Sunday Share Thankful

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I reminisced about days gone by. That evening I was pleasantly surprised to find that a cousin had posted a video of some football being played in the front yard of my grandmother’s where all used to gather. I saw a couple original players out there playing!

Then once we were done being Thankful for what we have, along comes Black Friday where we go out an get some more. We didn’t do any of the big sales that day. We did a small bit of shopping yesterday, but nothing extravagant. DW has made of list of who we need to buy for, so it’s time to start thinking, buying, and checking names off the list. I would be nice to go somewhere where we can get all done in one big day. One fowl swoop. It’s tough to Christmas shop when the kids are with you. I did it last year. One was in school and one was 4 and so intend on pushing the cart he didn’t see what I had in my hands. He’s 5 now and that won’t work again.

So anyway… here are the posts I’m thankful for this week. One of them is a video. You’re welcome!

Five Little Doves
What’s wrong with Megtron?

Lou Plus Two
On liquid gold..

Where Are Your Pants?
An honest job description

Wonderoak
What do to when you see that mom…

Green Grapes
Those lonely bananas…

Kristina Kuzmic
A very thankful mom…

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My Thankful Post

Once upon a time there was a family who celebrated Thanksgiving on a farm. So many family members attended that two tables were needed to sit everyone. There was so much food, two tables were need to hold it all. One of the seats was a church pew. There was much talking and laughter. There were bumping elbows and food stolen off plates. There was always one dish getting passed the wrong direction.  Through the years we ranged in age from newborn to grandparents.

After a hearty meal, the table cleared off and the dishes cleaned and put away, there would be football and parade watching on TV. They would doze in and out of tryptophan comas.

Well rested, the boys would gather in the front yard for some pigskin tossing and tackling. “Down 42! Blue! HUT HUT HUT!” Just like they were a Pittsburgh Steeler or a Dallas Cowboy. On warmer occasions, the girls would participate and it would become a family game of two hand touch .

Today, while the table remains, not as many gather around it this Thanksgiving. My grandfather, having passed away many years ago, no longer steals food from my mother. My brother and his family are now in South Korea. I and my family are now in Canada. My cousins are scattered up and down the east coast from Florida to Maryland. Some are travelling the world. There is no more football in the front yard.

The times have changed and nothing seems as it was in the “good old days”. Our gratitude, however, remains healthy and constant. Forever are we thankful for those days together. Thankful we could share a table with so much family, with so much love. Differences were set aside for a few hours of food and fun. Quarrels were ignored in the spirit of the holiday.

The newborns are now great grandchildren. Grandparents now outnumber children. Blessings outnumber worries. And we’ll celebrate American Thanksgiving here.

Happy Thanksgiving…

 

 

For What I Don’t Have

Happy Canadaland Thanksgiving!

Or Columbus Day if you’re in the States. 

I normally don’t get all religious. Normally, I don’t get religious at all unless I’m in church. However, on occasion a story will come along that just makes sense. I get it. Thanks to Father Conrad for this homily.

It’s a Jesus story, but also a story about giving thanks. For when Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem (for his crucifixion) he met 10 men all asking to be healed of leprosy. If you’re up for a Halloween scare Google images of leprosy. I triple dog dare you. Anyway, Jesus told the 10 men to go see the priest. They did and *POOF* they were healed. One man returned to thank Jesus. Only one was thankful for his healing. 

While 9 men were asking themselves “Why me? Why do I have to be a leper?” the tenth was asking “Why me? Why heal me?” He was the thankful one. 

How many lottery winners ask, “Why me?”

How many ask, “Why me?” when good fortune comes their way? Yet we’re quick to question the bad luck, the bad situtations, the tragedies. Yet we always seem deserving of the good that comes to us. 

The theme, naturally, is to give thanks. In the past we usually tell what we’re thankful for; family, friends, food and house (usually in that order). Today is a little different. There’s a twist, if you will. 

There are so many reasons to give thanks. But what am I thankful I don’t have?

I’m thankful that I don’t have:

• leprosy
• to cook the turkey today
• to be the turkey
• kids who hate me (usually)
• to worry about money (usually)
• troubles that are anything more than trivial
• to worry about where my next meal is coming from, where I’m going to sleep, who’s going to love me.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I’ll write another of these thankful posts at the end of November. I love getting two Thanksgivings.

What are you thankful you don’t have?

The Ghosts of Thanksgiving

Things have change slightly over the past 30 years. I’d be a bit worried if they didn’t. Today is one of those days that makes me ponder what was, was is and what will be. Sort of like Scrooge’s Christmas ghosts, but on Thanksgiving and not so gloomy and melancholy.

Sink Soup

We’ve all done dumb shit before. Some of us have done dumber shit than others. Like that time I got my “stuck” in a cinder block. My excuse was I was only 2. In my defence, it wasn’t really stuck. My ears would roll and scrape against the block. That hurt. So my dad held my ears against my head so I could pull my head right out. I don’t know why I put in there. I must have stumbled and fell into it.

Then there was that time I was flying to Canada to see my then girlfriend, now DW and I forgot my birth certificate. This was before the days of when passports were required. My parents were kind enough to leave home at 4:30 am to bring it to me and I still made my flight.

Then there was that time DW and I were meeting my parents in DC to go to a Great Big Sea concert. I had ordered our tickets online and had put them on the fridge so I could just grab them as we walked out the door and not forget them. I forgot them. Fortunately, they could use the credit card I had paid with to track down our tickets and still get in.

Then there was the time two years ago that we celebrated American Thanksgiving here in Canada. We had family over. It was great. That weekend, right after breakfast, I put everything that was left on the turkey into a pot to boil the meat off the bones. Then we set off decorating the house for Christmas. The lights went up, the tree went up, Woody and Elfis (our elves on the shelves) were set to return. Six hours later I finally got back around to the turkey.

I put a colander in the sink to dump the turkey into so I could pick it all off the bones. Then DW comes out to see what I’m doing and asks “Where’s all the broth?”. I knew at that exact moment that I had forgotten to put a pot under the colander to catch the broth when I dumped the turkey. Six hours of broth making just went down the drain. Literally. Now, at every Thanksgiving, twice a year for us, we sit and laugh about the time I made “Sink Soup”.

We’ve all done stupid shit. Some of us just happen to have a longer rap sheet than others. Does any wonder where my two sons get it from? Nope. No one wonders for a second.

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

Bang’s Thanksgiving paint strip turkey he made in school

Here in Canada it’s Thanksgiving Sunday. Thanksgiving is officially tomorrow. We’ll have a small gathering here for supper. Though it would be nicer if it were bigger. DW’s family will joining us, so we’ll have five extra. In an ideal world we’d have an extra six more than that if my family could come, too.

It’s a time of giving thanks. We have family, friends, a roof over our head, a bed to sleep in, and food on the table. The rest is gravy on the mashed potatoes. Nanny is providing the turkey (but we’re cooking it) *reminder to myself: write about “sink soup” tomorrow*. She’s also bringing yummy pumpkin pie and Cool Whip!

I’m thankful for my mom’s stuffing recipe. Though it’s not much, and easy to make, it is a taste of “home” for me. I’ve got the bread ripped up and going stale as I type this. It’ll be ready to become delicious stuffing tomorrow morning when the turkey arrives. Yes, we’ll cook the stuffing in the turkey.

Crash is thankful for friends and family. Food. Life. Animals, tablets and school.

Bang is thankful for dad coming on the trampoline, hugs, and getting me a drink. Oh, and Snuggling with mom.

DW is thankful for peace and quiet (HAHAHAHAHAHA ain’t none of that around here – we ran out of that 8 years ago and again 4 years ago). She also says she’s thankful for a husband who spoils her. Nevermind the smile and giggle that follow making it difficult to tell if she’s being serious or sarcastic. I’m guessing a bit of both.

I remember thanksgiving growing up. Though it was at the end of November. We’d all gather at grandparents farm. There’d be so many people we’d require two tables. There’d be so much food we’d need a small army to eat all of it. After a hearty meal and lots of talk and laughter, someone would start the cleaning up process. There would a football game or a parade on T.V. Eventually, we would end up in the front yard playing football. Tackle if was just the boys- myself, my dad, brother, and some cousins and uncles. Two hand touch if the girls joined in – my mom and some cousins and aunts. Ahh the good ol’ days.

We’ll do this all again come American Thanksgiving come the end of November. As for now, I need to go put up a few Halloween decorations before the heathens drive me insane about it. Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to you and yours wherever you may find yourself this weekend!