Giving Thanks

Wait, wait, wait! It's not Christmas yet. So I'm taking time to pause and be grateful for Thanksgiving.

It’s easy to remember to be grateful for big and obvious things. But it is the humble, ordinary things – the things we take for granted, that give us mobility, opportunity, self-sufficiency, expression – we rarely think to be grateful for.

Real joy and contentment in life is not possible – cannot be possible – without real gratitude. Unless you really KNOW what you have, how can you appreciate it, and if you do not appreciate your life how can you be joyful?

This is the best of what I have. Cami lives near. Todd lives away. I had them both for Thanksgiving weekend. Really, I'm joyful just looking at them.

Todd shows Cami his Pharmacology notes. Anything involving numbers makes her eyes cross.

The carver and the watcher (and taster).

Our family may be small, but our Thanksgiving is mighty. A 20 pound turkey. Loads of mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, our traditional beans and corn pudding. Cake, pies. (Hey, we like leftovers.) We don't do small.
Except the kitchen. It is small. A "one butt" kitchen. That's why Todd is carving a twenty pound turkey on a six inch counter. Oh joy.

A little too wild-eyed to be handling sharp objects

Stop! Stop now!

She says this is her best side. Getting a picture of Cami is like herding cats.

The day ends where it began. The ever present computer. My children, my life.

My blessings.

There is much to be grateful for, in every life. If one person loves us or treats us with kindness and dignity, we are blessed. I am thankful for all good things, and even for the things and circumstances that do not always immediately seem to fall into the category of “good.” I trust. I hope. I believe. I thank.

(Scenic photos of Memphis courtesy of Todd)

One More

Damn! I forgot the most important photo of the day. Gammy would be proud.
I cook. They clean up. All is well.

Really??

Who does this??? While working at my desk, TV muted, I glanced at the screen and saw the lovely Brooke Shields munching on a whole piece of celery. With a great big, beautiful smile on her face.

I say again--WHO DOES THIS?? I have been on 1,000,000,000 diets in my life (think deficit numbers), and have never achieved negative hunger with a single stick of celery. Add some peanut butter or Cheez Whiz and--maybe. I once did the Weight Watchers diet where you counted points. I actually figured out I could have 5 malted milk balls if I saved enough points. But, never have I chomped on celery just because it was free.

Now, carrots, I could do carrots.

Loving Sports

Okay, I totally copied this from another blog. It was anonymous, so I can't give credit to the author. But---I loved it. So, here, let me share.

"Baseball is like the human athlete. Mostly anaerobic jogging along interspersed with moments of sheer anabolic power. . . . Three hours of boredom followed by three minutes of sheer terror. But the three hours are the set up to the moments of sweaty palms, like watching a chess match unfold. If you know what’s going on in those three hours, wow. The three minutes are spine tingling.

Football is war. You advance on the enemy and run an operation. Then fall back and run the intel and assessment and run a different tactical plan at them. And another and another and another until you have to give back the ground you’ve taken. Pure power punctuated by grace and cunning and daring unlike any other sport (daring as in, how a wide receiver bares his ribs to make a catch with a 280 pound guided missile coming at him in a collision that has been calculated to be like surviving a 30 mph car crash) . . . Again, like chess, but the pieces on the board have muscular butts, can bench press Volvos and run a 4:40.

Basketball is feline king of the jungle sensuous power on display. Incredible skill to get a ball through a hoop that is 3/4 of an inch larger in diameter than the ball. And do it from 40 feet, or vertically leap eleven feet and slam it through the hoop. For over two hours. While big men are trying to take that ball away from you. . . . Doing wind sprints for two hours. With an elbow in your face, and a genetic mutant blocking your every move with hands so large they can palm a Thanksgiving turkey on the end of arms that can change a light bulb in the ceiling fixture, without a step stool."

So, what d'ya think??