Not a creative bone in my body today!

Well, I guess it happens. Today I hit a creative wall where even the thought of trying to make something just gave me the willies! That has never happened before. Maybe it is spring fever? Could be, as the temperature is currently 72 degrees, about 30 degrees higher than it should be this time of year.

Or, maybe it is the knowledge that I had a lot of WORK staring me in the face. Not serious work, but the clean-up after a house full of company last night, following two days of cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, prepping, cooking, etc. in preparation for that house full.

My two girls and their spouses, children and grandchildren were here as were my sister and her 4 girls and their families. My brother-in-law wasn’t feeling well, so did not attend the festivities that my 4 year old Great Granddaughter called the “Thanksgiving Party”. and to her, I guess, it was a party. She got to see and play with her 8 boy cousins (second cousins, but never mind). Yep, of the 30 who were here, 10 were under the age of 10 and only ONE GIRL! As you can imagine, the decibel level rose pretty high at times in my not-very-big-house.

And the noise wasn’t just from children playing. All the adults were talking at once it seemed as we all had a great time just catching up with one another. Some had not seen each other since last Thanksgiving, while for others it had been Easter the last time they were together.

Before a bountiful meal, some of which I prepared, and some brought in by all attending, we joined hands for prayer, but instead of a prayer we went around the circle and each named one thing for which they are thankful. To end, my older daughter gave the final few words of prayer and a resounding AMEN was added by all.

This year was a bit different as, for the first time in a long time, there were no extras. No in-laws, out-laws, neighbors, friends, friends of friends, or just anyone who otherwise might spend the day alone.

A couple of churches in the area prepare a thanksgiving meal for anyone who is alone (actually anyone who wants to go may do so ), so perhaps those who might have come decided to go to the church instead. At any rate, several were invited but did not come, so it was just family this year. (unless you count a boyfriend or two.)

Today, I caught up on some correspondence, my sis came to get the items left behind by her grandsons, all the food was put away or frozen, or eaten, pots, pans and serving dishes washed and put away and the stove top cleaned! No creativity there, but for some reason there was a certain amount of satisfaction in seeing everything clean, or reasonably so.

The girls, granddaughters and nieces had kindly washed the plates and silverware, but I still had the task of putting  away those things they didn’t. I have a dishwasher and told them we could just load it, but I think they enjoy visiting over the sink full of dishes.

I am not super-woman. There are things that should have gotten done that didn’t. Like the piano. I FORGOT TO DUST IT! Oh, my! the dust was thick, too. I didn’t scrub the floors either. And the company arrived before I managed to get a shower.

But, you know what? I don’t think ANY of that mattered. What did matter was the love and fellowship we all enjoyed.

While I am glad that a day is set aside to remind us to be always thankful and grateful for our many blessings, what is really important is that we gather TOGETHER to give thanks. Even the little ones who could talk said their thanks.

In closing, I want to say that creativity is a blessing too. And I am grateful to God for the gifts He has given me to be creative, to WANT to create (most of the time) and for the ability to recognize that some days you just need to work, not create.

There is always tomorrow, for most of us. And if there isn’t a tomorrow, well, then, it doesn’t really matter, does it?

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”                                                                                          1st Thessalonians l5: 18