011
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Thanksgiving is coming....
Thanksgiving approaching brings back the memories of hunting and eating with friends and family. This weekend is opening weekend for deer season here in Wisconsin. My son and I use to go out without issues or conflicts of work mainly because he was in school and not working. Now, with both of us working it's a planning issue and a blessing to have us both get off from work and ready for opening weekend. Last year I couldn't go because of work and so my son had a friend go along as my sub. Unfortunately, neither shot a deer last year but at least had a couple misses to talk about. This year we hope to get back on track towards filling up our very empty freezer.
This year's Thanksgiving will be quite special with my number one daughter and son-in-law visiting after having not seen them since Christmas of 2010.
My wife Lucy always makes a wonderful dinner and knows how to bring out the best of any season or holiday. She designs a "Thanksgiving Tree" and adheres it to a wall or door. It is only the trunk and bare branches which she puts up, there are no leaves. She places many fall colored paper punched leaves in a bowl on the kitchen table. The leaves are only about as big as a nickel and there's a couple sharpie pens next to the bowl for one to write on the leaves. We all write one or two words on a leaf describing what we are thankful for in our lives. Everyone is to write three or more things during their dinner meals, at that time the word food is one item which seems to come to mind first and gets written down early. We're not allowed repeats for no leaf is to be the same as another. These leaves are then placed on the bare branches, around the trunk or in the air as they might be falling gradually filling up the display over the days. I suppose you could have the leaves placed along a twirling horizontal path giving that windy day affect or how about a tornado? No leaf burning allowed. Everyone then may eventually see what is special in each others' lives. I say may because there is no name on each of the leaves. Then, looking at the tree makes one ponder the contents of each of the leaves and imagine who had written each one. So, whether old or young there are leaves going up to represent that for which you're grateful.
Most of all, I'm thankful for the friends, family and the one and only true God which sustains us all.
See below a picture of our Thanksgiving Tree. May you also see the benefit in counting your blessings and then "to be ye thankful in all things." - Col 3:15.
Go, have a successful hunt and a Happy Thanksgiving!
