Thanksgiving 'Round the Ole Card Table

What does one do when one has a torn-out kitchen during the holiday? One adapts, and adapt we did! This year we didn't invite folks over for a big spread. This year, no children or grandchildren at our festivities (just wait until next year when the kitchen is finished and I put the guilt trip on everyone to be at the table). In the meantime, put a table cloth on the card table, pull up some chairs and dig in!

Many of us have the tendency to wait until everything is perfect. You know how it goes: "We'll have Sam and Julie over when we get our new furniture" or "next year when our outdoor BBQ is finished, we'll have a party", and my favorite, "we'll start entertaining when everything in our house is perfect". STOP!!!! Life is never perfect and our houses are never perfect, and God knows, our lives and families are never perfect.

Don't miss out on the Kodak moments, work with what you have. Stop using your messes as an excuse for not doing something for your family or others. Show some transparency and vulnerability. You might just make a friend in the process and find out that others have messes in their lives too! I'm not saying stop trying for perfection, but what I am saying is don't miss out on precious moments while you're on the road to creating something better.

Did we celebrate the "perfect" Thanksgiving? Well, maybe it didn't have all of the bells and whistles that Martha Stewart adds to her celebrations, but it was pretty darn close to as perfect a day as you can get!

P.S. For those of you following this blog, life is about to get crazier as deer season wraps up and construction continues.

Damaged!

Most of us take life too seriously - I know that most days I do. Sometimes we just need a child's perspective to keep us centered and focused.

In walks Braxtyn. "So, what do you think of our kitchen since last time you were here?" I asked. Thoughtfully with her finger on the side of her cheek she replies, "Well, it, it looks damaged!" A child's commentary on our kitchen renovation!

It wasn't much later that our granddaughter found the damaged kitchen to be her personal, private playground. Armed with a purple, red and black sharpies, she transformed the damaged walls of our kitchen into a vast canvas. I reminded her that you must have special permission to write on walls, and today I was granting that special permission.

How often do you grant yourself special permission to rethink the damaged days of your life? Is it possible that if you armed yourself with some colorful ideas you could turn the too serious days into something new and innovative? Don't get stuck looking at things in the same old way. Give yourself special permission to create something new from something that's been damaged.

How Much Do You Really Need?

I've begun to adapt to our "missing" kitchen. It's amazing to me how little you can get along with when it's taken away or torn out. As of today, I still have my sink, dishwasher and stove built in. However, Larry informs me not to get too used to it because soon I'll be washing dishes in the slop sink, and cooking in the basement.

Today has me thinking about the blessings we have in America. Even if we are struggling to get by each day because of the current economy, we still have so much more than the rest of the world. We have water, running water - many countries struggle to have one well in their villages. We have electricity - most of the world still uses kerosene and firesides to produce the light they need after dark. We have gas to cook with - most of the women around the world still use cook stoves and open fires to cook their meals. Yes, we are blessed.

I'm thankful to live in a place where I can work and bring in a good income. I'm thankful to live in a community that is safe and beautiful. I'm thankful for the warmth and food produced in my house. Today, I'm even thankful for a disorganized way of cooking and cleaning. Today I am content to live with what is available to me.

What about you?