Outside Madison’s Wingra School on a sunny fall afternoon, Ho-Chunk artist and horticulturist Lightning New Rider was busy measuring canvas and preparing twine.

He was there to help the students refurbish the school’s ciiporoke, a Ho-Chunk structure made with bent tree saplings tied together to make a frame and often covered with natural materials like birch tree bark or woven mats — or, in this case, canvas.

Cinnamon rolls are a sweet addition to any breakfast, and, in fact, are great to eat at any time of day. Although I enjoy the traditional cinnamon rolls served warm with a glaze, sometimes I also enjoy them cold with cream cheese frosting.

Legendary PBS painter Bob Ross never made a mistake while painting during his long-running “The Joy of Painting” show. He only had “happy accidents.”

A 5-point buck finally fell to my recurve bow, and it was a combination of 51 years of patience and a happy accident.

Editor’s note: Trick-or-treating and other Halloween festivities are barely in our memories when many start to think about, talk about and plan for Christmas. Often, Thanksgiving seems almost forgotten, sandwiches between a pair of major retail holidays that simply overshadow the fourth Thursday in November.

I came across a humorous story about an atheist professor who was in the woods admiring the magnificence of evolution when a grizzly bear came charging out of the bushes. The professor ran for his life until he tripped and fell. As the bear was about to attack, the terrified professor cried out, “Oh my God, help me!”

Gratitude is a powerful force, capable of transforming our darkest days into lessons of light and our biggest struggles into stepping stones toward success. Reflecting on what I’m thankful for, my heart swells with appreciation for the community that believed in me even when I couldn’t believe in myself.