Over the river and through the woods to the Harner house we went. The Jeep knew the way to cruise along each day without even a snowflake in sight. The best thing about heading to our daughters in Florida was the great turkey dinner that awaited us. It's noteworthy that after turkey, there was homemade pumpkin pie.
A really good thing about the trip south was spending a few days listening to my favorite tunes and being able to avoid hearing the news. I watched enough news the past few weeks to last a lifetime. The current spin is about all those who are challenging the president-elect (note that word elect) at every turn, and looking foolish doing so.
When we started down the road, my wife, Pat, and I discussed the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and the many things we are thankful for. Before heading out of Michigan, we gathered around the table for our daughter's great cooking at the Thrushman's in Lake Orion. It was our first stop before the serious take off. We reflected that most of all we are thankful for our family. The Thrushman clan live here in Michigan, so we are grateful to spend lots of time with them — and be allowed to dog-sit Cleo.
As we continued down the road, we reminisced about Thanksgivings past that we had spent with the Bellucci family in Connecticut. As our grandkids grew up, we headed that way each year. It was always a great, warm experience watching the kids and the two dogs help mom and dad prepare the feast. We were also thankful that we got to enjoy the snow on our trips east, and admire the great snowmen the kids produced — almost every year. Other family members, the Smiths, plus the Scotts, reside in Arizona, where we will head after the New Year rolls around to meet R.J., the latest member of the family. We always enjoy our trips to the southwest; rides out in the desert and side trips to Vegas. The Smiths spend lots of time with us in Michigan because they have a second home here to escape to when temperatures rise in their home state.
While we chatted about being thankful for our family, we agreed we were grateful for our good health and the docs and medical facilities that contributed to that fact. We were also glad all the jobs we had piled on our desk were completed; tax paperwork handed over to our accountant and a good portion of the Christmas shopping done. This was my wishful thinking, as Pat shops until the last day.
Speaking of shopping, we were happy we didn't get caught up in the Black Friday rush. Why would anyone be in a "rush?" After all, most of the big box stores began their Black Friday sales right after Halloween. As we motor along, the price of gas is something to truly be thankful for as it slides below $2 a gallon.
As I see it, I hope everyone this Thanksgiving is giving thanks our presidential election is over and our country is on its way down a new path. We are hopeful those unhappy with the results at the polls will come up with more beneficial ways to express themselves. Volunteering at some of the food kitchens throughout our land instead of marching in the streets seems like a good idea. If the media filmed people protesting while doing that, it would shed a light on one of our most urgent problems and serve a need.