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My thoughts about things. |
| A place to put my thoughts about various stuff. |
It's Thanksgiving Eve (yes, that is how I think of it  ) and we are getting ready to start baking. We do all of our sweet items (pies, cookies, brownies, etc.) the day before, so they aren't competing for space in the oven the next day.For me, today is the beginning of the year ahead, not New Year's Eve. It sort of surprises me to realize, but Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, even as a kid. As a kid, I would have said it was Christmas, but that would have been because of the presents, of course. Not that we got that many. But the ones we did get were special and things that we had hoped for all year. What's also odd is that when I look back, the family get togethers on holidays were always fraught with dissent between siblings, cousins and the adults, too. There was the upset that we only went to my dad's side of the family on Thanksgiving and not my mom's. Dad's family was literally right around the corner and it was much smaller, so that's just how it was. We didn't have Thanksgiving at mom and dad's house until us kids were older and mom finally put her foot down and said she was having it there. My grandparents refused to come to our house on that day until years and years later and it was only one time. As a kid, I always looked forward to the day and dreaded it at the same time. I loved the food. It was stuff that we didn't have except for on that holiday. Though there was a good amount of it, we all loved it, so you had to be pretty quick to grab at least a bite of something because it would be gone pretty quick. Mom and my brother liked ham and disliked turkey, so it was a tradition to have both in our household. Dad and my brother-in-law loved oyster dressing, so we had a regular one and an oyster one. Definitely be sure to check before getting a scoop of it!  My parents inevitably would have an argument over something. Dad would end up out in the garage and mom would keep cooking, but the pots and spoons made a little more noise than was necessary. But then - always - they would come back together and make up. Things would be right in our part of the world before we all sat down to eat together. Mom played Christmas music while we cooked. Dad would grumble about it, but I think a part of him loved hearing it, too. I loved helping mom cook. It was a sleepy, sort of lazy time through part of the morning until all of sudden mom would declare it was time to start cooking. After that it was a bustling room of activity as she would guide me (and in earlier times) and my sister through prepping things. I remember it never made sense to me the order that we put things together. It sort of seemed like magic that mom knew when to get things ready and have everything together at just the right time. I do remember it was exhausting, but that good kind of fatigue that you feel for a job well done and get to reap the rewards as you sit down with your plate full of stuff that you helped make. Oh, we also had the parade on in the background! There would be moments we would stop to see certain balloons and the marching bands. That's what lasts in my memory, I guess. The magic of all of it. It was like a sort of spell went over the households and even though there were arguments, they got resolved and in the latter part of the day, everyone was smiles and good cheer. Sort of like an unspoken agreement to suspend dislikes among some of us and come together in a truce for a while to enjoy the fruits of our labors. We knew that tomorrow would bring the same old cruddy stuff back, but for those few hours, we were all happy together. I miss cooking with my mom... but I love cooking with our kids. I love telling stories and passing along tips about how to get things done just right in the kitchen. I love that they look forward to the parade that's playing in the background (on a laptop in the kitchen now) and they find new versions of the same old Christmas songs to play. We nibble on snacks, not wanting to fill up until the big meal is ready. And tell each other to stop opening the oven to check on the turkey so often, it needs time to cook. Somehow, just like mom did, I get everything to be ready at the same time. We enjoy that meal and the time spent together. We watch movies and play games as a family, go back for seconds, or get a piece of something for dessert. We put away leftovers and tuck the house in for bed like its a little kid that has had a busy day playing and needs the quiet time to recharge. Our Thanksgiving is not the holiday of my childhood. In many ways, it is better. And those older ones will live forever in my memories. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone that celebrates it! May you all have wonderful days filled with whatever it is that makes you smile.    |
| Recently, I have been reminded of how difficult it can be to strive for excellence in fields where your success is based in objectivity. 2+2=4 The War of 1812 occurred in the year 1812. The basketball goes through the hoop. The runner crosses the finish line. There are so many things in life that can be definitively called a success. It doesn't mean doing those things are easy, but it does tend to be easier to define success for them. The creative arts are not always as easily defined. Though there can be definitive categories applied to them, the judgement still comes from a place inside us that is entirely personal and therefore automatically biased. Is it a beautiful watercolor or a smudgy mismatch of random paint splatters? Did the dancer's moves touch a place inside your soul or were they just getting from one place to another on stage? Were those instruments creating a symphony that incited your emotions, or did it take all you had to suffer through the cacophony of sound? Did the book capture your attention and transport you to a time and place, or did you want to put it down two paragraphs in? For those of us that continue to share pieces of our hearts and souls with an outside audience, I applaud our efforts and admire our resolve. Remember that if you love what you are creating, then there are those out there who will also love it. And for those that don't, it's ok. Others' opinions of you and/or your work do not define you or your work. The work defines itself, as does the time and effort you put in to making it happen. Absorb the constructive criticism that is offered, let the pointless naysayers pass you by, and keep on creating! We believe in you. You believe in you. Happy writing, everyone! (And/or any other creative activity that you enjoy!) |
Here we are again at presidential election day!  There can be so much emotion that goes into these elections. For some, it can be hard not to let their feelings guide their behaviors and actions because the issues at hand touch on topics that are felt at a personal level. However, I firmly believe that - in the vast majority of situations - we control our emotions, our emotions do not control us. Certainly, there can be circumstances that warrant being overwhelmed, but in most cases, it is a choice of how to behave. In politics, sadly we have more individuals setting a bad example of behavior than good. The best advice that can be given, I believe, is to research the candidates from a reliable source. Examine their record of previous voting (if one exists), then consider all of that alongside your own beliefs. What matches? What doesn't? In the end, we just have to make the best informed decision that we can. Some have said that there is little point to voting for various reasons. I understand their ambivalence. For me, the act of voting is an important personal choice and represents more than just handing in a completed ballot. Not everyone in this world gets the opportunity to participate in a such a system. Many in the past gave their lives for our freedom to vote and many put their lives on the line today to make sure we still can. Taking the responsibility in hand to inform yourself of the issues and candidates and then following through by casting your ballot (regardless of what choices you make) illustrates that you care about your country and what happens to all of us here. This morning going to vote was a nice experience. It was a long wait, which I was thankful for - it means so many of us came out to vote! Though it made my back ache and my feet sore, it was still a pleasant morning spent chatting with family and community members. All of us eager to make our contribution. It was so good to see older folks out and about right alongside younger ones voting for the first time! I voted! I hope many of you out there did, too!  |
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