Monday Musings - Tuesday, December 1, 2009

1. I waited until December to put these together because it was so close.

2. The last month of the year has arrived--and while the weather has been mild, with the holiday season upon us, I am sure the weather will turn more seasonal, too.

3. Traveling always reminds me of the vastness of the country and its diversity. Cities to open lands, mountains to rolling prairie, and don't forget the wide-open water of the Great Lakes.

4. Family--that is what makes Thanksgiving such a great holiday. I realize that i enjoy the day more because I have family to enjoy it with. We had four generations present around the table on Thursday--a definite wow factor ensued.

5. While I was off from work, enjoying family and relaxation of the holiday--there were millions of others who were working --whether serving us all by being on the front lines of the war in Afghanistan, or the operations centers monitoring the world, or in the police cars in my town or yours, or the hospitals caring for the sick. Some were flying the friendly skies while others were piloting the ships on the seas. Or in the grocery store I ran to on an emergency errand. God bless you all--who can't just take a day off because the calendar says it is a holiday.

6. One take away from the message in church on Sunday--was to be thankful for what we have--and express that thanks to others in the written word so they know that they are appreciated.

7. It is December--remember all of those New Year's resolutions? You have 31 days to get them done!

8. Can you remember life before cell technology? I can't. I mean how great is it to be able to call family from wherever I am in the world. And to talk to my family as they are driving to work or what ever they are doing!

9. Sadly, the annual Axis and Allies game did not happen--too many defectors from the group. We WILL reschedule for over the Christmas/New Year holiday break!

Fire in the Mountains

OK--this isn't my usual Monday musings--but I saw something again tonight that I just had to write about.

Fire in the mountains!

Yup--the sunset behind the Rockies illuminated the evening sky and made it appear as if the mountains were on fire. It was a sight to behold--and one that although I've seen before--I never grow tired of seeing.

Probably accentuated by the fact that I live in Maryland where there are no mountains of Rocky Mountain proportions.

The sky was a cyan and as the last rays faded--the mountains were silhouetted in splendor with orange and red colors behind them.

Camera?

It seems I always forget to bring one since I'm not on a tourist trip--but a business trip.

But I can see them in my mind--from my hotel room window looking across the plains to the foothills just north of Denver.

Is this what they call a Rocky Mountain high?

Chicago Morning

I just looked out the window of my Boeing 757 as we broke out of the clouds somewhere over Lake Michigan. And there she was. A jewel on the shore illuminated by the morning light. Chicago.

The lake was calm and blue. The skyscrapers were gathered together on the shore, like so many people headed down to the water's edge they seemed from 38,000 feet.

It was pretty. They looked small like a Lego city. Yet I know they tower to a thousand feet or more above the ground.

I almost never sit in window seats, but today the plane is full and I didn't have a choice. I guess I miss a lot of sights when I travel on the aisle of life.

I can see the cloud bank off in the west waiting to obscure the ground from my view again. But for a brief minute I could see how a city gathers together on the shore of a magnificent lake.

And the clouds have returned with their light "chop" as the pilots call it when it feels like the jet is hitting potholes in the road. It is like riding a bus--or not.

I love looking at America and being reminded that the world is so much bigger than my backyard.



Bob Doan
Elkridge, MD
Sent from My Blackberry

And the Holiday Engines are Revving

shopping

decorating

eating

drinking

driving

racquetball

Snow village set-up

Do you know what all of these have in common?

These are all activities I participated in today.

The day began with a racquetball match--at 8AM, which I actually played early from my league since I will be in Denver this week.

Then I hurried home to say good-bye to my parents who departed for upstate NY--after enjoying Thanksgiving here with us.

And then, it was Snow Village set-up time, which was postponed form last week because we didn't know where we wanted to set it up. And we still didn't as the day began. So we have two villages in operation for the Christmas season.

And then there was pizza from last night for lunch AND Thanksgiving day 3 for dinner.

Not to be forgotten--we did have to go shopping for more Christmas related stuff for the house today. But--even though it was right in the middle of setting up the Snow Village--it worked out.

In a few minutes we will be heading out to spend an evening with our friends and enjoy some wine and dessert---yay! Mostly about the wine.

Ah, the holiday season is upon us--Ho Ho Ho and all that stuff.

But--keep our wits about us and we'll probably survive.

The Day After--The Feast before

Why do they call it Black Friday?

The sun came up, right?

The tryptophan induced slumber ended with a fully rested person ready to confront the crowds, right?

Ah, yes--it is a retailing term when the retailers make money and push their books into the "black" for the year. Really?

No matter, it really isn't black though--it is a pleasant color--pick one, like orange, because:

This holiday we have survived a car accident--no injuries, my future daughter-in-law slid into the car in front of her on the rain drenched streets of Columbia.

I survived being shot with by a space ray gun in the possession of my 20 month old grandson, Jax, the miracle baby, and

Playing whack-a-mole with Ethan.

I Watched most of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade only to miss Santa's arrival.

There was more food to choose from to eat than the grand buffet.

I enjoyed watching Star Trek with my Dad!

I suffered through watching the hapless Detroit Lions lose to the Packers and the crazy Dallas Cowboys figure out how to score points again. And then I found out I forgot to play Miles Austin in Fantasy Football believing for some reason earlier in the week that Chad Ochocinco is going to do better? Ugh! At least Aaron Rogers and Donald Driver of the Packers gave me 52 points.

I felt good about having people enjoy the wines I selected for dinner! I highly recommend Willamette Valley, Oregon, Pinot Noir wines for complex meals--like Thanksgiving. We enjoyed the Cardwell Hill this year along with a Jefferson Vineyards Cabernet Franc and a Chardonnay.

And so I am sitting here--looking out the window at the clearing skies preparing to take life and limb into my own hands and sally forth to Home Depot for ceiling paint and sale priced Christmas Trees.

The coffee pot has already been emptied once--and I need to make more because Dad hasn't stirred from his slumber yet! Which is fine, because I can always drink more coffee.

At least my turkey statue is still in place next to the fireplace and we are not "all Christmas all the time," yet.

Football, Turkey and Mince Pie

Well it is here.

The day dreams are made of and waistlines are wasted.

The annual tribute to gluttony and the NFL and mince pies.

A day of Thanks to our Creator for His blessings.

And to families, and to giving thanks for all we have.

And for the blessings of life.

And for those who have gone before us to preserve our freedoms.

And for pausing to remember.

A question our family asks each other on Thanksgiving is "What do you have to be thankful for this year?" It is an important question to ask because it helps us appreciate what we have instead of focusing on what we want.

I know too many people who are unhappy because they do not have something they want and yet should be happy with all that they have. We are a blessed to overwhelming people. There are places in the world where people cannot even imagine all that we have--electronics, food, clean water, a home of our own, a lawn to mow, two cars (or three), education, and freedoms unimagined.

I know I am thankful for my wife, my family (with the broadest interpretation you can use as to who qualifies). Our family is an inclusive family--if you're here, you are family. And to my friends, because God has blessed us with some really awesome friends, who really aren't friends, but are family.

I am thankful for my job--it keeps me busy and happy and gives me a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

And I'm thankful for racquetball which makes me get out and move even when I'd rather be a slug on the sofa.

And I'm thankful for my dog--if someone had asked me last year if I wanted a puppy I would have said no--emphatically! That would have been a mistake. So I'm thankful no one listened.

And I am thankful that I can help people less fortunate than me. That i can make a difference in this world by starting right here in our community.

And I am thankful that I am happy. I am content in where I am--I would rather be diving, but that is a pipe dream.

And I am thankful

I am happy I am not a turkey!

I am happy that I can see a future. that I can plan. That I have a realistic chance to see my planning come to fruition.

And finally--I am thankful for all the things I don't even realize I'm thankful for--like my 4th and 5th grade teacher teaching me to stand in front of a bunch of people and speak without fear.

And so, I've droned on and on, but I'm reminded of the Thanksgiving Hymn

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing. . .