Day After

The feast was fabulous.

Even the football was exciting. The anticipated blow-outs did not materialize and the games were close--well at least the first two.

The family was gathered around the table. The great-grandparents were seated. The five dogs (Jeff, Florence, Makayla, Ben and Chewie) were penned in the basement, Ethan and Jax were rested and involved, and the wine was perfect for the brine soaked turkey--which was moist and flavorful.

The prayer was given.

And as the eating began--the thanks though unspoken was evident. We were together again. Gathered around a table sharing a meal and thankful for family and the freedoms we had which include the ability to gather together without fear and with a table full of foods.

The pies were tasty--I sampled two--a pumpkin and an apple.

And then as we became bored with the NFL's Thanksgiving offerings, some of us slipped out for a movie--the latest Harry Potter offering.

Finally arriving home after 10pm--I knew it had been a great Thanksgiving once again. Not because of what I ate, or or what I did--but because of who I was with. And that was what I was most thankful for--the who's sitting around the table and the relationships we share.

Snowstorm in the Village

2010 Village Blizzard

So last Saturday was Snow Village day. Well, yesterday, the 5 year old grandson, Ethan, decided the scene was a bit too bucolic. So a snowstorm was needed to liven things up a bit.

Needless to say the designer initially was not amused. But in retrospect it demonstrated a creative genius. The snowstorm survived the night.

Happy Thanksgiving

Well--it arrived right on schedule.

The national day to give thanks.

I have said, on a couple of occasions, that Thanksgiving is the most religious of all of the national holidays (note: I wrote religious and not Christian). And I believe this to be true. While some may argue that Christmas is the most religious oriented--I maintain that Thanksgiving is the one one of the two which has remained closest its original purpose for a broader percent of the population--

I present the quick definition from Wikipedia:

Thanksgiving Day, known informally as "Turkey Day," is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving was a holiday to express thankfulness, gratitude, and appreciation to God, family and friends for which all have been blessed of material possessions and relationships. Traditionally, it has been a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. This holiday has since moved away from its religious roots.

While the holiday has moved away from its religious roots--it still retains that sense of a holiday unspoiled by blatant commercialism and which is still designed to make us pause--and give thanks for all we have and the bountiful blessings bestowed upon us. Most of us, thank God. Because we know--it's not us!

And so this year, I am thankful for our military members on the front lines in far off places and the civilians who are there along beside them. I am thankful for family, for close friends who put up with my antics, my dog, and the blessings that God has poured out upon me. More than I can count or even appreciate.

May you and yours recognize the blessings you have and be thankful for them today, tomorrow, and into the future.

Left the Station

The train is a full throttle racing away from the station--only there is no track in front of it.


Sometimes life seems to be like this.

All speed and no vector.

The holidays seem like this sometimes more often than not.

There are so many schedules to juggle--so many things to do and not nearly enough time to get them all done.

Sanity--or preserving sanity during this season relies on finding balance. It also relies upon recognizing that choosing to participate in one thing may preclude doing another. For example--going shopping on a Saturday afternoon precludes raking the leaves. As long as I am good with that--life is OK. But if I become stressed because of both what I am doing and what I am not doing--nothing good will result.

It is a bit sad that a season of joy has become a season plagued by stress.

But--like the picture--even though it appears the tracks are not there--if we slow down, take a deep breath and smile, we can get through the drifts of the season which are competing for our time and attention. The tracks are there--but we must move at a reasonable pace not to get derailed.

The Race is On

You probably didn't even feel it when you woke up this morning--but the pace of life has just doubled. And it will stay on "fast forward" until January 3rd or so.


Yes--despite Thanksgiving being a couple days off--the rush of the holidays begins now.

There are dinners and desserts to plan. Wine lists to coordinate.

Activities to plan as well.

At work, today we are having a pig-in! Just to get things rolling along on the festivities. So it should be a week of eating and partying.

And it is a short work week too--Since I'm taking leave on Friday--it is a three-day week. I could get to like working like that.

So like I always say this time of year--Don't be a turkey, eat one!

Monday Musings - November 22, 2010

1. Read in a news item: "More Americans can identify the Three Stooges than the three branches of government--you know, the ones who are jockeying over our welfare." AlterNet

2. Want to check how much you know about religion? Take this survey: U.S. Religious Knowledge Quiz. I missed one question.


3. TSA and pat downs and whole body scanners. We can find a reason to justify almost anything it seems. There is a risk to everything we do. Maybe in their zeal to make flying risk free they have gone a bit too far.

4. Afghan Hero Dog Is Euthanized by Mistake in U.S. From the NY Times: The glory, though, was short-lived. Target, after learning to get along with the Young family’s other dog in Arizona, becoming accustomed to dog food and to using a doggie door to relieve herself, escaped from her yard. She was captured last week and euthanized by mistake.

5. Have kids or grandkids? Here are the 10 worst toys for this holiday season.

6. Well it was clear from watching the games yesterday that, according to Jeremy, the NFL is becoming the other Flag Football League--it seems that the flag happy referees can't let the game play on. It really slows the game and we saw at least three flags thrown for non-penalty items in one game. Even the announcers agreed.

7. From the Drudge Retort this morning: Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said in a radio interview that court rulings can be superseded by the other two branches of government. "A president has certainly got to respect a ruling of the court, but if the ruling of a court is wrong, and it's fundamentally wrong, and you have two branches of the government that determine that it's wrong, then those other two branches supersede the one," he said. The whole article is in Think Progress. BTW--he's wrong.

8. The clowns in circus of life are there to keep us from getting too serious about meaningless stuff.

9. This is a holiday week--which starts the larger holiday season. Which means it is going to be a bit crazy until about January 3rd.

10. BTW--remember--it is OK to say: "Merry Christmas" and not try to be politically correct by saying "Happy Holidays." Why? Christmas is the Federal Holiday.

Thanksgiving is Here!

How do I know?

We have our own Thanksgiving forecasting cactus.

every year around Thanksgiving it breaks into full blossom. And this year is no exception--it is magnificent.

It is fun to take care of this plant all year long and then in November to see it begin to bud and then spring into full flower.

We have had this cactus for many years now--and I think it is blooming a bit earlier now than it used to--but no problem--whenever it blooms, we enjoy its flowers.

And with the blooms--the turkey is not far behind.

And the holiday season.

2010 edition of the Doan Family Snow Village

It is Snow Village Saturday. And the 2010 edition is set up and ready to rock in the Holiday Season.

The annual tradition dates back to about 1983 but it has grown larger every year.

This year the village is at one end for the first time.

Only 6 hours start to finish

The One Thing

Here is the scene:

Curley is riding his horse during one scene in the movie City Slickers, and provides insight into the deep meaning of life. He holds up his finger and pronounces that it is about one thing.


Mitch, riding along side Curley gets excites and asks--"What is the one thing?" And Curley calmly tells him, "That's what you have to find out!"


Curley's one thing is different from Mitch's one thing.


My one thing is different from yours. We are each different and have different purposes that make us tick


That really struck me the other night as I was at a meeting where the discussion turned to talking about the "one thing" that really is our personal mission.


I envisioned a box, which when opened would have the one thing there--for me to see and be reminded of. The one that that is me and my personal mission/vocation in life.


Sadly it is not that easy.


I think I used to know what that one thing was--but a few years ago it got crushed and I haven't reconstructed it yet



So in my mind the other evening I opened my box and looked inside for the one thing--and it was empty. There were a lot of things hanging around outside the box--but no one thing had taken charge.



I was depressed, but I think I knew it all along.

But look at the opportunity. I get to redefine myself and my goals as I rediscover my one thing!

Wherever it is.

Dawn

I love dawn
when the sky transitions from night to day.
The first hints of light silhouette the landscape,
I can just begin to discern shapes along the horizon
but the stars remain in the still night sky.
It begins as a narrow band of light.
No color.
As it expands and dark colors begin to come into view,
I can begin to make out shapes on the landscape.
The world has no depth.
Only dark shapes on the horizon.
Dark trees and buildings.
The light continues to build,
orange gold colors of the morning begin to grace the sky.
I can begin to make out some depth in the land.
I can tell the trees are losing their leaves to the coming winter
And so quickly
The darkness is driven away by the light
The stars are gone
The world stirs from its slumber
How quickly it happens
Darkness and then light bathing the land
And I can see the colors of the trees
and the houses and the depth of the landscape.
Night is gone.
Day arrived
full of promise and plans.
And I witnessed the miracle, again.