Giving Thanks in Calligraphy, and Life

I have been busy in my studio creating calligraphy cards.This message seems appropriate, since we just completed celebrating  Thanksgiving here in my town of Sedona, Arizona. 
This is a holiday that is celebrated in the US and Canada. A poorly documented history credits its start to a celebration  by the pilgrims in Massachusetts in 1621. However a celebration of the harvest is an old custom in the old world, thus a natural way to give thanks in our country. Remember, we were an agricultural nation for a very long time. In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt signed a joint resolution with Congress, setting aside the fourth Thursday of November as the holiday of Thanksgiving.
I was raised to write a note of thanks after receiving a gift, or a kindness from someone. Looking back I want to thank my mother for creating this habit.Now I am lucky enough to make my card from start to finish. 
When I have completed my original artwork, I print them onto card stock. I add the watercolors to enhance my message. There is always a very serendipitous quality to my designs. I have learned that less is more.Watercolor is tricky. Once you make the mark, it is there to stay. As I paint each card, I do think of how grateful I am for all the good things  and people in my life. We live in a complicated world. It is nice to stop and give thanks occasionally.