Thanksgiving: My sincere thanks

Thanksgiving is here so just enjoy some quality time with your family and friends. Eat and drink your favorite holiday treats, the one's that makes you feel special, and watch a little football, or go for a walk. I plan to do the same, and realize that this is not a good time to keep harping on about food choices and dissecting the merits of this health food over that, or feel guilty about calories. In the spirit of peace, kindness and thanks for my many blessings I will take a break from any discussion of diet and nutrition.

I was in the super market the other day, picking out a turkey when I had a very interesting encounter with a delightful young woman. I had decided on a fresh bird and was looking for the right size when we started talking. She was also selecting a fresh turkey but chose a rather small one . She then went on to explain that they were having a large gathering for the first time, and that her husband wanted to make sure that he could carve the bird with at least a little bit of grace, so she was buying a practice one.  For the real deal she planned on making a large, 20+ pounder, and a separate breast. There must be at least a 100 YouTube videos on turkey carving, so does he really need to practice?  I feel bad for her kids who will be eating turkey for at least 3 or 4 days before Thanksgiving. I also thought about testing out some new recipes, but where did the time go? Over the past few days our guest list has grown two fold so we're going to just stay with my wife's and kids' favorites. Yesterday, I talked to a guy who is going to smoke his turkey, and nobody is talking about turduckins anymore.

It's hard to put into words just how thankful I feel this year. Over the past few years, the economy has take it's toll on my family, but not nearly to the degree that so many others around the country have suffered. We have plenty to eat every day, access to the best health care, and a small but nice, loving home in a safe neighborhood. My children have very set the bar very high for themselves and are exceeding all of our expectations. As for myself. I am for the first time in a long time truly healthy and feel healthy. So for these blessings I give my most sincere thanks, and hope that your world is equally blessed.

Don T