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A few years ago Les and I found ourselves hosting the family Thanksgiving dinner.  Our home is really tiny, and I usually avoid having large dinners whenever possible, but this time it was something we needed to do.  After the initial panic wore off, we gathered ourselves together,  realizing the only thing needed, was to think outside the box, and a  little creative thinking would be perfect right now!  We decided to put two tables together end to end, and bring in all the folding chairs to fit into our long narrow living room/dinning room area.  Some of the furniture would have to be moved, but we thought it would work!  I didn’t have two table cloths the same, and with that I decided to run brown paper down the length of both tables with crayons on them for a little fun,  giving it unity.  I had just been out  in the backyard and knew this time of year the flowers were sparse, but we did have an abundance of Birds of Paradise to cut for the table.  An arrangement of Birds would work!

On our way to the grocery store the day before left us with mild to moderate anxiety, but we talked ourselves down, reminding each other that this was a sudden thing, and if it were not perfect, everyone would understand.  With the food purchased, a good  plan in place, we both felt a little more calm.  I quickly ordered a pre-cooked turkey  from the Red & White market, and it came with gravy – perfect!  

The next morning was Thanksgiving, and we got up early and started  prepping the remainder of the dinner.  With most of it finished,  the family wasn’t going to be here until around 3:30 or 4 PM, so by lunch all that  I needed  were flowers for the table.  Grabbing my pruners,  and heading to the yard to get the Birds  I spotted my frost-bitten plants, and the realization that we had our first frost of the season the night before slapped me up side the head!  Oh No, what am I going to do now?  After  moaning, groaning, and even winning a little, it dawned on me…..

The dead, frost-bitten Birds of Paradise would be cut, and washed off, there wasn’t any choice – they had to be used anyway!   I pulled all my low flower vases out, and set up everything on my studio table,  watched them, and turned them around, allowing each one of the birds to voice their opinions.  Some were to crispy, not left with much of a voice, and wouldn’t or couldn’t talk, others wouldn’t keep quiet, but when the whole thing was said and done, they were each given a personality, with glasses, eyes, neck ties, and even a collars.  My dead, droopy, dried out birds  were the hit of the Thanksgiving Dinner that year!  Somehow creativity prevailed!

Speaking of table decorations… While I was playing with our 3 1/2-year-old grandson the other day, he asked me if we could do Arts & Crafts together?   There were feathers,  eyeballs, pipe cleaners,  and pinecones, all sitting there waiting for Peek-a-Boo Grandma to create something clever.  It was the feathers that grabbed him!   There is nothing like colored feathers to spark interest in a 3 1/ 2.  year old!   What could we do?  …..This is what we did….. we glued colorful feathers to the bottom of the pine cone, and glued eyeballs to a very large piece of pipe-cleaner to use as the Turkey’s neck.  He lost interest after the feathers, but we were in the home stretch by that time.  After putting this little bird together it was clear, we will have another very cute, and wonderfully creative table decoration for our  Thanksgiving table.  This entire project was my daughter in law’s idea, so I say   “hail to the power of creative minds!”

I wish all of you a Happy, Healthy, and Blessed Thanksgiving this year.  I am thankful for each of you reading, and commenting on my blog.  Your comments give me energy, and inspiration to keep going.  Blessings to all,  Karen