Thanksgiving 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image courtesy of debspoons at

FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It’s been a long day.  The alarm went off only about half an hour later than any other day of the week, and still slightly before the sun came up.  But sometimes—a lot of times, really—good times require some effort.  And today was good times.  The family was here for lunch and we visited and laughed and ate a whole bunch of food.  I’m thankful that we have the opportunity.

And, as I spent my first Thanksgiving without Granny, I realized how fortunate I was to have her for as many as I did.  At my office, three of us have lost our grandmothers in the past few months, and I am by far the oldest of the trio; I know that I had a gift many, many people do not.  And while Billy may never have gotten to know my mother, he was blessed to grow up with a great-grandmother who adored him.  Today I am particularly grateful for that.

Honestly, as I sit here, tired, full, and reflecting on a good day and a good life, I am simply grateful.

A Short Follow-Up

 

If you saw my post yesterday, you know I’m a little bit annoyed at the folks over at CBS who have decided that this year it would be a good idea to air the timeless Christmas classic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, two days before Thanksgiving.  And it’s not just CBS annoying me, but the whole segment of society that just won’t let us finish one holiday before beginning on the other. 

Well, I was really ticked off yesterday, and a blog post wasn’t sufficient venting, so I also made a quick post to Facebook.  I was glad to see that most people agreed with my idea that Christmas is simply arriving far too soon if it’s happening before Thanksgiving. 

So, I was amused when someone shared this little beauty to my timeline today:

Sure, it defiles Rudolph just a little bit (though probably not much more than showing the poor guy on Tuesday before Thanksgiving), but it still made me lough out loud.  Put down the Christmas cheer and back away slowly, and nobody gets hurt.

*No reindeer were harmed in the making of this blog post.

Too Soon

 

I really feel like I’m turning into some sort of cranky old woman.  A lot of things annoy me these days that I used to pretty much take in stride—loud restaurants, crowded stores, cold weather, whining kids—I could probably come up with a much longer list.  Honestly, I’m probably not even another birthday away from yelling out the front door, “You kids stay off my lawn!”  You get the picture.  But there is something else that’s been bothering me for quite a few years, so maybe it’s not entirely a sign of encroaching crankiness, but it is really irking me this year.  

And just what is so egregious?  The way the trappings of Christmas show up earlier and earlier every year, that’s what. 

I saw my first Christmas commercial a good two weeks ago, maybe more.  My Facebook feed has been peppered with people tuning in to the holiday movies on the cable stations for almost that long.  And sometime in the past week, the local radio station that annually transforms into the Christmas music station on Thanksgiving day must’ve lost track of the calendar, because that transformation has already taken place, even though Thanksgiving is still several days away. 

But the thing that really pushed me over the edge was when I was watching TV tonight and saw a commercial for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  Yes, it’s a classic.  Yes, I love to watch it every year.  And, yes, if I’m ever lucky enough to have grandchildren, I hope it’s still being shown so they can enjoy it, too.  But I don’t want to watch it Tuesday, when I’ll still be making plans for Thursday, otherwise known as Thanksgiving.  That’s just too early. 

I know that I’ve been bothered by this for quite a while, because when I wrote about it last year, it was really a recycling of a piece from years earlier.  But it seems so much worse this year.  I get that Thanksgiving is late this year, so all the advertisers and money-makers are likely worried they won’t have quite as much time to work everyone into a holiday frenzy and take every last penny from our pockets, but still.  Rudolph in November?  That’s just really going too far.  I won’t be watching this year, because some things just shouldn’t happen.  Not that the people who make these decisions care what I think, of course,  They probably won’t even listen when I start telling them to stay off my lawn. 

A Long and Winding Road

 

  Grief is a strange thing.  It’s not linear, or predictable.  In fact, it’s twisty, and stealthy, and strikes out of nowhere.  When you lose someone, you spend a while being sad every day, but then, eventually, you start getting back to your regular self.  One day, you have the realization that you got through a full twenty-four hours without shedding a tear, and it would seem like some sort of progress, except that as soon as the thought passes through your mind, the tears begin to flow.   It’s been ten weeks since my granny died, and I still have those moments that suddenly overwhelm.

  I was caused to think about this after seeing one of our clients today.  Actually, her husband was our client first, but then he passed away early this year.  She chose to continue the suit, and she was a strong, put-together woman these few months that I’ve known her.  She came to pick up her settlement check today, which brought to an end something that she’s been hanging on to for a long time.  Most people are glad when they get some money at the end of a long lawsuit; she only seemed sad.  We chatted for a couple of minutes, and as she was leaving, I wished her a happy holiday season.  She’s an honest lady, and very matter-of-factly told me she didn’t expect it to be good; in fact, it was going to be very hard.  Of course, that’s not the kind of thing you can argue with, or smooth over with some sort of platitude, so I just told her to stay strong, cherish memories, and take care of herself. I’ve never lost a spouse, but I certainly know the difficulty of facing the first holiday without someone important.  And, it brought home to me that I’ll be having another of those firsts just a week from now.  I wasn’t ready for that thought to pop up like that, and it hasn’t left me yet. 

But Thanksgiving really is just around the corner (with Christmas then lurking just behind that), and it’s supposed to be a time of celebration and gratitude, a day set aside simply to give thanks for all that you have, though that can be hard when you can’t stop thinking about what’s missing.  I hope our client and I can both find a way to enjoy the day, anyway.

*Image courtesy of Simon Howden at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It’s Friday, but No Questions

So, I just dropped in over at My Little Life to get the Five Question Friday hook up, only to discover . . . NOTHING.  Well, not nothing, really.  She has a post today, and it seems light and chatty and entertaining as always, but no questions.  Hmm.  Must be a holiday hiatus.

But, since I was planning on answering questions for my post today, I had absolutely nothing planned to chat about.  And, since my brain is fried from a day of cooking and cleaning and family visiting, I certainly am in no position to actually come up with anything close to profound at the moment.  So, instead of 5QF, today will just be 5 Random Things Friday. 

1. As I sit here writing this, I’m watching Camelot on TV.  As I’ve probably mentioned in the past, I’m something of a fan of musical theatre, and Camelot is my very favorite show.  Love, honor, friendship, betrayal—it’s got it all.  Plus some really great songs.
2. My Christmas present to myself arrived today:  a FitDesk.  I’ve already got a nice enough recumbent bike, and I tried attaching a book holder/desk type thing to it so that I could do some multi-tasking, but it has some problems.  First, because the “desk” isn’t really made for that sort of equipment, it’s very difficult to use comfortably.  And second, my bike is where it belongs, in the exercise room.  Since I do most of my homework in the living room, I wanted something that would let me stay a little bit active while I’m reading (or watching TV) without isolating myself in another room.
3. I’m not much of a “foodie”; I prefer just the basics, thank you very much.  Consequently, Thanksgiving meal for me is mostly turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and rolls.  Oh, I usually have a tiny bit of corn, and maybe a green bean or two, but no yams, or stuffing, or cranberries, or any random casserole that might be brought over.  But I do try to make some things that I think others might like; today it was bacon-wrapped green beans and a sort of turtle cheesecake, though mini sized, in cupcake tins.  Both went over pretty well with the family, though Brian preferred the cheesecake without the extra caramel and chocolate toppings.  Knowing that would be the case, I’d saved him a few without the topping, because I’m nice like that.
4. Tomorrow is the annual in-state football rivalry that around these parts is simply called Bedlam.  It’s a home game for us this year, so I have hopes that we may emerge victorious, but they are not high hopes.
5. I hope to get our Christmas tree this weekend; we may finally end up with an artificial one.  Brian’s been wanting to do that for years but I have never liked them.  And, really, I still may not be able to make myself do it, because the only ones that I think look really good cost an awful lot of money.  I can buy real trees for a good 8-10 years (or more) for the cost of some of the best artificials.  We’ll see.

So there you have it.  Five random things that are rattling around my brain tonight.  And I’m wrapping up this post just as Arthur is knighting young Tom of Warwick, letting a very sad story have at least a hopeful ending, which seems fitting somehow.  So, remember:

“Ask every person if he’s heard the story, and tell it strong and clear if he has not,

that once there was a fleeting wisp of glory called Camelot. . .

Where once it never rained till after sundown; by 8am the morning fog had flown.

Don’t let it be forgot that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot.”

 

Good night all, and happy weekend to you.

Gratitude

 

Image courtesy of debspoons at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends.  I hope you’ve had a wonderful day, spent with those dear to you.  As is my tradition, I’m making a list today of things for which I am thankful.  I have not always committed this list to writing, but I’ve posted several of them here on this blog, and I like doing it that way, so here we are.  What follows are just a few of the things—big and small—that make me grateful for the life I lead.

• My family and friends.  They’re first on the list every year because I can’t imagine what I’d do or what I’d be without them.  And I feel doubly blessed because I’ve got family that’s also friends, and friends who are more like family.
• Blogging.  I’ve toyed around with a blog on and off for years, but it was only earlier this year that I got more serious and became more diligent about regular posting.  It’s been a nice outlet and it’s let me meet some great people; what’s not to like?
• The time I had at Sprint.  It didn’t end well, and I spent a lot of time being angry and hurt about that (and I’d be lying if I said all of that time was in the distant past), but I had a lot of good years there, met a lot of great people, and learned a lot.  I won’t ever regret having been there.
• My home.  Sometimes owning a home is a real pain, like when both the heat pump and the water well need repair within days of having splurged on a new cooktop, but lots of people don’t have the luxury of having that sort of hassle, so I’ll take it.
• Brian’s job.  It’s easy to take his job for granted sometimes, being a government employee and all, but now that I’m out of work, I’m eternally grateful for the stability of his workplace.
• The opportunity to go to school.  That opportunity arose from a bad situation, but I guess that’s why they say every cloud has a silver lining. 
• Truvia.  Though I’ve been on a huge backslide with my weight loss endeavors, there are a few decent habits I’ve kept up, including mostly giving up soda.  But I can’t drink unsweet tea, and sometimes I need something more than water, so thank goodness for a zero-calorie sweetener I actually like.
• Sunshine.  It’s naturally healing and joyful, and especially nice this time of year when it holds the winter at bay just a little longer.
• The Big Bang Theory.  Of course, we all know that I’m a big fan of television in general, and there are a few current shows that could individually make the list (White Collar, anyone?), but I really love this show.  It never fails to make me laugh, and I think that’s a good thing.  (Tangentially, have you seen their recent flash mob?  It’s worth watching.)
• Good food, and plenty of it.  Sort of like the whole home ownership thing, making food can be a hassle from time to time, but I try to never forget that not everyone gets to feast on turkey and fixin’s for Thanksgiving, or have pretty much whatever they want every other day of the year.  It really is a blessing.
• John F. Kennedy.  I know this probably seems like a strange thing to include on my list, especially considering I was barely three months old when he died.  But, today is the anniversary of his death, and—as I do every November 22—I’ve taken a few minutes to think about him and the things he did for our country.  I can recognize that his assassination has probably caused history to be kinder to him than it might otherwise have been, but I still firmly believe that America is better now than it would have been had he never been in office.
• Animals.  My cats, the dogs I’ve had, the birds I watch in the yard, deer I see crossing the road, the miniature horses I pass on my way to school, the grizzlies we saw on vacation last year—all of them.  Animals are cool, and I’m glad there are so many to enjoy.

So, on this national day of thanks, those are just a few of the things I’m grateful for. I hope that during your holiday celebrations you’ve had a few moments to make your own list and be thankful for what you have.

 

Holiday To-Do List

 

 

  Like most people, as the holidays roll around I find that I have an awful lot of things to do.  For Thanksgiving, we’ll be having the whole family gathering on Friday night, since Thursday has some conflict with work schedules.  So, tomorrow, it’ll just be the three of us, but I’m still cooking a turkey because, it is Thanksgiving.  But everything else is pretty much pre-packaged: frozen potatoes, gravy from a jar, frozen veggies.  Then I’ll make another bird on Friday, with some actual potatoes and gravy, but others will be bringing the other side dishes. 

  So, the cooking part isn’t too drastic, but I’ve still got cleaning to do, which is really a much less pleasant task.  Then, of course, the holiday shopping will begin in earnest.  Thankfully, I’ve already purchased a few gifts, so I haven’t put everything off until the very last minute.

And during all this holiday stuff, the school semester is also wrapping up, and I’ve got a research paper to do that’ll take quite a bit of time.  But, only two more exams, and one is open-book, so that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. 

Oh, and today, my laptop charger fried itself, so finding a replacement—ASAP—has been added to the list as a last minute item.  Even as I type this, I’m down to my last 26 minutes of power.  So sad.  Thank goodness I have other ways of computing, even if they aren’t as convenient, because I’m really not interested in braving the Black Friday (or even Thursday) crowds.

On the upside, we got our new cooktop installed today, so that’s one item marked off the list.  Oh, and I got my new pots and pans (because we bought an induction cooktop and most of my old ones weren’t magnetic) all washed and put away and ready to go, so technically that’s two check marks.  Yay me. 

So I guess it’s mostly just the regular stuff:  cook, clean, entertain the family, and sit back and enjoy.  Really, that’s the kind of task list I could get used to.

What’s your to-do list look like?

Not Yet

 

 

  I’ve had reason to be out and about doing some shopping these past few days, and I’ve been annoyed to hear Christmas carols playing in the stores.  On Facebook, I’ve also seen several pictures along the lines of the one posted here, so I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in my annoyance.  I was going to write something about it, but, really, I already did that, a long time ago.  So, rather than re-invent the wheel, I’m simply going to repost my long-ago rantings now.  This is a post entitled, “Well, I Meant it at the Time”. . .

When I was younger, I made a promise to myself: I would never become one of those “old folks” who launched into diatribes of varying topics but that always began, “Why, back in my day”, and ended, “What is this world coming to?” No doubt, this promise has been made for countless generations past, and will be made for countless more to come.

But I had cause to think of that just this morning when I made a brief trip into town and saw Christmas wreaths hanging on the light poles on Main Street. Now, before you start checking your calendar, let me assure you that you didn’t misunderstand. There are Christmas decorations hanging in my hometown. And, I’m certain the city workers didn’t put them up yesterday, being Sunday and all. And Saturday, we had a home football game, and nothing interrupts the flow of traffic on those days. And back one day further, Friday was Veteran’s Day, so it’s unlikely they were hung that day, either. So, logically, that means those wreaths have been hanging since Thursday, November 10th, at the latest.

Now, I love holiday decorations as much as the next person, maybe even more than many. But it used to be that you had to wait until after Thanksgiving before you got to see them hanging around town. That’s always seemed pretty reasonable to me. Let’s at least deal with the major holidays in the order they appear on the calendar, with no skipping ahead.

I guess I should’ve seen it coming. I mean, I was in Wal-Mart last month, shopping for Halloween tidbits, and just one aisle over from the fake blood and scar tissue was the row of stockings and tree tinsel. I tried not to make too much out of it then; I mean, these are retailers, after all. It’s their job to push the envelope of marketing as far as it will go. But now my local government is in on this travesty, too, and I am appalled.

Not that we couldn’t all use a little extra time of Peace on Earth, and all the meanings of the holiday season, but I’m talking about the completely secular festivity of it all. That’s the part that’s only fun because it’s unusual, because it doesn’t happen every day. It’s something to look forward to and be treasured. How special can it be if it’s in our faces for 60 days out of the year? And, yes, I know, it’s been creeping up, getting a little earlier each and every year. But at this rate, it won’t be long until we’re bringing down the flags from Labor Day and immediately replacing them with those darned wreaths. And my future grandkids are likely to believe that the holiday season begins just after watching the last burst of the local fireworks display, which seems unfair, somehow.

So, yeah, back in my day, we only had a month of Christmas decorations, but it was a month filled with joy and wonder, because we wanted to hang on to every fleeting moment of it all. Now those moments aren’t so fleeting anymore, but they’re also beginning to lose some of their joy. And, I can’t help but wonder, what is this world coming to?

 

A Fabulous Weekend

 

Wowser.  When it rains, it pours, but this is a good rain—a really good rain.

Yesterday, when Melissa at The Bright Side won a Fabulous Blog Ribbon, I was honored to find she’d named me to her 5 Fabulous Bloggers list.

Then, before I could even find time to respond to that, today, I discovered that Miss Riki, over at Refreshingly Riki, had also passed along a ribbon to me.

As I say, wowser.  I’m so grateful for the new friends I’m making as a result of participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge, and I can’t thank them enough for granting me this honor.

With the ribbon comes some rules, so I’ll share them with you now:

1. Thank the blogger who gave it to you and share the link back to the awarding blog.

2. Name 5 fabulous moments in your life.

3. Name 5 things that you love.

4. Name 5 things you hate.

5. Pass the award to 5 deserving bloggers.

5 Fabulous Moments in My Life:

1) The birth of my son

2) My wedding day

3) The conversation when my BFF and I first became friends; we’d known each other a while, but we both trace back to a particular moment that the friendship was truly born

4)  Seeing Brian Keith receive his posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame after friends and I spent two solid years working to make it happen

5)  The last family vacation with my mom, we were in San Diego, sitting on the rooftop of the apartment hotel, taking in the evening skyline, talking, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company

5 Things I Love:

1) Spending time with my family

2) Good television

3)  Sitting on a beach, listening to the waves

4)  Vacationing

5)  Millions of stars on a clear, summer night

5 Things I Hate:

1)  Bigotry

2)  Rude people

3)  City traffic

4)  Bad television (if it’s in the reality or competition category of the Emmy’s, I probably lump it here)

5)  The rising cost of entertainment

5 Bloggers I Enjoy:  (Hard, because I’ve run across a lot of them this month!)

1)  Liz, at Eternal Lizdom

2)  Cari, at Carri Lynn’s Creations

3)  Captivating Eyes, at Brighter Horizons

4)  Katrina, at Kat’s Place—My Life

5)  And, the first bloggy friend I ever made, Jen, at Snapshots (even though she’s not participating in UBC!)

So that’s it.  A little bit about me, and an awful lot of gratitude to the two new friends who’ve honored me with this ribbon. 

A Moment of Thanks

It's Thanksgiving today, and I always like to take a few minutes to give conscious thought to the things that I am thankful for.  Sometimes I write it down, sometimes I don't, but I thought this year could be a time that I do.  So, without further ado, here are some of the things that I think make my life worthwhile, though the list is by no means all inclusive.

• My family.  It's true that many of the trials and tribulations in my life--and all of my true heartbreak-- are caused by relatives, but so too is the vast majority of my true joy.  I always think it's a worthwhile trade.
• Friends.  These people are the family I've chosen, and I can't imagine life without them.
• Health.  It's not like I'm an athletically fit physical specimen or anything, but I do have basic health and well-being, and I know that there are many who do not have even that.
• A job.  On a day to day basis, my job makes me crazy and causes an unrealistic amount of stress.  But, it also pays my bills and allows me to live my life.  I'm grateful that I'm one of the lucky ones who get to have that kind of stress and craziness.
• My fitbit.  What, you say, is a fitbit?  My new best friend.  It's a little gadget that's helping me stay focused on my weight loss goals this year.  The simple answer is that it's a pedometer, but it's so much more. I love it, and I really appreciate the friends I've found on their website.
• Vacation this year.  It had been a long time since Brian and I really took a vacation, but we had a doozy this summer.  The Alaskan cruisetour was the trip of a lifetime, and I cherish the memories.
• The BC Clarke jingle.  I've been hearing it my whole life, and it's how I know the holiday season has officially begun.  It most always makes me smile and sing along, and the first time of the year--like this morning--always gives me just a little rush of excitement.
• Computers.  Those little wonders can do a lot of things, from surfing the web to writing a book or calculating a budget.  Cool.
• The future.  Of course, none of us ever know what the future holds, or even how much of it we'll be granted, but I do appreciate knowing it's out there for now, and I'm grateful for the simple gift of wondering what it will be like and hoping for all good things.

I hope everyone takes at least a few minutes today away from the bustle of things to do and all the yummy food, and really thinks about the things they cherish in life.

You can’t go back again

Some folks—my mom included—seem to have the knack for holding a family together.  You know the type:  they’re the glue that binds everyone and everything.  Gatherings are usually at their homes and at their request.  No one would think of staying away, even if the scheduling isn’t just right, and everyone has a good time while they’re there.

I’ve been thinking about that a lot this week, as my family tries to work out our plans for Thanksgiving dinner.  For a variety of reasons—most having to do with trying to maintain some sort of family peace—we’ve decided to go out this year, rather than gather at anyone’s home.  And, scheduling is proving very difficult—so much so that about half of us apparently won’t be able to make it Thursday.  We’re going to spread some of the festivities into Friday, but even that won’t let everyone gather at once, or even over the course of the weekend.  And the part that bothers me the most is that it doesn’t seem to bother anyone else.  Clearly, of all the many things I learned from my mom, how to be the family glue was not among them.  It makes me sad.  I want the days when things were simpler and family traditions were important to everyone. 

But the saddest thing of all is that I know we can’t ever go back.

So Many Things (Nov. 24, 2005)

I love Thanksgiving. Family and friends gathering to talk, laugh, eat, play games, eat some more. You know how it is. And, of course, it signals the official start of the “holiday season”, which is always exciting.

Mostly, though, I like any day that has a built in excuse for reflecting on the good things in life. Seriously, we tend to get caught up in all the negative stuff; seems like that’s all we ever talk about, and it’s nice to have a day every now and again where it doesn’t seem too corny just to stop and say, “I’ve got an awful lot going for me.”

So, here’s my mental list for 2005, though it certainly isn’t all-inclusive. It’s reaffirming, somehow, to take a bit of time to give thanks, and I hope you’ll take a few minutes to think through your own list, too.

• My family (every last, goofy one of them)


• My friends (ditto)


• The patience of friendship (because there are folks I don’t talk to nearly enough; but I love you, Kim and Tanya)


• Health


• A nice place to live


• Food to eat, today and every day


• My job (hard to believe, but it has its moments, and something has to pay for life)


• Music


• Memories (because there are family and friends no longer with us)


• Star Trek (yeah, TV, I know, but seriously; have you ever really watched it? There’s a lot to learn.)


• The dark of night with about a million stars shining above


• Writing (when I do it, it keeps me sane; when someone else does it, I get something to read)


• The redwood forest (because it is a beauty that makes you feel absolutely connected to the world and yet totally insignificant all at the same time)


• The internet (no, really, it’s amazing. Besides, without it, I wouldn’t have some of those friends I mentioned at the top of the list)


• Laughter, especially from my son


• Today