THANKSGIVING EVE HODGEPODGE!

     Here it is, another Thanksgiving Day is upon us. I hope that everyone has a wonderful day with family and friends. We are a blessed people and I thank God for everyone one of His blessings. One of those blessings is Joyce's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Each week she comes up with challenging questions that forces us to think. Thank you Joyce! Please enjoy this week's edition.

1. Besides U.S. Thanksgiving, it's also National Game and Puzzle Week...what game have you played most recently, and who were you with? Have you worked a puzzle of any kind in the past week?

     I can't remember the last time that I played a game. However, I regularly work Crossword Puzzles and Word Jumbles.

2. What is one place you were thankful for this year?
     This year, and every year, I am thankful for my home. SWMBO has made it a place where I yearn to get back to whenever I am away. It is truly a refuge from the world, our little island of love, joy and contentment.

3. Take a nap, watch football, go for an after dinner walk, or hit the stores...which ONE is on your must-do list for Thanksgiving day? For those of you playing along who aren't in the US, answer as it relates to any big holiday meal.

     It's not a must do but watching a football game and/or playing some sort of game such as "Apples to Apples" or a favorite board game is usually on the agenda.

4. Besides Thanksgiving, what's your favorite home cooked meal?

     I have a few favorites. I do love "Shepherds Pie," also known as "Chinese Pie." 

5. What product from an infomercial would you most like to own?

     I've got nothing! Cannot think of an infomercial much less what they were hawking!

6. Christmas shopping? Have you begun? Finished? Will you shop on Black Friday? How do you feel about stores opening on Thanksgiving Day? What percentage of your Christmas shopping is done online?

     As the founding member of the Ebenezer Scrooge Admiration Society (E.S.A.S) I would lose my lofty position in the society if I were to even think about doing ANY Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving Day. I will not shop on Black Friday...that's just nuts! I think it's inappropriate for stores to open on Thanksgiving. As far as online shopping goes, SWMBO and I do about half online, sometimes a little less than half other times a little more than half.

7. What are you most grateful for that adds beauty to your everyday life?

     I am very grateful for the gift of music. I love playing my guitar. I love jamming with like minded friends. I enjoy watching documentaries about the behind-the-scenes story of how songs are written and records are made. Case in point would be Dave Groh's "Foo Fighters Sonic Highway" currently showing on HBO. 
     Groh is the front man for the rock group The Foo Fighters and he and the band travelled to various recording studios around the country telling the stories and history of these studios and recording a song at each of them for their album "Sonic Highways." 
     There is also Classical Music, Country Music and various instrumentals that enrich our lives.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

     In my introductory remarks above I alluded to the fact that we Americans are a blessed people. We sing a song at church called "Count Your Blessings!" It urges us that when the storms of life are tossing us about we should count our many blessings and that we will be surprised at how we have been blessed. 
     I urge all of you to think about how you are blessed. Do you have a roof over your head? Do you have a job? Do you have family? Do you have clothes on your back? Do you have food to eat?
     Are you a Christian? If you are, the Book of Ephesians tells you that you have every spiritual blessing in Christ. You already have it all! How cool is that.
     So I say    H A P P Y    T H A N K S G I V I N G!  Please remember to give thanks to God on that special day!