Thanksgiving Day

This is a photo of some flowers that are at the entrance to the club house at Memorial Park.

The burst of orange and yellow is always a welcome sight when I'm out running.

I can't remember if it was Ann Landers or Dear Abby who said something like this:

Let us be grateful not only for what we have but let us also be grateful for what we have escaped.

I find that a bit humorous because I think of some of my antics, especially in New Orleans, and yet at the same time I find it striking close to home some times. For instance...

I was about 30 minutes late yesterday making my way with The Calvinator to Joe & Helen's. Not quite over the river and through the woods because I never really drove through the woods. I finally did cross the Trinity River; just barely.

Along the way, just outside of Calvert we came upon a serious car accident. The Jaws of Life were being used and Life Flight was on the scene. It wasn't a good scene.

It got me to thinking. If I had left 30 minutes earlier, would I have witnessed the accident? Would I have been a part of the accident? In case you can't tell it really bothered me.

This morning after walking The Calvinator I made my way to the local Starbucks. It was a bit cold outside (37 degrees Fahrenheit). I was listening to NPR and they were talking about a small restaurant (Norma's) that serves a free Thanksgiving Dinner. It reminded me of one particular Thanksgiving.

I was a member of the East Fort Worth Rotary Club. It was a club tradition to provide a Thanksgiving lunch for those who couldn't afford the meal. That particular year the family was doing dinner so I spent a few hours serving tea & coffee and busing tables. It really put things in perspective. It also reminded me that I need to be grateful for what I have.

Things may not always be coming up roses and daffodils, sunshine and Santa Claus, or bright lights and lollipops but I do have great set of friends and family, a roof over my head, a dog who loves me because I feed him and a pantry full of vodka and a wine collection that will see me through a few years.

It's sorta like that lyric, "And when we're weary and we can't sleep we count our blessings instead of sheep..."

Wishing all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving.

World AIDS Day - Dec. 1

www.worldaidsdayhouston.org