Thankful

Ah, Thanksgiving. For cooks, (like me) and non-cooks alike it's a great holiday. The menu is set, there are very few surprises. Everyone coming together and pitching in one way or another. One of my favorite holidays, because it is just about the food.

Yesterday, while wandering a little aimlessly around Target, I was approached by a reporter who was querying shoppers about what they were looking to purchase for holiday gifts. I was caught untypically speechless. It isn't that I don't love shopping (I do) or that I am not planning on buying gifts, (I am). My focus has been on what I can MAKE this year for gifts.

In the last couple of years, I have learned to make jewelry, and started knitting again. The photo today is of a couple of elves that I made the other night, needle felting. I use a lot of vintage and antique pieces when I make jewelry, so each piece is unique. I will be posting some of these items for sale in the coming days.

One of the best holidays I spent was up in New Hamphsire. We had just returned from successfully buying our house in France. We were feeling that giddiness from starting a new adventure. The rules for Christmas was, handmade, reused, or recycled. Everyone was busy sewing, painting, knitting, and going through cupboards looking for perfect gifts. I didn't realize what a talented group this was. That Christmas was 10 years ago, this year.

This Thanksgiving, I am so grateful for my husband, my daughter, my friends and extended family and all the trimmings life has brought me.