Food, Family, Friends and Fellowship

My brother called last Thursday morning to wish me a happy Thanksgiving and inquire if I had plans. More on the plans in a few paragraphs, but we somehow got on the subject of foods eaten during our childhood. The not-good-for-us foods. My brother didn’t remember the Velveeta macaroni and cheese mom and dad made from scratch during lent and his better half bellowed a big “Ewww” when I recounted how dad made fried-in-butter bologna sandwiches on Wonder cardboard whiteRead more

Beholden

Sitting here, wondering, what do I praise? In a week filled with stuffing and turkey Surrounding self, I fix a knowing gaze Faithful gratitude is never murky A bike, a home, gray and white purring cats Family, friends, community feels right I step on the earthen beholden mats And wipe away thanklessness with delight Upright and breathing is who I am now Fed with food and love and blue butterflies Embracing what matters like sacred cow Receiving life’s blessings isRead more

Breaking for Pie and Family

  I’ll be taking a break from blogging for the next ten days to two weeks. The brother bought me a plane ticket to Washington, D.C., for a long Thanksgiving weekend. There will be food and drink and laughs and perhaps a ride or two on the metro or in brother’s car. I haven’t been there in about three years, so I plan to be focused on doing the many things as I can in four full days rather thanRead more

Those Things

“Obstacles do not block the path, they are the path.” ~Zen proverb~ Last week, my biking buddy and I faced a few obstacles on the trail – animals, vegetation, slippery mud, water traps, hills and tree roots poking through the pavement. As any biker knows, obstacles can create a dangerous situation if attention is not paid to what’s ahead. During our week-long escapade, we encountered hopping frog alley, flying grasshopper alley, scurrying bunnies and chipmunks, wild turkeys, greasy mud patchesRead more

My Pants

“Thanksgiving, man. Not a good day to be my pants.” ~Kevin James~ It’s the day before the day in the U.S. when all citizens give thanks for their blessings. And eat like a roly poly pig on a mission. Turkey, mashed taters, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, warm rolls and butter, pumpkin pie and more. There are some of us that watch football on this day. Some that play games with family. Or go to the movies.Read more

Somewhat Busy

I can’t necessarily say that I live an exciting life. I can say I live a somewhat busy life. Unlike this guy… “Sleep my little baby-oh Sleep until you waken When you wake you’ll see the world If I’m not mistaken…”  ~Neil Gaiman~ I wanted so badly to sleep Thursday morning, to stay in bed until the urge for coffee overwhelmed the need to lay prone. It may be my own fault – I’ve started reading at night [summer project]Read more

A Thanksgiving Plea

I beg of you, I implore you, I make a plea on my knees, Do NOT dress your cat up for Thanksgiving. Give kitty the turkey gizzard, not the hideous turkey costume, and kitty will be your friend furrever. Happy Thanksgiving to readers who celebrate the holiday! For the rest of the Melangites, I urge you to overload on carbs and sugar (with a little protein thrown in) and take a couple of naps on November 26th. Feel free to repeat thatRead more

And so it starts…

Red came over early in the week to decorate the tree. This year’s theme: Elegant black and gold. It is spectacularly beautiful, far more than photographs can relay. The remainder of the festive decorations are up, including a gathering of Santas and two flamingos on the patio – colored green and gold and numbered 12 and 52. Go Pack Go! Thursday, was Feed-Your-Face Day or Thanksgiving. I eat like it’s my last meal – turkey, stuffing, mashed taters, green bean casserole,Read more