A Happy Thanksgiving to All – 2009

Once again, it’s Thanksgiving day and my favorite holiday of the year.  While I’m waiting for the turkey to finish up cooking (as we all know, a turkey always cooks in its own time) and the guests to arrive, I want to reflect for a minute on all we have to be thankful for.

It’s been a rough year for very many people.  Our economy continues to crumble.  More people lose jobs every month than other people go back to work.  We’re still involved in two wars.  It’s the end of November and the temperature outside here in northern Virginia is in the low 50’s, clear proof that there is nothing wrong with earth’s climate (not).

Yet, with all that, Winnie and I continue to get by. We finished up renovation on a second home this past year; and I’m happy to say that after renovating or rebuilding three houses together in four years we’re still married.  We both have jobs; and just as importantly, we have jobs that we like reasonably well most of the time.  We still have a home, and friends, and family, and good health.

But even more, we continue to find ways to laugh at the insanity around us and manage to keep the perspective that life only lasts a short while, so we may as well enjoy it.

I also realize that I’m thankful for those people who devote their lives to making the lives of other people just a little brighter.  Among those people we have the late, great Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets.  Another great, but regretfully late (well before his time) gift was singer / songwriter Freddie Mercury, who formed the band “Queen.” So when I spotted this YouTube Video earlier today, I couldn’t help but think it set the perfect tone for this year’s Thanksgiving Day celebration.

So here, for your after dinner enjoyment, I offer a YouTube video of the Muppets singing one of “Queens” greatest hits.