Hello. I'm back from four days with no real purpose...and I loved it! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It does not have the false pretenses associated with Christmas. Turkey Day beats out it's Summer competitors simply because it's in the Fall. If Fourth of July fell on a cool Fall day, it would give Thanksgiving a run for the top spot. A day to stop and give thanks. How pure is that? I did most of my giving thanks silently. Once again, a public profession of grace was left out of the festivities. Apparently our family members are not comfortable with each other. Have the elders forgotten how to say thanks? Next year, I'll be the one.

We all know about the folks who show up at the local food kitchens for their free meal and express their thanks. You don't have to be down and out to be thankful. Those of us who enjoy a warm home, regular meals and fine clothing should be the most thankful. The guy who waits in line for an assembly line turkey dinner, grimaces from the stench of the person sitting next to him and gets sent on his way before the football games begin has a whole lot less to be thankful for. Think about it.

Once again, I'm thankful for the people I call "friend". As long as I have this group of people to share life with, it will be good. I was watering down some Jim Beam on the third day of Thanksgiving with one of my more spiritual friends and we began discussing happiness. We both agree that people should do what makes them happy. I mean, why spend your life being pissed off? I questioned when does happiness cross the line to selfishness? My friend in all of his wisdom asked, "If what makes you happy, hurts someone else, does it truly make you happy?" Life is so simply complex.