Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Feel like I need to start my menu planning already. In addition to picking fabulous things to eat, I love setting my table in a festive manner. When my husband and I got married, we received an old linen tablecloth. It was a hand-me-down from no one in particular. However, we have turned it into something special.

Each year on thanksgiving I bring out this table cloth and carefully put it on the table. When the big day arrives we each write something that we are thankful for on the cloth, and what year it is.  My husband and I did this for the three years before we had kids, and continue with our kids now. I love looking back at all of the things we have been thankful for over the years. Even more fun is seeing what my kids are thankful for.

The first few years, they of course chose things like toys, or candy, but now that they are getting older their choices are becoming more wise. It is only the first week in November and already my daughter is contemplating what she will write this year.

When one side of the cloth is full, we plan to turn it upside down and keep going. And again when it is completely full, we will simply buy another. I love to think, what an amazing heirloom that this might become. This is also a great way to remember who was at each of your thanksgiving feasts. Anyone who dines with us is required to write something down, and their name and year. We can go back and see what friends and family were visiting. Even more fun, is the dinner conversation that gets started while reading all the old entries.

-Stephanie Wright