With December upon us, I’m thinking about Christmas. Specifically, Christmas Eve. We spent Christmas Eve at my Italian grandma’s every year. She was the one who would make us a huge tin of cookies (chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, sugar cookies, and more). She also introduced me to Pignolata (sometimes called Struffoli).
Grandma would always have pignolata out in pie tins covered with plastic wrap. Man, did we love this! Most Italian bakeries make it like it pictured above, but grandma didn’t. In all the years she made it for us, it never had the colored sprinkles on it.
Pignolata is a Sicilian treat and there are many different recipes for it online. I believe my brother has my grandma’s recipe somewhere. I’ve never attempted to make it myself, but may decide to do that one day.
Here is one recipe I found online which seems to be close to grandma’s.
Ingredients
All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Salt
Eggs: (large sized eggs)
Vegetable oil: (olive oil can also be used)
Milk: (1 tbsp.) for pignolata that is tender on the inside.
Vegetable oil: (avocado oil can be used) for frying
Honey
Colored candy sprinkles
(For grandma’s recipe – you’ll need chocolate chips, chopped walnuts and powdered sugar)
First, you want to place the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add eggs; vegetable oil and milk. Use a fork to beat the eggs, oil and milk.
You then want to slowly incorporate the flour into the wet ingredients until a raggedy/rough dough is shaped. Then you want to transfer the dough to your counter and knead until a smooth dough ball is formed. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
After the dough has rested, divide it into 4 pieces. Roll into long ropes of about 1 cm thickness. Cut into 1 cm pieces. Leave the pieces as is or, if you prefer, roll into a ball.
Transfer the pieces onto a baking sheet without overlapping to prevent from sticking together.
Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil on medium-high heat in a heavy bottomed pan or your fryer. (To test if the oil is hot, place a pignolata piece in the oil. If the oil immediately sizzles and bubbles around the pignolata you’re ready to fry!) Fry the pignolata in batches without overcrowding your pan for 1-2 minutes until light golden brown. Then transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel covered tray or plate to absorb any excess oil.
As the balls, heat the honey in a small sauce pan until it is runny (this only takes about a minute). Place pignolata balls in a bowl. Add honey and toss to coat all pieces.
Once coated in the melted honey, place pignolata balls ina mound (Some people will shape them into a wreath) on a serving platter or dish (or pie tin, like my grandma). This is where the recipe says to top with colored candy sprinkles. My grandma used to put chocolate chips or chopped walnuts in (sometimes one or the other, sometimes both) and then sprinkled it with powdered sugar.
I will probably stop by the Italian bakery and grab some before Christmas. If you do make this, please let me know how it turned out and what you think of it.
After seeing this book come up as a recommendation on Goodreads, Facebook and Tik Tok, I finally had the chance to read Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.
I was on the fence as to whether or not I wanted to read it. I wasn’t sure I could get into the “sci-fi” of it. I kept seeing people saying how great it was and how it was the best book they had read all year, etc.. So when I saw it on the shelf at Goodwill for a buck, I figured I would pick it up.
It sat on my “To read” pile for a while before I began to read it, but I recently finished it. Before I give my thoughts, here is the Goodreads synopsis:
Jason Dessen is walking home through the chilly Chicago streets one night, looking forward to a quiet evening in front of the fireplace with his wife, Daniela, and their son, Charlie—when his reality shatters.
“Are you happy with your life?”
Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.
Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.
Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”
In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
Is it this world or the other that’s the dream?
And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.
Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human–a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we’ll go to claim the lives we dream of.
All in all, it wasn’t a bad book. It certainly held my interest and I wanted to see how it all wrapped up. At times, I felt the scientific jargon was a bit over my head. I found myself reading a paragraph twice a couple times to be sure I got what was being said.
Honestly, as much as everyone loved this book, I didn’t feel it lived up to the hype. I went into it expecting to really be blown away by the story. I wasn’t. I’m not saying it was a waste of time to read, I just expected more based on the reviews and suggestions. If I had gone with my gut and what I felt before seeing all the hype, I probably wouldn’t have read it.
If I had to compare it to something, I would say it is like comparing it to your favorite TV show. I love the Twilight Zone, but there are episodes that just didn’t live up to those classic ones. This would compare to the “not so good” episodes.
We had our first big snow over the weekend. It’s always fun to watch how a puppy who has never seen snow will react to it.
It was early, like 4am early, and Mabel made it clear that she had to go outside. As I opened the door, I could see that there were about 4-5 inches of snow on the ground. Mabel stood on the porch while I walked out onto the driveway calling her. She wasn’t sure what to do. She finally ventured down the step and stared at me.
She eventually did her business (on the driveway) and flew back up to the porch. All she wanted was to go inside.
As the day progressed, she would go outside and go further into the yard. It helped that the kids went outside with her.
It has now become a chore to get her to come back in the house! There has been more than one occasion when I’ve had to chase her around the yard. I’m sure that she finds it humorous to make me run around after her.
She has had no problem adjusting to her new home. She even loves taking rides in the car. She loves taking a trip up to the school to pick up Ella at the end of the day.
In the short time she has been with us, she has become one of the family. She is growing fast, too. It won’t be long before she is as big as me.
Sam Cooke recorded the song “You Send Me” in June of 1957. It was released in September of that year and would go all the way to #1. The song topped the charts for the first time on this day in 1957. Not bad for a debut single.
Cooke wrote “You Send Me” but gave the writing credit to his younger brother L.C. (who used the original family spelling “Cook”) because he did not want his own publisher to profit from the song. The B-side of the single was a cover of “Summertime.” That was supposed to be the A-side, but radio DJs favored You Send Me and played it instead.
The song almost didn’t get released. Songfacts.com says: Cooke was signed to Specialty Records, which was a gospel label. Cooke’s producer, Bumps Blackwell, brought this to Art Rupe, who owned the label. Rupe objected to the use of the choir on this track and was afraid it was too secular and would alienate the label’s gospel fans. He offered Cooke a release from his contract in exchange for outstanding royalties. The song was passed to the Keen label where it sold over 2 million copies.
Fun Fact: Aretha Franklin recorded a version of the song and it was the B-side to her hit “Think” in 1968.
The song was named as one of the 500 most important rock and roll songs by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1998, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Let’s give a listen to Sam’s only #1 song on the Hot 100:
It was on this day in 1956 that “The Girl Can’t Help It” starring Jayne Mansfield, Tom Ewell and Edmund O’Brien opened in theaters.
The movie was originally conceived as a way to build Mansfield’s celebrity, but it took on a life of its own and became a rallying point for young people, helping propel rock and roll into its unofficial “first Golden Age.” The unintended result has been called the “most potent” celebration of rock music ever captured on film. No doubt the cameos by Fats Domino, The Platters, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Julie London and Ray Anthony helped with that.
The film was based on “Do Re Mi”, a short story by Garson Kanin. After seeing the adapted screenplay, Kanin did not approve of the new take on his story and requested his name be removed from the credits. Subsequently, director Frank Tashlin came up with the new title, The Girl Can’t Help It.
FUN FACT: The film the heavily inspired young, pre-Beatle John Lennon to be a rocker. The impact was so significant that, 12 years later, the Beatles took a break from recording “Birthday” to watch the film premiere on British television (Lennon had seen it in theaters).
The Girl Can’t Help It is the title song to the film, and was written by Bobby Troup. Little Richard recorded it and it was released in 1956. Fats Domino was originally supposed to record the song for the film, but the sessions fell through. The song has been covered by The Everly Brothers, The Animals, Led Zeppelin, and many others.
In the US, the song peaked at No. 49 on the Billboard Top 100 singles chart and No. 7 on the R&B Best Sellers Chart.
Songfacts.com sums up the song in this way:
“The Girl Can’t Help It” is about a young woman so attractive that she unwittingly captures the attention of every guy she passes. In addition to her siren-like sex appeal, there’s a distinctly incendiary element to her superpowers. She turns bread to toast with a wink of an eye and makes “beefsteak become well done” with a smile. She can’t be held responsible for the potentially dangerous effects of her fiery presence. The poor girl just can’t help it.
The above photo, done by AI, probably has the look on my face correct. However, I actually fell INTO the house (and I’m not talking about inside).
On Friday, my wife ordered groceries online. She asked if I would run up to Meijer to get them. I knew the wagon was still in the back of the car, so I decided to take it out to make room for the groceries. I had my wallet and keys in one hand, the wagon in the other, and I went to put the wagon on the porch. Here is what I think happened.
As I started to step up onto the porch, the tip of my shoe must have hit the edge of the porch. The forward momentum caused me to begin to lose my balance. I could feel myself starting to fall and I had no way to stop it. As I fell forward, the wagon also caught on the porch, causing it to twist toward me. I’m sure that is how the handle ended up hitting me in the mouth and giving me a fat lip. As I tried to process that pain, I continued to fall forward. It was a millisecond after being hit in the face that I felt the top of my head slam into the side of the house.
The entire family was at the front of the house, so they never even heard me fall. I was seeing stars for a minute, but was able to get up. I picked up my wallet and everything that spilled out of it, picked up the keys and began to drive to Meijer. The more I drove, the more I began to hurt. My lip was swelling up pretty good and I had a headache. I didn’t think too much on it, until the guy loading my groceries said, “Looks like you took a nice hit to the head.”
I looked at it in the mirror and I had taken a slice or two of skin off the top. When I arrived home I had Sam look at it and she told me I should go to the ER, because it was a hit to the head. I took some Tylenol and said I would wait for a bit. My headache was bad, but there was no other sign of a concussion. Saturday I woke with a pretty nasty scrape.
On Wednesday, the kids got their early Christmas present. I went and picked up the puppy.
She is a St. Bernard and Poodle mix. So, I guess you call them a St. Berdoodle or a St. Benardadoodle. I’m not sure. The breeder was calling her Holly, which I liked because of the holiday season. However, the kids decided that she is Mabel.
She seems to be fitting right in …
I forgot how much I love going outside in the cold so that puppies can go potty! The adventure begins.
I picked today’s book off the shelf at the book store because of the title. With a title like How to Age Disgracefully, I had to know what it was about.
This book was such a fun read. I laughed out loud quite a few times and really enjoyed the idiosyncrasies of all the characters. Before I go one, here is the Goodreads synopsis:
A senior citizens’ center and a daycare collide with hilarious results in the new ensemble comedy from New York Times- bestselling author Clare Pooley
When Lydia takes a job running the Senior Citizens’ Social Club three afternoons a week, she assumes she’ll be spending her time drinking tea and playing gentle games of cards.
The members of the Social Club, however, are not at all what Lydia was expecting. From Art, a failed actor turned kleptomaniac to Daphne, who has been hiding from her dark past for decades to Ruby, a Banksy-style knitter who gets revenge in yarn, these seniors look deceptively benign—but when age makes you invisible, secrets are so much easier to hide.
When the city council threatens to sell the doomed community center building, the members of the Social Club join forces with their tiny friends in the daycare next door—as well as the teenaged father of one of the toddlers and a geriatric dog—to save the building. Together, this group’s unorthodox methods may actually work, as long as the police don’t catch up with them first.
It has been awhile since I’ve read an entire novel in less than two days, but that was the case here. It wasn’t the audiobook either. I couldn’t put this one down. It is one of those books that I didn’t want to end.
There was something unique about each of the seniors in the story. Perhaps it is because I am getting older, but there are times I could relate to each one of them. (FYI: I’m not ready for the home yet!) It was a great story that didn’t require a lot of thinking and is a perfect book to cleanse the palate before diving into another one.
I would definitely pick up a sequel, if one is written in the future.
Well, the Christmas season is officially underway. I can assure you that I have NO plans to go out shopping today. I’m just built for stress like that. Anyway, since it is official, I thought I would search for a Christmas themed photo to feature.
A while back, my brother put all of the digital Christmas photos in a folder marked “Christmas Through the Years.” One of the first photos to pop up was this one;
It is pretty much all of the girls in the family. From left to right on top: Mom, Grandma, Aunt Linda. Bottom left to right: Arin, Aunt Jodi, Melissa. It is one of the few pictures with all the gals from my mom’s side in one photo.
The photo is taken at my Aunt Linda’s house. This was probably around 1981, just after my grandpa passed away. We usually had Christmas at my grandma’s. Occasionally, it would be at my Aunt Linda’s or our house. When it was at my aunt’s house, my uncle’s parents would often be there. They were Italian, and I just loved talking to his mom about Italy and Italian food.
My Aunt Linda gave me my first Bible as a Christmas gift one year. I wish I’d took it a bit more seriously then. She wrote something on the inside cover that has always stuck with me and makes more sense now than it ever did. She said, “Remember that this book has ALL the answers.”
My brother and I don’t see my cousins enough. I’m going to have to ask him to let me know when he comes up next time well in advance. We are over due to be together.
When I worked on the radio, we would often “recycle” bits. We would take something we had done in the past and “re-run” it, often updating it to be current. This blog is actually a recycling of an earlier Thanksgiving blog and an updated list of things that I am thankful for. By recycling this, I am reminded of just how blessed I am!
Updated 2025
The blatant truth is that we should be thankful for everything in our lives. One of my favorite Bible verses is I Thessalonians 5: 18 which reads “In everything give thanks”. That means good things and bad things – and that’s sometimes hard to do! Believe me, I know from experience! Well, here goes …
My faith, The Bible, My God, My Savior. Romans 10:17 says, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” I cannot stress enough how important God’s Word is to me. With every class I finish, the more I know and the more I want to dig deeper into it. It grounds me and helps me through all situations. I am thankful for God, His Word, His Son (my Savior), and all that He has done for me. I am thankful for His unconditional love for me. No matter how many times I mess up, He is still there for me – loving me. That just amazes me.
My parents. Let’s face it, without them, I wouldn’t be here. I was blessed with a mother and father who raised me right. They supported decisions (good and bad) and were always there for me. Even though my mom is no longer here, her presence is ever-present. It is difficult without her and I wish she was here to be a part of our lives. I can only imagine what it would be like if she were around to see all of her grandchildren.
Dad is always around to talk music, old movies, and more. As with most holidays, he will be the first call I receive this morning. Laughing with him is always something I am thankful for. With each passing year, I am so grateful to still have him around. I know that the kids always look forward to their Sunday morning video chat with Papa, even though they tend to get a bit crazy during them.
My wife. Without her, I wouldn’t be here either. She saved me and I am forever grateful. She came into my life at a very turbulent time – first as a friend, and then as someone much more than that. She made me smile and laugh during a time where there was little or no happiness. She cried with me and was a great support through very dark days. Thanks to her, I have found an unconditional love. I cannot imagine life without her, nor would I want to. She accepts me with all my faults and quirks. She makes me feel special. She makes me fall in love with her more each day. She completes me and I am thankful to have her in my life each and every second of the day.
The kids make it a bit difficult to have “us” time. I hate to think that we need to “schedule” it, but we do. That may mean taking extra time off work to make it happen. I need to make sure that I don’t let all of the stresses in life make me forget how important she is to me. I need to step up – listen, love, and support her in ways that she truly needs.
My daughter, Ella. I feel like the first 5 years of her life happened in the blink of an eye. In kindergarten, she is thriving. She has so many friends and all of the teachers in school talk about how polite and kind she is. She’s Miss Popularity at school apparently.
It is funny to think about how she has moved from stuffed animals to Barbie dolls. Her imagination continues to flourish. I love listening to her create situations for her Barbies. I often just sit and listen to her play.
She still has me wrapped around her finger.
My son, Andrew. Boy, has this boy come a long way! He still has the most energy of all of my kids. He is smarter than we think. Put a tool in his hand and he’s off to fix (or destroy) something! We butt heads every now and then, but Sam says that is because we are so much alike. She’s probably right.
I love to watch the relationship that he has with Ella. They truly love each other, but at the same time, they love to aggravate each other, too. They know just what buttons to push to rile each other up. They can go from hugging each other to hitting each other in a matter of seconds.
This year we put him in Pre-school. He loves it. His teachers have been working hard with him and he is also thriving in ways we never expected.
It is rare to see him without a smile on his face – and that smile is contagious.
My sons, Dante’ and Dimitri. They could not be more different from each other. They both have their own talents. They remind me so much of my brother and I when we were growing up! They are creative. They are silly. They are loving. They are smart. They make me laugh and drive me crazy! I miss them when they are not with me and I love when we are together.
They both have taken big steps in their lives. Dimitri got a job at the same place Dante’ works. It is a good company that treats their employees well. They decided to move in together and now share an apartment. It is awesome to see them as grown responsible men. I’m thankful for the moments that we get together.
My brother. Just like my sons, we couldn’t be more different. Growing up, we tormented each other! He has listened to me complain about life. He has offered advice on more than one occasion. He, in my opinion, is the more successful of the two of us! He has written – and published – books! He has made his way up the ladder at his job and is now a “big wig”. I am envious of him.
I wish that we had a bit more freedom in our schedule to go down to visit him. He, on the other hand, has been available to visit us a couple times each year. They kids really love when he comes over, and they also love their video chats with him.
My job. It’s really an amazing thing to help people. So many patients come in to our lab who are struggling with poor sleep, insomnia, apnea, narcolepsy, and other sleep disorders. To be able to offer advice, help them get therapy, and in some cases, save their life, it is pretty satisfying. I am lucky to have some pretty cool co-worker friends, too. After working second shift for a bit, I made the move back to midnights. This has allowed me to see the kids and my wife a bit more and that is what is important.
My friends. Napoleon Hill said, “That man is rich indeed who had more friends than enemies…” I am truly a rich man! I am lucky enough to have made many friends throughout my life. Many of them I have known for over 40 years! So many good times! So many good memories! I am thankful for each of them!
My enemies. Yes, my enemies. That really sounds strange, doesn’t it? However, they make me more appreciative and thankful for my friends! They actually help me, too. How? Here is a great quote (I wish I knew who said it) “Your enemies evolve you at the core. They force you to defend and endure more than you thought possible.” Yes, my enemies may be full of hatred toward me. They may spread rumors about me. They may discredit me and bash me, but I am stronger because of their ignorance and loathing. Over the last few years, I have gained lots of strength!
Modern Medicine. We are blessed to live in a time where medical advances are curing diseases and saving lives! While there is a long way to go, and there are still many diseases that need a cure – we continue to make progress. I am thankful for the great minds who strive to find the answers, treatments, and cures. I hope to see cures for things like cancer in my lifetime. It has taken too many of the people I love.
Coffee. I was 12 when my grandpa introduced coffee to me (it was probably more cream and sugar than coffee, but I liked it.) Coffee has helped me through many overnight shifts on the radio, many 13 hour shifts in the sleep lab, and is just perfect to drink on a chilly autumn morning. I am also thankful for some of the wonderful flavors.
My country. I am thankful to live in the United States of America. I am thankful that we live in a country that allows us many freedoms. While I have not visited every state in the union, I can tell you that on a recent road trip, I was in awe of the beauty that I witnessed while driving. I am thankful and proud to be an American!
Cameras/Photographs/Videos. How many precious moments and memories have been captured by cameras? Without cameras how many things would be forgotten? Think about all of the historical pictures that have meant so much over the years. Now think about how looking at old family photos can immediately place you back in that exact moment with loved ones! Think about how awesome it is to watch an old home movie and hear the voices of loved ones who are no longer here. I am SO thankful for the memories that have been preserved for me on film.
I sometimes look like the crazy dad. I seem to always be taking pictures of the kids, but I do that because I want to remember these times. I don’t ever want them not to have pictures of themselves or their relatives.
Dreams and the ability to dream. I am thankful that every now and then, I will have a dream where I am once again talking with my mom or my grandparents. In some cases, I might dream of hanging out with a celebrity or that I can fly. Dreams are interesting!
My Past. Sometimes looking back at the past can be painful. Hindsight is 20/20, right? It’s always easy to look back and see the mistakes you have made and kick yourself for making them. I look at it another way – I am who I am today because of my past. The things that have happened to me along the way – both good and bad – are a part of who I am and have played a role in who I am today. Yes, I can look back and see people or events that disgust me, but without them – I’d be a very different person.
Air Conditioning/Heat. As someone who loves to go to museums and such, I always wondered how people got along without AC in the summertime or heat in the winter! I can’t imagine having to wake up in the middle of the night to add more wood to the fire or wood stove. I also can’t imagine working 8 hours a day in a place without AC! I am very thankful for those two modern-day conveniences!Sunrises and Sunsets. One of my guilty pleasures is sitting and watching the sun come up or go down. When I lived on the west side of the state (Michigan), I was lucky enough to live right off the water. I would often go to the beach and just watch the sun set over the lake. It was majestic and beautiful! I am so thankful for these two simple things. Today, with my schedule, I tend to see more sunrises than sunsets.
Laughter/Humor. I love to laugh and I love the sound of laughter! I also love to make people laugh. The secretaries at work love when I come into where they gather and just start telling them a joke. They say they love starting their day with a laugh. I am so thankful for things that are funny and things that make me laugh.
Charlie Chaplin said, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” Milton Berle said, “Laughter is an instant vacation.” Another great quote is “Life is short. Spend it with people who make you laugh and feel loved.”
Music. I am thankful for music in SO many ways. Music, is one of those things that can evoke all kinds of emotions. A song, just like an old photograph, can take you back in time. In radio, we used to play what we called “Oh Wow” songs. Those songs that make you say, “Oh wow! I haven’t heard that in forever!” or “Oh wow! That reminds me of my senior prom!” Music is one of life’s great things! It can convey things with or without words. One of my favorite quotes, which is attributed to Hans Christian Anderson, is “Where words fail – music speaks.” SO True! I am thankful for some of the many music blogs I follow. They often remind me of some of those “Oh wow” songs!
The Kindness of Strangers. I have benefited from the kindness of strangers more times than I can count. We saw a brief surge of random acts of kindness when the movie “Pay It Forward” came out, and it is a shame that those acts have fizzled out. The world would be a better place if we took a moment and thought of others. There have been plenty of times where someone in front of me has bought my coffee at the drive-thru window, and I have returned the favor. Random acts of kindness are not just something we can accept – they are something we can do.
Those who have served in the Armed Forces. We live in a free country because of the men and women who have served in the various branches of the military. I am thankful to each and every one of them. I know that our freedom came with a price and so many men and women paid the ultimate price for me – and you. Those that have served, no matter what branch and no matter if you were in battle or not, you are a hero! I am thankful for you and your service! I have friends and family who all served, and I am thankful for these heroes!
The Changing Seasons. Here in Michigan, I get to see them all! Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. The first snowfall is beautiful. Ice storms can be hell! Springtime showers and the grass turning green is a reminder of things becoming new again. Summertime is never long enough, but getting the chance to swim at the pool, golfing, and the smell of fresh-cut grass can always make me smile. Fall is my favorite season! The crisp cool air of autumn is perfect for bonfires. I’m sad to admit that we didn’t get to have any bonfires this year. The leaves changing colors makes for some spectacular rides on the highway. At any rate, I am thankful to get to experience each one of the seasons.
Spell Checker. Without this, I really don’t know what I would do! I remember all those spelling tests from school! The problem is, as I get older, I seem to have forgotten how to spell. Spell Check is one of those great features that got me through many a research paper in college. It can also be very helpful here in my blog. Of course, sometimes, you can misspell a word that is the correct spelling of another word, so it isn’t foolproof. I’m thankful for it anyway!
The often overlooked necessities. I could easily make these each an item on this list. I guess these are often things that are taken for granted. For example, my home. I am thankful to have a roof over my head to protect me from the elements. I am thankful for the clothes that I wear. I am thankful for fresh water and hot showers. Those two go together and, while it is often taken for granted, there are those who do not enjoy those simple things. I am thankful for electricity. While there are times I think it is cool to sit and read a book by candlelight because of a power outage, I’d rather have the light – and everything else that uses it. I am thankful for a good meal. Sometimes that meal may consist of a simple bowl of cereal, but the fact that I have food to eat is something that some people don’t have.
Bad Days. As much as we’d rather not have them, it is important to remember that when we have them, they remind us of just how awesome the good days are! I am thankful for bad days, but even more thankful for the good ones! I am also thankful that in the big picture – I have had more good ones than bad ones.
The Internet. It’s funny how we lived so long without it, yet we can’t really live without it today! I mean, without it, you wouldn’t be reading this! I am thankful for it and the good things associated with it. I am thankful to be able to connect with family and friends across the miles with social media. I am thankful that at any moment, I can open up Google and find an answer to a silly question. I am thankful that my kids and I can use it instead of encyclopedias to do research. So many things are at our fingertips because of the internet.
A good book/movie/TV show. I really enjoy being able to get lost in a good story. I love to read, and am thankful that I can listen to audio books in the car. That has allowed me to read more books than I have been able to in a long time.
As for movies, there are very few new movies that appeal to me. As most of you know, I prefer older films (you know, the ones that are so good some jerk in Hollywood decides to remake it and ruin it). I don’t need to see 20 minute sex scenes, car chases that are impossible to believe, blood and gore, or violence. I want a good story – and a good story is something that Hollywood has seemed to run out of.
When it comes to TV, I rarely watch new shows. Most of them are “reality” based anyway and just garbage. I guess that’s why I am thankful for TV shows on DVD or on streaming services. I don’t care for “reality shows” as they are as far from reality as they can get. I truly don’t get the appeal of talent shows, dance shows, and shows with singers in masks. To me, these are just a waste of my time.
My cats. Maizey, the oldest cat – There is no doubt that she is truly my cat. I know she doesn’t bug Sam like she does me. She takes every opportunity to come up by me when I am on the couch, a chair, or in bed. Recently, we started to give her canned food. That was a mistake. Now, as soon as I get up or right around dinner time she begins to meow until we give her some. As annoying as she can be, I really love her.
Bitsy has really made herself at home. She is more Sam’s cat, but she loves being by the kids, too. She will always find a spot on our bed at night and it always seems to be the worst place for us. She’s not as snuggly as Maizey, but she is loving in her own way.
The five senses. I can’t imagine going through life not being able to see my children or my wife or some of the wonderful things I have already described. I can’t imagine not being able to smell fresh coffee brewing or my spaghetti sauce on the stove. I can’t imagine not hearing the sound of my children laughing. I can’t imagine not being able to taste a juicy steak. I can’t imagine not being able to feel a hug from my wife. I am SO thankful to have the ability to have all five senses!
Forgiveness. I am thankful for forgiveness. Sadly, it is one of those things that is rare today. It is, however, one of the great things taught in the Bible and throughout history. It is also one of the hardest things to do. I have trouble with it too on occasion. I am thankful that there are friends and family who have forgiven me for past transgressions.
Acceptance. I am thankful for those people in my life who accept me for who I am. They don’t try to change me. There may be things about me that they don’t like or agree with, but they love and accept me as I am. I try to do the same for others.
Encouragement. I would not be where am I today without the encouragement and support of others. It may have been the smallest gesture or a simple sentence in conversation, but the encouragement of others helped me to get through some tough stuff and I am thankful for that.
Change. This is hard for me to be thankful for, but I am. I have to be honest, I hate change! I am a creature of habit. When I lost 85 pounds, I did it primarily by eating the same meals every day. I do not like change, but I know it is important. There were many times over the last couple years that I had to step out of my comfort zone and accept it. I am thankful I did. Change is good – most of the time.
My Therapist. She, like many others, helped me to cope as life offered many challenges. She helped me sort out some feelings. She helped me to see things that I was completely unaware of. She helped me deal with the things involved in my divorce. She also is responsible for my blogs. I used to blog all the time, but was basically told that “no one wants to read that stuff”. I stopped writing. My therapist is the one who suggested keeping a journal. When I told her I used to blog, she asked why I stopped. When I told her why, she suggested starting back up. I told her I didn’t know what to write about. She basically said, “Write about whatever you want! It doesn’t matter if you are writing for others or writing for yourself. If you like to write – WRITE!” From the length of this blog – you can see that I like to write.
She was also key in having me get tested for ADHD. With that diagnosis, and the help of doctors, I think we have found the right combination of meds to make life easy. What a difference that has made!
Memories. Again, there is so much to place into this category. The memories of loved ones who have passed away. The memories of the bad times, which makes the good times even more special. The memories of special events. The memories of joy and the memories of sadness. The memories that come with a book, movie, TV show or a song. The memories that an old photo bring to mind.
YOU. Yep. I am thankful for YOU. You are reading this and I appreciate it. I am thankful for my followers and for those who read my stuff. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for following this blog.
At my daughter’s school, they have a group called the Watch D.O.G.S. (Dad’s of Great Students). Dads, uncles, big brothers, grandpas and other male role models can volunteer for an entire day. You start your day with your child, then you move to another class room. Sometimes you are working as a hall monitor or out on the playground at recess. The idea is to have a male role model there for the kids.
They had a little pizza party for all the volunteers. We got a brief overview of the program and got information on how to get our T-Shirts. While we were there, I was amazed at how many people (kids and adults) knew Ella. Kids from all grades were coming up and saying hello. The dad who sat at our table said, “Oh, we hear all about Pamela every day after school.” She’s a social butterfly.
It was a nice night out with her and Sam’s dad.
My son’s preschool class (and some other classes, too) were collecting items at the beginning of the month for a local food pantry. I think they collected over 350 pounds of food for the pantry. Last week, they put all of the items in wagons and had a little parade over to the pantry to deliver the food.
We brought our wagon for his class, so he got to lead his class. The local news station was there and did a piece about it, but his class wasn’t shown on TV.
The biggest surprise of the week was a matter of debate. It’s a situation we’ve been in before and I was honestly against it. Sam was pretty set on her feelings about it and I caved.
Her Facebook post: “When the naughty little Elf on the Shelf surprises not only the kids, but also Keith with a puppy for Christmas.” That post included this picture:
Very cute – yes. I told her that I am not going through getting close to a dog for it to run away or go away again. I get attached to them. I told her that I didn’t want to be the only one out with the pooper scooper.
The pup has yet to arrive at the house, but it should be this week. She is a Bernardadoodle. A Poodle/St. Bernard mix. So I’m guessing this thing will be as big as me. I asked Sam, “Why can’t you bring home a normal size dog?” She refused to answer me.
I’m saying a prayer for patience and understanding about this ….
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 