This week - obviously still under the impression of the book about the Siege of Leningrad that I read - I'm full of gratitude that we are living in a country where we have everything, especially food and heat when we need it. However, I cringe when I see how many people in this rich country do NOT have enough to eat and depend on food banks (thanks to the food banks and all the people who work there and donate food and money). It breaks my heart how many children are among them. And my gratitude is even bigger then.
On Thursday evening - as on every other Thursday evening - I met with my German friends. We are a rather big group who calls itself "der Stammtisch" - Stammtisch is the big table in a neighborhood pub in Germany where the regular locals meet for their beer and some chat. Our group, however, does not meet in a pub (because pubs like that do not exist in the US), but every time at someone else's house and everybody brings something to eat. Last Thursday we all met at our house, and we had a wonderful time together. Every time we laugh a lot, talk about serious stuff and then laugh some more. It is never sentimental, and thankfully no-one in this group compares the US to Germany as it unfortunately happens in so many other groups. It is such a joy to talk in our own language when we can exactly express what we want to say and not look for adequate words which in the end aren't that adequate anyway. I feel comfortable among these Germans and Swiss; I have found my place here and am more than thankful for these friends, these people I love to spend time with.
At the end of every day I write into my regular journal what I am thankful for. So this week I made a gratitude journal for my shop - for someone who wants to start a gratitude journal and would love a book like this one, an altered composition book in beautiful autumn colors. It even comes with its own matching bookmark. I enjoyed making this journal, it was pure pleasure.
I am linking this to Art Every Day Month.
13 comments:
I'm so glad you are able to speak from the heart without having to look for words. I can't imagine how it would be to live in a "foreign" country and expected to communicate in nothing but their language, although you do wonderfully well with English!
The gratitude journal is an excellent idea. It is often obvious how few people in this world take the time to be grateful.
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel
I saw this journal in your shop yesterday, loved it then, love it now
What a lovely post, very inspiring.
Sue x
I have not thought of a Gratitude journal before...what a good idea!
Gwen xx
Gorgeous artwork...beatiful oranges...sounds like you all have a great time at your meetings too. That is good!
Love your gratitude journal!
Reading about your gathering with your friends just warmed my heart.
I love the colors and design of your gratitude journal -- beautiful! Your language group sounds like so much fun! There really is so much to be grateful for.....we are the lucky ones.
Gorgeous journal, it inspires me very much.
xox
That journal is soooo beautiful and anyone would be lucky to have it... I am sure hey would be inspired everytime they opened it... I know I would be xx
This is so pretty...I love the colors. You are so cleaver and make such lovely items.
Now you've got me wondering, Carola, if there's an English-speaking group near where I live now, doing the same thing as your German group there? Hmmm. Astrid is the only person with whom I speak a lot of English, but even for her it's not her native tongue. I'm very lucky she knows it so well!
Carola, das Journal ist wunderschön, ich liebe diese Farben, fantastisch!!!!
very nice journal!
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