A Gift of Appreciation.
One of the greatest gifts my sister, Sue, and I received from our mother and grandmother was an appreciation for beauty. They were artists, who sketched and painted with pencils and pens, oil and watercolor, cloth and china. When we were young, our mom always kept us well supplied with colored pencils, paint, and the biggest boxes of crayons available. But growing up with an artist is not just about art supplies. It’s about seeing. Our mom never passed up an opportunity to comment on a well-shaped tree, an attractive dress, or the way sunlight turned golden on an autumn afternoon. She loved beautiful things.
A Different Kind of Thanksgiving.
Usually we roast a turkey at Sue’s house or at mine on Thanksgiving. This year, though, all the children and grandchildren were elsewhere—Portland, Chicago, Virginia and eastern Washington. So Sue and I made reservations at a nice restaurant and took an afternoon walk around Green Lake, where we enthusiastically gave thanks for the beauty of the day. After the sun set, we dressed up and drove through the blessedly quiet streets of Seattle to Chandlers on Lake Union. Passing up the turkey at the top of the menu, we ordered prime rib. It was delicious. And, thanks be to God for Italian champagne and chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. Yum! Also, a word of thanks for the opportunity to take leftovers home when you couldn’t possibly eat another bite.
Photos.
Here are some of the pictures Sue took on our walk around Green Lake. 
Calm water.
Happy as a duck, or a bunch of ducks.
Ducks making shadows and a brisk walker with earphones.
It’s three miles around Green Lake, which doesn’t take long unless you stop too many times to take pictures. It was getting late, but the view was still pretty. These people were fishing.
A burst of light through a tree.
Man on cell phone. I assume he was talking to distant loved ones. Or maybe he just wanted to know when he should show up for the turkey dinner.
Hi Nicki, The pictures are beautiful. My daughter is a photographer, she well love seeing the picture’s too… I have so enjoyed reading your blog, thank you for sharing your story. Your a wonderful story teller… Your class mate, Julie
Julie, thank you so much. My sister, Sue, was the photographer. I usually just take photos with my I-Pod. I need to get a digital camera.
A gift of appreciation… I love the idea!
My grandpa taught me to re-use things. He said that we should not throw things away that easily (“even garbage has its own values” he said).
All of these years, I collect used papers from practically anywhere. I used the backside for writing down notes or sketching. All of the drawings I put in my blog were drawn on this kind of papers. 😀
Your grandpa’s gift to you was a lesson, and you took it to heart.
First I am struck by how similar you and your sister look. Wow! I only have brothers and none of us really look too much alike. It sounds like your Thanksgiving was perfect. Someday I’d love to do that. As it is, it’s just two of us for Christmas Eve and we may try to find a restaurant for an early prime rib dinner.
We usually have our big dinner on Christmas Day. On Christmas Eve, we sometimes get Thai take-out, or even pizza.
What a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am Canadian so I especially appreciate being able to celebrate Thanksgiving a second time. Actually, I have a feeling that you are thankful 365 days! Life is good….
Thanksgiving is an unusual holiday, when you think about it. A national holiday set aside for giving thanks. And though the food, family, and travel are all part of it, we usually do remember to give thanks.
My parents also kept me supplied with crayons and colored pencils, but I went through “typing paper” faster than they could keep up. I hated the newsprint we had to draw on at school, so when I was home, I wanted better paper. I was constantly bumming a quarter to go to the corner grocery to get yet another package of paper. I wish now that I had saved at least one picture a year that I had drawn!! I make art journals now (see http://BarbsRecycledArtJournals.blogspot.com). and I’d give just about anything to put a childhood drawing in one, but I’ll happily settle for my grandgirls’ (age 7 and 4) drawings, and I am helping them start art journals now, so they WILL have examples of their art..
My mom saved some of my childhood drawings and paintings in her attic. Now I have them. I’ll have to look into that old box again.
I love your art journals, Barb. What a talent you have for drawing! Your “zen doodles” are really good. I also like your mother and child painting.
Oh, Nicki! How beautiful! Greenlake used to be my neighborhood and I treasure these pictures and the memories they evoke.
I also loved hearing how your mother and grandmother instilled in you the love of beauty. You and your sister have great reason to be thankful for your mother’s gifts!
sheila
Hi Sheila. Don’t we all love that little lake. Whoever decided to make it a park and keep it up, deserves our thanks. I love seeing all the other walkers, runners, and skaters as I make my way around the lake. All the babies in strollers and kids on little bikes… Yesterday someone made a turkey out of flowers on a stump. Very cute!
Beautiful, loved it!
Thanks, Veda. I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving.
To notice the beauty of a single day illuminates what is to be truly human, a great gift obviously bestowed by the strong artistic women of your past. They linger still.
Thank you, Gretchen. You’re right: they were strong, artistic women.