Giving thanks

You probably know I'm not much on Pinterest. In fact, I deleted my account the second time I logged on. But, hey, that doesn't mean I'm not a sucker for an arts and crafts project every now and then. I saw this Thanksgiving wreath idea on another blog. Foam wreath immediately went on my shopping list.

But, well, you know, I live in a small town where my shopping options are limited. Walmart and Big Lots didn't have a foam wreath, but I found the wicker {Is that even the right word?} wreath shown above at The Dollar Tree. Yes, that means it was just $1. I got two bags of leaves there too. Really, I could have probably made do with one bag, but I wanted the variety of colors. Sucker, I tell you. So, if you're keeping track, that's $3 plus the 18 cents for tax for my wreath supplies.

I have a jar with the leaves and some narrow ribbon I already had from an impulsive dollar-bin purchase at Target some time ago. You know, a time when I was in a town with a Target. Anyway, the leaves and ribbon sit on my counter and for the next couple weeks we're going to talk about what we are thankful for. We meaning the kids too. Yes, even my boy, who isn't quite 3, has contributed. So what if he's thankful for movies and that Daddy comes home for dinner? Hey, some days I'm thankful for movies and Daddy coming home too.

Usually as I'm in the kitchen making dinner or cleaning up after dinner, we talk about our days and write down something for which we're thankful. Honestly, I do most of the writing for various: My son can't be trusted with a marker, much less a permanent one. My husband's handwriting would be illegible with the way the marker ink spreads on the leaves. My 5 1/2-year-old daughter is second in line for the Sharpie, but even some days her thing of thanks is too wordy to fit on a leave so she asks me write it, which I then abbreviate.

But it's the spirit of the activity, folks. And I'm looking forward to hanging it up. Yes, I may have leaves hanging in my house during December. But, again, it's about cultivating a spirit of thanksgiving and not so much about winning a crafty, home decor contest.
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