I'M THANKFUL I'M THANKFUL.

Life is a grand party and I’m thankful for the liberties we have, the protections we enjoy, our ability to pursue happiness; those things that deserve a lifetime of giving thanks. Closer to home, I’m thankful for my children, home and family. Home most likely for us is  four square walls, but it can be a hut in the wild, a place on the grass, a cave near a beach or any place the heart can rest,  but one essential component for me is best expressed by the  poet, Charles Swain:

Home’s not merely four square walls,
It needs something to endear it;
Home is where the heart can bloom,
Where there’s some kind lip to cheer it!
What is home with none to meet,
None to welcome, none to greet us?
Home is where there’s one to love!
Home is where  there’s one to love us.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

WHAT TO BE THANKFUL FOR

At 5:56 this morning, I received a call from my youngest son. He wanted to tell me some good news.
"Its Black Friday," he said as a lead in.
"Yes."
"Well, to cheer you and give you some good news, I thought I'd let you know that I drove down Pacific Ave. (this is in Stockton) and all the big store parking lots were full. There were people standing out in the cold waiting for the stores to open. Lines of people waiting to go in to do some shopping. That is the first time I've seen those lots full in a long time and I wanted to share the happy news."
  It is happy news. I would probably have been just as thankful for this evidence of an improved economy if he had called a bit later. But, we are a family of early risers, so I thought I'd pass it on to you.

 Jim settled in to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and alert us to a special event.    

 The parade, famous throughout the U.S., was also the venue for my Grandson, Mason, who played his clarinet along with the rest of the band members from Green Valley High School. I know you can see him there, on the right, in the back. We all decided his five seconds of fame is the predictor of a greater future.

Truth to tell, we were excited to know he was there, and thankful he had this great thrill in his young life, to play in the parade and also to perform at Carnegie Hall, even if we couldn't actually see him.

 Ten year old Owen helped peel potatoes. He got quite good at it. He likes to count things and arrange things in a numerical way. He wouldn't quit peeling until the pan had 25 potatoes in it, plus, it was important to him to peel the last potato.

 Doug and my brother Clark, fired up the pit to smoke the turkey. Later, when it was brought in to carve, the kids declared it looked like black leather.

 Cedric baked walnut and pumpkin pies. Here he is making a bean and cheese dip.

 Virginia and Theresa set up a nice table of hor d'oeuvres in the living room. Virginia prepared her special dishes and Theresa brought her famous cranberries, and Clarks shrimp avocado appetizer.  The main event was a table overladen with all the special foods.

Most of the big day was spent relaxing. Playing games. Enjoying being together with nothing to do but play.

 Doug taught 8 year old Theo to play chess.

 Theo liked replacing his powerful queen with r2d2, an equally powerful robot.

Cedric and Owen drooled over some neat Lego structures.

Owen perfectly assembled a complicated Lego structure, later in the day.

Everyone was thankful for a great day of family fun, feasting and relaxation. I'm thankful for many things, but having a day dedicated to getting together and feasting and playing is a wonderful tradition.

INTELLIGENCE FOR YOUR LIFE

I listen to the John Tesh radio show in my car. He is known for his short, concise advice, sort of an Ann Landers of the airwaves. He calls it Intelligence For Your Life. (IFYL). I wait for his practical nuggets to come on between the music on my favorite local station. Everyone should have a John Tesh in their life. I learn something from him every time I hear his voice and I love it.

Much of his advice is for the young and inexperienced. He gleans it from sources like, Psychology Magazine, and Real Simple Magazine, Science Magazine...those are three I remember off hand. But, his reach and subject matter is enormous. Everything from parenting, to what questions you ask at the hospital. He talks about relationships and dating, marriage and job hunting, finances, pets, apartment hunting, resumes and spending habits. You could say John Tesh is a teacher of common sense, among other things. If you don't hear John Tesh, ask your station to put him on.

He also has a voluminous archive on-line where you can get his practical advice a second time, or look for things you missed. One time I remember hearing him say, I'm paraphrasing here and don't know if I have it exactly right, but he said women and men both lie on-line. Women lie about their weight and age, men lie about everything. The number one lie from men is whether they are married or not. I went to his archive to check it out and its so voluminous, I couldn't find it. So, keep me honest if you are interested.

And if you are interested in intelligence for your life, check it out at:
http://tesh.com/

This is trivia about relationships from Sam Wein-not John Tesh. People who have never been married are seven-and-a-half times more likely than married people to be admitted to a psychiatric facility. And, during a kiss as many as 278 bacterial colonies are exchanged. Trivia is fun, but, I want the science first, before I give up kissing.

We are looking at snow at lower elevations, here, and the "Weather Wimp" (That's my partner, Jim) is already chomping at the bit to get on the road to warmer climes. In 2009, he stayed through January and February and had to put up with six inches of snow on the Motor Home. Perish the thought!!
I'm actually hoping for a bit of the white stuff because its pretty and it doesn't last long enough to get the shovel out. It brings the skiiers and helps out our local economy.

OVERLADEN TABLE AND FAMILY TIME

Lucky be we that Thanksgiving is a four day event for our family. Everyone arrived on Wednesday. We took advantage of the balmy weather; the kids used the trampoline and adults and kids hiked to Michaelson School and played kickball.
There was time to rummage through the recipe box and decide what old favorites to make.
Time for relaxation for man and beast as business gives in to the holiday.

Game marathons ensued with Chess, Mille Bornes, Yahtze, Yu-gi-oh, Cribbage, Shut The Box, Lego Bionicles, Apples To Apples, Dominoes, Crazy Eight and a lot of banter. Sometimes different games captivated opposite ends of the table.
We've been accused of being a gaming family.
Music plays its part as well.


The bartender was prepared for those who imbibe.

The turkey was smoked.

The potato peeler, (twenty pounds of them) and the baker took a break in the kitchen.

The menu: Smoked turkey, spuds and gravy, Irish potatoes, corn casserole, stuffing, amazing salad, three types of cranberries, sweet potatoes with bananas, pineapple and rum, sweet potatoes with chicken broth and bay leaves, smoked chicken breast, and curried chicken. Desserts: Marzipan pear tart, blackberry and apple pies, sticky buns and snickerdoodles.

Thanksgiving has long been our favorite holiday. We thank you Sarah Hale.