Thankful? Always!

I am thankful for my family

Today has been a chilly and gloomy day in Northern Illinois. My oldest was sweet enough to bring home soup and sandwiches for lunch. Broccoli Cheddar is one of my favorites this time of year. What is yours? I am thankful for him and the rest of my family. I am also thankful that we are together during the beginning of the holiday season. I know it will not last forever, and sometimes they drive me nuts, or vise versa, but we are all here to support each other and to keep each other sane.

I am thankful to be able to make smiles for others

Now that I am warm inside and out, I can continue working on my Thanksgiving Pilgrim cards. Every year, I use up some of my old stash to make cards for a cause. This year it seems so much more important than years past. So many friends and family are down because of travel restrictions this holiday season. What better way to lift those downed spirits than to send a handmade card? I find that sending a smile goes both ways. The work that goes into making the cards brings a smile to my face and the card brings a smile to my intended receiver’s face when they see it in the mailbox.

I am thankful for my creativity

I am thankful for my creativity and ability to share it with others. I saw these cute little Pilgrim cards online and knew that I had plenty of neutral color cardstock to make a modified version. This first batch will be going to an assisted living community, to residents who have been in lock down since March. I can only image how tired they are of seeing the same four walls every day with only one or two quick visitors each day, typically a nurse or CNA as they pass out meds or do vitals.

Older seniors do not tend to use technology like we do, so it isolates them from their loved ones even more. My 94-year old grandfather does not have a smart phone or computer, so I write to him as much as I can. He does not write back, but when I can call, he tells me how the letters brighten his day. He does not have many visitors right now due to COVID, however, he keeps himself busy around his house building, fixing, gardening, or working on puzzles at his leisure.

As for my Pilgrim cards, I still have some embellishing to do to make them more festive and to add my sentiment. Inside I will include a little Thanksgiving prayer that I will handwrite myself. I find that a handwritten note is much more sincere and adds more value to the written words, not to mention the benefit of making the receiver’s smile bigger. They are more likely to keep and display the card instead of tossing it aside like junk mail.

I am thankful for my card making stash

How will you use your stash this holiday season? Some of the products I used for this card are retired Stampin’ Up! products. I do not like to “get rid of” an item simply because it has retired. How many of you remember Stampin’ Up!’s More Mustard cardstock or the Taupe Grosgrain Ribbon? I did not have enough shiny gold or brass colored specialty paper, so I looked through my cardstock cabinet, found More Mustard hiding in there, and used it for my buckles. Unlike clothes, paper crafting supplies do not go out of style!

I am thankful for all that God has given me to be able to help others

If you are looking for a way to make someone’s day brighter consider donating cards to assisted living and memory care communities, supportive living communities for younger people who have physical disabilities, family shelters, hospices, rehab facilities, nursing homes, non-medical home health caregivers to give to their shut in clients, and hospitals to name a few. If you are not sure you can make enough cards, but would still like to help make smiles, or if you have any questions, please comment below or email me (BrandyAnn) at letitsnowstamping@gmail.com.

If you know someone who is quarantining alone and enjoys being on Facebook, have them do a search for the Activities to Connect Group. Each day there is a new fun puzzle, riddle, or trivia question to solve. Group members can answer polls as to what activities they would like to see from week to week as well. It is a new group and hopefully it can grow to help keep adults exercising their cognitive abilities and making those much needed connections with others!

Here is my completed card. It is nothing too fancy, no special folds, nothing too shiny, but made with love. I hope it brings a smile to the receiver’s face and reminds them that there is always someone thinking of them.