Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you and yours are able to celebrate today with friends, family and a good meal. We have 12 guests coming over today, so with M and I, that will be 14 around the table - a tight squeeze. Everyone is bringing their favorite Thanksgiving dish they remember from when they were younger, so we'll all get to try things that we might not have grown up with, and everyone will be able to have that one special dish that you just have to have to make it feel like Thanksgiving.


I pulled out this picture from our 2007 gathering at Thanksgiving. Back then, we lined up 3 kitchen tables end-to-end to seat everyone. The tables were so narrow, I'm surprised our guests put up with it and kept coming back year after year.




Here's the start of decorating our table for this year. As you might notice, there's a lot more room down the middle of the table so our guests won't be knocking heads. We got this table about a year ago and it extends to seat 10 comfortably, 12 in a pinch, and we're really pushing it putting 14 around it, but it's still better than the tables from 2007.


Also this morning, I did my first 5K in years!! Woo-hoo!! M and I have been jogging on the trails in the park for a few weeks, because I have bum knees and can't jog on pavement. When I saw this 5K advertised and saw that it was going to be on dirt trails through the woods, I just had to try it. So it's wet and chilly, the trails have roots all over them, it's a little slippery and everyone knows it's going to take longer to run it. I haven't run more than 11 minutes at a stretch with M during our park jogs, so I know I'm not going to be able to run the whole thing, so I start at the back with an little old lady, setting an 11-12 minute mile pace, figuring I'll stay with her as long as I can until I have to walk. Well, we made it past the 2 mile mark and after jogging 25 minutes, my legs couldn't take it any longer, so I walked fast for 2 minutes and then jogged the rest of the way to the finish. I cross the finish line and they tell me my time was 32:37. I knew that wasn't right, I should have finished in 40-41 minutes at my pace and with walking 2 minutes. So I remember at one point on the course, where I thought I was supposed to go around a loop again and one of the race officials told me and about 4 other runners, to go right if we'd already done the loop. We were supposed to do the loop twice. So I figure the loop was about a 1/4 mile and I likely would have finished around 40. So, I'm glad I finished, I was in pain and glad of the mistake by the time I got to the finish. So maybe I'll find more of these soft course 5Ks and be able to get back into running. We'll see. At least now I can justify that extra helping of potatoes and gravy. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Music Review - Holly Williams

I first heard of Holly Williams when NPR did an interview with her. I remember thinking at the time that I liked the sound of her voice. The more I listened to samples of her music, the more I liked her lyrics. She strikes a mood in me.

I put her albums on my Christmas wish list. Here's a video interview with her that provides samples of some of her songs. The song of hers that really got my attention was "Three Days in Bed With a Stranger." I'm putting a link to that song at the bottom of this post because YouTube won't let me embed it. Enjoy!



Three Days in Bed with a Stranger

Remember our Veterans Today

I found this video clip of the rock band KISS giving a benefit concert for veterans and active duty soldiers and Gene Simmons surprised me once again. Watch what happens.

Third Man Stories

I was reading the news on the CNN website and I came across this story about "the Third Man." I'd never heard this expression before, so I read more. Apparently some people, when they are in life and death situations, have a voice or presence that comes and helps them save themselves. There's debate over whether it's a survival mechanism in the brain or some sort of divine being. I've never experienced it myself, but I'm wondering, what do you think of this? Have you ever heard of it? CNN Third Man Article

I've heard stories of "people" showing up to help someone and then disappearing once the person was safe, but I'd never heard the term "Third Man."


I was reminded of the song, "Angels Among Us" by Alabama, that relays a story of a lost child being guided home by a stranger who wasn't there. What do you think happens when people say they're experiencing such things?

I will say, much like the Alabama song, I've had people call me out of the blue, just when I needed someone, or a job opens up, money comes in the mail, serendipitous events have occurred for me, just when I needed them to, but no mysterious strangers or voices yet. :-)