Yes, it’s another Memory Lane Monday, but written one day late on Tuesday, because I didn’t get it done yesterday.  But what I DID get done yesterday was putting away all Halloween-related decor and putting out the little bit of Thanksgiving decor I have.  And from that action sprang a memory and a few musings.

The Memory

Every Thanksgiving season for the last 29 years I have put this turkey artwork up in our house.  Yep, since 1990.  It takes my mind back to the kind of Thanksgivings we had back then.  Several of the young families from church were living far from their extended families like we were.  So for a number of years, we all organized a progressive Thanksgiving dinner among ourselves.  We would start at one house for appetizers, then move to another for salad.  The next one would host the main dish.  Lastly, we would travel once more to the house hosting desserts for that year.  If you weren’t hosting, you helped out with the main course.  Lots and lots of great fun and memories from those days.

My daughter Cara made the turkey artwork at school that year.

This is Cara on Thanksgiving Day in 1990.  She’s 10 years old in this picture, but now she’s a momma herself with two amazing daughters of her own.

 

Some Musings

 

Preserving the Art

I’ve collected and kept several pieces of artwork from both of my kids from their grade-school years, but I have more that were created by Cara.  Back when I was still teaching, my friend and colleague Faye advised me to laminate them, as they were getting older and becoming brittle.  I think she gave me that advice around Christmas, because most of the artwork I have for Christmas is laminated.  But this turkey never did get laminated.

 

Extending the Tradition

One year when I got the turkey artwork out to hang it was after Big Eagle and I had moved to the north Texas area.  I got the idea to have my 3rd-graders make a replica of it.  Cara told me she had made it in the 5th grade, so I was a little wary of 3rd-graders being able to do the project.  But they did great!

I sometimes wonder if any of their moms saved their turkey to use as decoration over the years.  One year when I had a former student’s younger sibling in class, her mom did tell me that she had saved one of the Christmas art projects I always did with the students.  So that was pretty neat for me to hear. 😊

 

Today

Nowadays, I’m carrying on with my children’s art sentimentality by saving my granddaughter’s pieces they have so generously given me.

 

I also hang up this turkey every year now.  My granddaughter Helen made it in pre-school.

I also have two placemats that I put out.  This double-sided one made by Helen:

 

 

And this one-sided one made by Edie:

See her handprint turkey?  I LOVE these!

 

I’m Not the Only One

I think I must have inherited this penchant for holding onto the kids’ and grandkids’ artwork from my sweet mom.  She saved everything … EVERYTHING!  She even kept this artwork by my son (so her grandson) Danny:

 

An interesting abstract in green and purple!  He created it on May 12, 1979 when he was still just 2 years old.  I’m thinking he may have done this at Kaleidoscope, which was an art festival we went to every year back then in Beaumont, TX.  Especially because of the time of year and also because it looks like it was done on an easel (note the drip lines).  I should probably iron out the wrinkles from being folded and frame it, right?

None of these items would mean much to anybody else, but they are a treasure trove to me!