Thanksgiving pt. 2

I'm so thankful for my friend having me at their home for Thanksgiving, but it's just a reminder how different families can be.

I'm thankful for my family.

Thanksgiving

Last night was my church's Thanksgiving service. Many people stood to tell why they gave thanks for God's love, care, and protection, and most of those people had events such as loss of job, illnesses, deaths in family, etc. I sat there and realized that I could not think of anything bad that occurred last year--for which I am grateful.

Day Before Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful that I have so much to be thankful for.

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Thanksgiving Board Questions

1. According to Butterball, how long should you thaw a wrapped frozen turkey?
A. 1 hour per four lbs.
B. 8 hours per 4 lbs.
C. 1 day per 4 lbs
D. 4 hours per 4 lbs.

2. Which was the first store to host a Thanksgiving Day parade?
A. J. C. Penney’s
B. Macy’s
C. Gimbel’s
D. Montgomery Ward’s

3. The Indians who were invited to the Thanksgiving feast were of the Wampanoag tribe. Who was their chief?
A. Massasoit B. Permaquid C. Samoset D. Squanto

4. Which President was the first to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday held on the 4th Thursday of November?
A. George Washington B. Abraham Lincoln
C. Benjamin Harrison D. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

5. In what month do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving?
A. November B. October C. September D. May

6. What was the original name of the Pilgrims?
A. Puritans B. Separatists C. Settlers D. Journeymen

7. Indian corn is used only for decoration and not for cooking? True/False

8. Why is a male turkey referred to as a “Tom Turkey”?
A. After Thomas Jefferson
B. Indians would catch them while beating on tom-toms
C. After a New England political cartoon

9. What year was the first Thanksgiving?
A. 1617 B. 1657 C. 1621 D. 1776

The Wisdom of a 7-year old

My mom posted this story about my nephew on the family blog:

Mark told me last night that the doctor authorized seven year old Jeffrey to shed the binding or whatever it is that immobilized his arm following a greenstick collar bone fracture. Molly told him he could get rid of the binding, which was filled with autographs. His reply: "I think I'll put it in my closet so that in thirty years, I'll remember who my friends were."

Sugar Cookies

Today I made sugar cookies. I used to be famous among my nieces and nephews for them, but it's probably been so long since I've made them for the kids that they don't remember them.

Tomorrow is a cookie exchange at work so I thought it best to participate and make my 3 dozen cookies. I also thought about making molasses cookies as I've been hungry for those. Then I thought about making the chocolate cookies for Christmas and freezing the rest, but it was just too much work for today. Of course, I thought about springerles to have them made for Christmas, but you just don't take those to a cookie exchange.

Then I realized all my cookie choices are the recipes my grandmothers made, and I feel connected to them when I bake their cookies.

Thankful Thursday

Things I'm thankful for this week:

A surprise order for MK.
A night off from handbells last night
The apples I’ve been enjoying this week.

Oh, those Christian school websites

I think it's funny that the website for the Christian school system I used to work for in Ohio is blocked by my internet server. No other schools are.

Seeing the Rockettes

Last night a friend from work and I decided to go to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular “road show” in GR. We checked on-line for tickets and found them for $91! We decided to drive down before the show to see if we could get any. I dropped her off and drove around while she looked for people selling them or at the box office. Let’s just say we had front row seats on the floor for less than any published price through the box office. It was a great show and an really amazing nativity scene following the reading of Luke 2.

During the “We Three Kings” part there was an elaborate parade of each king around the stage with people leading and following him all in beautiful costumes. Yet everyone quickly pulled out cameras and took pictures of the two camels and donkey in the magi parade.

The angel in the nativity scene was a bit scary and it actually kind of freaked me out when her wings started flapping.

Also, Santa and two boys “flew” to the North Pole. There was a track that the wires that were attached to their costumes allowing them to “fly”, and the track went directly over our heads. That too was a bit scary, but it also looked like fun.

I wonder if the Rockettes get tired of doing the kick thing, and do they just laugh at how everyone claps every time they do it which they did in almost every routine.

Sec. of State Clinton?

I don't get the talk of Hillary being Sec. of State, but the political pundits this morning on the morning news programs made it out as almost a done deal.

She would be limited to Obama's agenda, in the Senate she could serve longer and become a leading stateswoman, and Sec. of State isn't a stepping stone to the Presidency in the modern day.

How does it help Obama? Does he want to keep his enemies (including Bill) close as in keep your friends close and your enemies closer? I see Obama mentioning her and talking about it to her to somewhat appease her supporters.

Does Obama offer it to her and she turn it down?

Medicine

During my recent cold the doctor said to take Mucinex-D, the kind sold from behind the counter but isn't prescription.

I had a real dilemma because I cannot stand the Mucinex commercials; I turn the channel when they come on as they are disgusting. How can they think people look positively on their product with the commercials of mucus with human characteristics?

Monday's question

What is "Nixon in China"?

sculpture
opera
mural
red wine
punk band

My Plate

Two thoughts have been challenging me this week, but you need to know what has lead up to that. Four weeks ago I left church after handbell rehearsal and choir rehearsal for my playing that Sunday. I sat in my car in the parking lot and thought, "Everything I do is good, but everything is too much."

Monday night I was in a training session in which the speaker said, "Everything on your plate you put there." For the most part that is true--at least it is for me although sometimes there are situations that people can't control that put a big chunk of something on their plate.

Yesterday I read this quote on a blog: "The more we having going on in our lives and our ministry the less we can pay attention to."

So the challenge is then, what comes off the plate?

Blog Wordle

Today I did a Wordle on my blog. A wordle makes a word cloud on text you provide based on frequency of word use supposedly. I'm not sure that I've used Nazi in my blog that often, but I thought it was kind of interesting. Here are some of the results:

Thankful Thursday

1. 20 years ago (can it be that long) on Monday Andrew was born.
2. Next Sunday I get to ring handbells with another girl for a couple of hymns at church. I like to ring, and we don't get to a lot.
3. Today I have a job.
4. Renae found a three-shelf unit that I could spray paint the shelves and put in my bathroom so I can have a different tv to watch news, etc. in the morning as I get ready. This tv is not demon-possessed--it stays on the same channel until I change it!
5. A really good cohort at CU for this class.

Thursday's Board Question

In what country was wearing a paper clip a symbol of resistance to the Nazi occupation?

Norway
England
Spain
Italy
Germany

Tuesday's Question

Tulips originated in which country, being exported to Holland in the 17th century?

Belgium
Finland
France
Turkey
Syria

Embody

This afternoon I got to sit in the new chair we just introduced called Embody. Ergonomically it makes you sit in a way that expands your lungs and helps you breathe better. It helps your posture so that you take in more oxygen and hence are more alert and can help you work more productively.

I've now done all my work for the rest of the week.

It is a comfortable chair once I got it adjusted for me. I would gladly sit in it or the Aeron which I currently sit in.

And yes that is a Mary Kay Satin Hands cream in the orange container in front of my monitor. Thanks for noticing.

Monday's Board Question

What is the term for two molecules that have the same chemical formula, but a different atomic arrangement?

catalysts
ionic compounds
isomers
enzymes
twin molecules

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Weather

All week long the temp was a high in the low 70s. Yesterday and today has been high of low 40s with rain/snow showers. Overnight winter has hit!

I don't like it.

Friday's Puzzle

For the visual person:

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for these things plus more:

1. I can breathe again, and I think my voice sounds good.
2. Even though my company is making changes in our health coverage that will result in higher out of pocket expense for me, I still will have affordable health insurance and excellent medical care.
3. For the US electoral process. We can have a major change in parties in control yet there was rioting in the streets, businesses and schools didn’t have to close.
4. Roll, Tide, Roll. Need I say more?

Thursday's Board Puzzle

In my money box I found $36.80 made up of equal numbers of quarters, dimes and nickels. How many of each coin did I find?

The Shopping Inquisition

Interaction as I was checking out at a local discount retailer yesterday:

Clerk: Would you like $10 in free coupons for giving us your e-mail address?
Me: No, thank you.
Clerk: Would you like to donate $1 to St. Jude’s today?
Me: No, thank you.
(All of this was before she scanned anything.)
She scanned the item.
Clerk: What is your birthdate?
Me: Why do you need to know my birthdate?
Clerk: Because you are buying spray paint.
I pulled out a credit card to pay.
Clerk: Would you like to apply for our credit card?
Me: No, thank you.

It seemed like an awful lot of questions for one can of spray paint.

Happy Birthday, Mary.

Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday, dear Mary.
Happy Birthday to you.

That's the most singing I'm doing today with my voice.

Voting in 2008

I voted today. No lines although apparently first thing this morning there had been. I was voter #522 in my precinct. Often when I vote I am still in the double digits so there is high turn out today.

I always pray when I get in the voting booth. It's never a prayer asking about wisdom to make the right decision, etc. It is always only a prayer of thankfulness that I live in the United States of America and have the right to vote.

There's been a slew of e-mails floating around about remembering that God is in control regardless of who is elected. I often think these are morale boosters because people think their candidate will lose, but I think we need to be reminded of that at every election. Even when Reagan, the great saviour of the Republican party, was elected, we needed that reminder that man cannot do what only the Gospel can.

The best e-mail I've read this year was in my Inbox this morning. Thanks to Gene Banks for forwarding it. It is an e-mail from a pastor in NY to his parishioners. No preaching about who to vote for just a sound argument for what is most important in our lives. Here's a short excerpt:

4. Live by faith as you keep the Gospel at the heart of your living
Be focused. The Gospel is always to remain at the center of every aspect of our lives, the character and content of our believing, our loving, our acting. But the Gospel does not occupy that priority in our lives accidently. We must not conclude that, because we affirm that Jesus is Saviour and Lord, the Gospel automatically applies its influence to every part of our lives. No, that transformation takes place over time and through discipline. There are no short cuts, even while relying on the riches of God’s grace, to becoming mature and seasoned in the life of faith. Being a Christian often simply requires hard work, a rigor that is often accompanied by sacrifice.
Keeping the Gospel central in our lives enables us to hold in tension ideals that we often too quickly and careless resolve in a way that pollutes the Gospel message and obscures the beauty and wonder of Jesus.

So I'll end this post with the words (or variation of such) that each of the four major candidates said last night as they ended one of their final rallies.

God bless America.

Christmas Travel

My funny story for the day.

Today I booked my ticket for travelling at Christmas. I asked a friend if she would be able to pick me up when I return. Here's the funny part: She asked if I would be on time. I told her I'd be back either this year or next!

Extra Emollient Night Cream

My new Can’t Have a Cold Without This product. This is a wonderful product I began using way back in Morton when my friend Janet recommended it as a replacement for Vaseline on my lips. Over the weekend I would use a bit on my nose to keep it moisturized and it’s amazing that with all the nose blowing I’ve been doing that my nose isn’t raw. And I’ve been using it on my lips again as well—only had to open one tube and with not being able to breathe through my nose, my lips are very dry.

I like that it is thick so I need only a little and it's not greasy like Vaseline. A tube will last the rest of my life probably!

It’s also the first step in the Satin Hands 3-step collection.

Sick-O

The next time I'm sick I'm going to tell anyone who is awake during the night to call me. Chances are I'll be awake too.

It's been a miserable 4 days. Which means it's been pretty miserable for my parents, Mary, and Renae. They get the brunt of the phone calls, "I just don't feel well."