Thanksgiving holds the prime spot in my heart for holidays. 

When our family was young we tried to fill the table with other transplants to Denver. I embroidered a special table cloth to fit the table with all of the leaves in it, and loved setting a pretty table. We were all young and everybody brought something to round out the meal. One bachelor brought his coffee cake and ever since we enjoy Wacker cake as we prepare the meal. 

When we moved away we became guests instead of hosts. I was grateful to  enjoy other families' traditions. It reinforced my opinion that Thanksgiving is the best holiday. Here are ten reasons why.

1)   It’s less tainted with commercialism than Christmas. I’ve never heard  grandchildren clamor for a giant inflatable turkey.

2)   It’s an important reminder of our country’s origin, the desire for religious freedom on one hand, and the conflict with Native Americans.

3)   Our communities noticeably pause their frenetic pace of life. I've actually seen adults and kids at play in their yards. Until recently, stores have had shorter hours. 

4)   The day is used to share ourselves — time, traditions, a feast.

5)   We add others' traditions, like the Wacker cake. In North Carolina women make home made macaroni and cheese to place on the side board buffet. Oh, yum. I’ll miss that this year.

6)  The traditional menu is as close to a symbolic meal as we Americans get, short of Passover. Our menu at least has roots in what we think Squanto and the ninety warriors brought to the Pilgrims: wild turkeys, pumpkins, probably corn, and mussels and lobster. Check out this Smithsonian site for more information.

7)    The day is relaxing. We don’t rush. The meal is designed for conversation. (And our TV doesn't go on until after.) And there's even time to make a craft with the kids like these turkey cookies. 

8).    Thanksgiving sets a time boundary to keep Christmas at bay until December. I savor each holiday more that way.

9).    Even if I’m in charge of the meal, it means no-cook days later. I look forward to the left-overs as much as the fresh dinner.  

10.).  Thanksgiving has fewer expectations than Christmas. We can roll with no pumpkin pie easier than the disappointment of gifts missing the mark. 

I have some holes in my arsenal of Thanksgiving foods. Please share your best pecan pie recipe, best mac and cheese, and favorite “rite”, or special observance of gratitude. 

Wacker Cake:

Cream 1/2 pound softened butter and 1 cup sugar.

Add 3 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together: 2 1/2 cups flour, 3 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp. baking soda. Add to the creamed sugar mix. 

Fold in the sour cream.

Put into greased and floured bundt pan.

Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of cake along with chopped nuts and about 3/4-1 cup chocolate chips. 

Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool before
removing from bundt pan. 

   

A tradition in time for 2015 Birthdays

This young lady inspired a very special birthday tradition.  I share it with you now so you'll have time to pass it along in your family.

On the big day her grandmother circled up the celebrants, and gave the birthday girl a smooth stone etched with the figure of a bear. She told her granddaughter an (invented) Native American legend that wishes made for another person while holding the stone would come true. 

Nan Jan folded the stone between her two hands and made a silent wish then passed it to the next person. The girl's aunt then voiced her own wish for the niece to have some exciting adventure during the coming year. 

When handed to the cousin, he squeezed his eyes shut and pressed the rock in one hand while mumbling under his breath, desiring that a new friend be added to her relationships. 

Grandpa hoped she'd have a fantastic time at her first week-long camp away from home. And so on around the circle until it came back to the young lady.

The bear of course was just a means to affirm a beloved child. Placed on the shelf above her bed, she'd look at the stone and remember the people that loved her and rooted for her success in every endeavor. 

Like the old fashioned blessing from a patriarch, pastor or priest, the ceremony confirmed her value as part of the family, and within the wider world. It was a confidence builder. 

Don't we want every child we know to receive those gifts! 

Reciprocal Impact of Grandparents and Grandchildren

This absentee grandma doesn't have as much influence on her grandchildren as she would like. So for this summer's visit I planned a few activities that I hoped would develop character, strengthen core values, and make a lasting impression. 

One was a minor success. 

The children occasionally learn Bible verses in their Sunday School classes at home. To encourage the habit I gave each of the kids a small leather card holder and blank cards on which they could write a Bible verse. They wrote the verse on the card first and repeated it a few times. Then, word by word, they wrote each word on a colored shot glass. We scrambled the cups, then raced to see how quickly they could reassemble the sentence correctly. 

"That went well" I told myself. 

tough FBI man

Some days later they invented a cops and criminals game.  Sam created an FBI badge on the reverse side of his memory card, and folded the holder so that he could flip it open. I suspect he will remember the FBI badge longer than the spiritual lesson I envisioned. I reminded myself that creativity is an important trait too. 












More satisfying for us all, we made a list of blessings during the trip. It's a chronicle of the fun we enjoyed (and a record of the kids' spelling development.)  I've hung it near my desk where I can savor it often.  

#3  grandparents that love me

#15 making "carmel" corn with grandma

#30 jumping off the diving board with Sam

Sometimes I don't clearly see how I affect the grandkids, but their impact on me shines from every line. I'll cherish this list of memories until it's too faded to read. 

13 Reasons to start a Journal in 2013

1. The time you take to reflect and write may be the only solitude you get. Psychology Today says solitude improves relationships and fosters problem solving. Who doesn’t need that! 

a beautiful journal from paperblanks

2. Defeat thought-scatter. When one thought leads to another so fast I can’t keep up, I need to slow the synapses! Writing helps. The must-do list loses the frenzy factor when I move it from my head to my journal.

3. Ideas are clarified, insights gel while you write. 

4. Record major life events.  My journal helped keep me sane and organized during my daughter’s hospitalization. It preserved our questions about her condition and the physicians’ answers. It chronicled the process of her recovery. It documented the interminable communication with the insurance companies. 

5. Record the minor pleasures. Then you can go back and relive the things that made you laugh, gave you a thrill, and caused you to be grateful. 

6. Record the events you never want to repeat. Reflection reveals other choices you could have made.

7. Boost your creativity, even if you don’t think you have any.  I like to illustrate my thoughts. I keep a separate section at the back of my journal for projects to pursue later.

8. Track progress--and obstacles--toward your goals. 

9. Paper doesn't talk back. You can express your feelings without saying something you’ll regret or get fired for! 

 10. A full journal is satisfying. When life seems to be a series of recurring tasks, completed pages in a journal are evidence you were in the driver’s seat for at least some moments. 

11. When I review my journal for the year I see patterns of behavior, recurrent 

themes, insights. It helps me set new goals.

12. It's memory back-up. Once it's written down you can find it again.

13. It puts in you in good company. People from all walks of life, ancient and modern, have kept diaries. I bet you can find someone you admire on this list!

How many of you kept diaries as a child? How many keep journals now? What kinds of details do you record? Why does it give you pleasure? Share something from your journal in the comments box.