Sharing Thoughts on Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving week here in the states so I'm going to vary from my usual hump day post today to share a few thoughts on the holiday. (To my friends in other lands who aren't celebrating a holiday this week, please bear with me.)

There's a lot of controversy right now on the subject of stores opening on Thanksgiving afternoon or evening to get a jump on the "Black Friday" shopping frenzy.  I don't think it's about the stores...it's about the shoppers. If any of these stores open tomorrow and no one comes to shop because it's a special holiday, next year the store will probably stay closed. I do not expect this to happen.

Does anyone remember Blue Laws? When I was growing up in Massachusetts, stores weren't allowed to open on Sunday, because..well, it was Sunday.  (Pharmacies were allowed to open but could only sell medicines or first aid supplies.)  Sundays were for church and for families. Then the laws were repealed in some areas and people would drive to those areas on Sunday to shop, and the laws slowly disappeared. Now we all shop on Sunday and no one thinks anything of it.

In a few years, I imagine Thanksgiving will be just another shopping day and Christmas will be the last day considered "special" enough to put our need to consume on hold for one day.  Until it isn't.

It's up to us, of course.



A word of thanks here to all those who have always worked on "holidays" - police, firefighters, health care providers...all those whose work must be done every day for the sake of the rest of us. Bless you all.


This Thanksgiving will be a hard one for our family because of an empty place at the table. I know a few of you are facing the same thing. My prayers are with you.


But I have so much to be thankful for this year, the list would fill this post and several more. So I'll go with the biggie: tomorrow both of my sons and daughters-in-law and all the grandkids will be here with hubby and me to enjoy a traditional turkey dinner.  Doesn't get much better than that.

Will you share something you're thankful for this week?

Now let me close with a couple of my favorite Thanksgiving funnies...

Those two always get me.

Don't forget to share something you're thankful for this week.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, or if this isn't a holiday week where you are, just have a wonderful week and I'll see you here next Wednesday.

Thought for Today:

Years from now, will they remember that 'great' gift you scored on sale, or the special times you shared?

I Like Hump Day, But There's a Camel in My Kitchen

Happy Hump Day

There's a camel on my kitchen table.

No, he's not for hump day.  In fact there's also a donkey in my sink. A couple lambs on the floor. And Joseph, Mary, and a shepherd sitting on my kitchen chairs.

I sort of volunteered last Christmas to repaint all the figures in our church's Nativity scene. I planned to do this over the summer but...well, you all know what happened to my summer. So now I'm frantically trying to get these done so we can decorate the church on Sunday.

Yeah, yeah, you know what this is. It's my excuse for being late with your hump day post.  I would have skipped it but I promised DL Hammons after I missed a week a couple weeks ago that I'd do better. So here we go. It's gonna be short, sweet and hopefully funny.

Here's a cat photo I missed last week.

How do they do that?

Remember that blog I did a while back about blending in?

Yup, this little one's got it figure out.

Joke time...

Several days ago as I left a meeting at our church, I gave myself a personal TSA pat down, looking for my keys. They were not in my pockets. A quick search in the meeting room revealed nothing. Suddenly I realized, I must have left them in the car. Frantically I headed for the parking lot. My wife, Diane, has scolded me many times for leaving the keys in the ignition. My theory is the ignition is the best place not to lose them. Her theory is that the car will be stolen. As I burst through the doors of the church, I came to a terrifying conclusion. Her theory was right. The parking lot was empty. I immediately called the police. I gave them my location, confessed that I had left my keys in the car, and that it had been stolen.

Then I made the most difficult call of all, "Honey," I stammered. I always call her 'honey' in times like these. "I left my keys in the car, and it's been stolen." 

There was a period of silence. I thought the call had been dropped, but then I heard Diane's voice, "Ken, I dropped you off!"

Now it was my time to be silent. Embarrassed, I said, "Well, come and get me."

"I will, as soon as I convince this policeman I have not stolen your car!"

 Oops.

Hey, here's a great tip for second graders of all ages.

This one was trying for a little creativity in the parent's signature department.

Did you know I was a techno weenie in my former life (IT Director)? We wanted to have shirts made up that said: "Have you tried rebooting?"

It made sense in the office. Maybe not so much here.

 Did you get hit with snow this week? We got about 5" with record setting cold.

I think I saw this lady...

She wasn't quite ready for winter.


And I wouldn't forget your weekly "aw".

I know we see a lot of these 'kids aad dogs sleeping together' pictures. But there was something about this one, especially the look of endless patience on the dog's face, that made it an "aw" for me.

Was it for you?

Okay, this is a post and run but I hope I came up with enough funnies to get you over the mid week hump and coasting toward a fabulous weekend.

Did any of these tickle your funny bone?

Back to my painting. Wish me luck.

And have a wonderful week. See you next Wednesday.

Quote for Today:

There are three kinds of men: Some learn by reading. Some learn by observation. The rest have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.  ~ Will Rogers

Teenagers and Cats - Not to be Confused With Teenaged Cats

Happy Hump Day.

The theme for today is ridiculous...and the slightly scary. 

Today's photos are all cats. Cats, cats, and more cats. And since I'm a dog person, that could be the scary part - but it isn't.  The text parts of this post are simple questions and answers supposedly given by teenagers. I can't swear these are all true but even if half of them are, I fear for our future.

Let's start off with a feline photo.

Hmm. That could almost qualify as scary.

Now some Q and A's.

Q. What is the fibula?
A. A small lie. 

Q. Name a major disease associated with cigarettes.
A. Premature death. 

Q. What are steroids?
A. Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs. 

 

 

Q. What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty?
A. He says goodbye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery. (So true) 

Q. What does 'varicose' mean?
A. Nearby. 

Q. What is a seizure?
A. A Roman Emperor. (You know, like Julius Seizure)

  Okay, this is definitely scary.

 Well, isn't it?

Q. Give the meaning of the term 'Caesarean section'.
A. The caesarean section is a district in Rome. 

Q. What guarantees may a mortgage company insist on?
A. If you are buying a house they will insist that you are well endowed.

Q. How is dew formed?
A. The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire. 

  

And while we're on the subject of plants...

  

Definitely needed a bigger pot.

Okay, last three.

Q. What happens to your body as you age?
A. When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.
 
Q. What is artificial insemination?
A. When the farmer does it to the bull instead of the cow.
 
Q. How can you delay milk turning sour?
A. Keep it in the cow. (Simple, but brilliant)
  

Whew. After those answers and contemplating our future, I think we need a good "aw".

 

 

Look at these eyes.

 Bet you said it.

And don't forget to check out DL Hammons' blogfest.

 

That's it for today. Hope it did the trick and you're over the midweek hump and sailing toward a fantastic weekend.

Did you have a favorite?

(In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that, based on my teenage grandchildren and most of their friends, I'm really quite optimistic about our future.)

See you next week.

Question for Today:
 
What should you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?

Hump Day Signs of the Times

Happy Hump Day

And - whoops - I'm afraid life tossed a whole bunch of stuff my way last week and by the time I shoveled out from under, Hump Day had come and gone. Sorry I left you to struggle over the mid-week hump without your funnies.

Lately, I've seen a bunch of signs that really tickled my funny bone, so I'm going simple with this post and just sharing them with you.

Of course, we have to start our day with some coffee.

Make that LOTS of coffee.

And I don't want to be disturbed while I'm drinking it.

I think that covers everything.

Now I need to walk the dog.

 Um, it sure looks like a walkway.

Let's try the next street.

Well, the name is certainly promising.

Can we find a good spot?

I guess not.

Maybe we'll try the park.

(Sometimes it's not the wording, it's the placement.)

Well, pooh. I guess I'll take the dog home and go buy some food for the cat.

Does this really need to be explained?

Now here's an interesting advertisement.

I think I'd be afraid to go there.

(Think about it.)

But this was my absolute favorite.

Aw, come on - you laughed.

I didn't find any signs that made me say "aw" so I have to go with a picture.

I've given you several babies with pets but how about babies with each other?

Yeah, that's what I said.

And don't forget to check out DL Hammons' blogfest.

I'm doing this one. Should be fun.

Okay, are we there? Over that dreaded mid week hump?

Excellent!

Did you have a favorite?

Have a fantastic weekend (or week or whatever) and I'll see you next Wednesday.

Thought for the Day:

A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.