The Simple Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!

Early Thanksgiving morning, David and I wrote up a dozen questions for each of us, asking about some of the things that we are thankful for.... we shared the answers at Thanksgiving dinner.

We all recognized how important our families and our friends are to us. George was even included. Another popular answer that kept coming up: Toys.  :)

Our jobs, and our home were recognized. We all like taking walks. It was nice to see that Hope and Faith were included. Frisbee and the meaningful aspects it's provided in my life made my list.

Humor and laughing were brought up more than I would have anticipated. We do have some silly kids. And Food. Seems that we ALL are thankful for food. And funny - Beer did not make the list. Maybe it should have! Nor did Money make the list. Maybe if we had some, it would have?! 

We had a good laugh when one of Michele's answers was that she likes to eat everything except Fish. Matthew pipes right in, "and she doesn't like ketchup, and hot dogs and sour cream and onion potato chips and bologna!" It was pretty funny.

Our Thanksgiving was spent away from family, but AS a family. We missed our friends and our family, but we had a very nice day.

Here are some of the answers we shared.

Things we are thankful for...

• hanging out with family and friends and cooking. Michele
• I like to eat Pizza Rolls. David
• An old picture of me, makes me Smile. David
• Thinks I like to do: Playing with David. Matthew
• Where I like to spend my time: early mornings on the Patio. Carl
• Things that make me feel special: Daddy coming home from work . Matthew
• Things that make me feel special: Being greeted when I get home from work. Carl
• saline solution . Michele
• my Kathy coin. And the bracelet Nana makes for me with the 3 beads that represent my boys. Carl
• holding hands and cuddling. Carl
• playing computer games. David
• eating everything except mushrooms. Matthew
• watching movies with my kids. Michele
• Things that make me feel special: making customers happy. Carl
• living at the beach. Michele
• Things I think are beautiful: Mommy. Matthew
• Things that make me feel special: when my kids smile at me and say I love You. Michele

 

 

 

 

I am thankful that I am happy, that we have fun, that I am loved, that we are a family and that I am learning. 

David wrote this. He's 8. I think I will tuck that card into a special place and save it. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

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Pete's Bar 1933 and Another American Icon

Pete's Bar in Neptune Beach turns 80 this year. A game of pool costs 25 cents. On Thanksgiving Day morning, they close the streets and serve Bloody Marys. Thousands show up.

Today, they took a special delivery. The Budweiser Clydesdales clomped their way into town, down a brick-paved beach street and delivered Pete's Bar their Budweiser delivery.

Pretty cool what a few horses and a little history in a small beach town can generate.

I've never seen the Clydesdales before - but grew up within a horse loving family that recognized the beauty and the size of the breed. At 47, I was as excited as a school kid to see them.

Today, I took a ton of pictures, met our friends, drank a good amount of beer and got some information from the Budweiser site:

A Budweiser Clydesdale must be a gelding at least four years of age, stand 72 inches at the shoulder when fully mature, weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds, have a bay coat,four white legs,a white blaze, and a black mane and tail.

The Hitch: The hitch we saw today was from Merrimack, NH, but they did not walk all the way here. They patriotically unloaded in a Kmart parking lot.

Transport: Ten horses, the famous red, white, and gold beer wagon and other essential equipment are transported in three 50-foot tractor-trailers.

I found these facts kinda surprisingly cool: 

Driving the combined 12 tons of wagon and horses requires expert skill and physical strength. The 40 pounds of lines held by the driver plus the tension of the horses pulling creates a weight of over 75 pounds. Hitch drivers endure a lengthy training process before they assume the prestigious role of “Budweiser Clydesdale Hitch Driver.”

Harness: Each harness and collar weighs approximately 130 pounds. The harness is handcrafted with solid brass, patent leather, and stitched with pure linen thread. The harness is made to fit any Clydesdale; however, collars come in various sizes and must be individually fitted to the Clydesdale like a finely tailored suit.

Little known fact: The Driver provided blinders over the Clydesdales eyes today to prevent sun reflection blindness.  Word got out that me and my forehead would be present. I did think ahead and wore a Red Sox cap to prevent any accusation of animal cruelty.

Horseshoes: Clydesdale horseshoes measure more than 20 inches from end to end and weigh about 5 pounds which is more than twice as long and five times as heavy as the shoe worn by a light horse.

Dalmatians: Dalmatians have traveled with the Clydesdale hitch since the 1950s. The Dalmatian breed long has been associated with horses and valued for their speed, endurance, and dependable nature. Dalmatians were known as coach dogs because they ran between the wheels of coaches or carriages and were companions to the horses. Today, the Dalmatians are perched atop the wagon. There is no known scientific count of aldulterated Dalmation puppies between here and Merrimack, NH, but studies must surely be pending...

I'm really saying all this just to see if you are reading all this.

 

It is a pretty cool Sunday afternoon when you get to see what kind of crowd comes out to see horsepoop in this small little beach town we love so much.

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Veterans Day

I'm not really sure if I can capture what I want to say -

As we grew up, especially in our younger years, we saw the differences between how people acted between being on Base and off Base. With Dad being an officer in the Air Force, we grew up not even questioning Respect. There was a Sense of Order. There was a Chain of Command. People saluted their superiors.

We also went to Church. We feared God and learned that right and wrong came from within, not from what we could get away with.

This Veteran's Day, this whole weekend actually, I've thought a lot about my Dad. His Sacrifices. His Duty. It's hard putting into perspective what the timeline is, but I am older now than my Dad was in many of the memories I am talking about. That is mind bending.

Christmas 2009 . David, Grandpa and Matthew



I look at my boys and I think about myself as a Father... what I'm trying to describe is a tough thing to understand, and especially admit. Considering everything me and my dad went through; I can't help but to recognize, now, that I am no where near a  Father as my Father was to us.

My sons are not seeing firsthand that Respect. Not understanding that Fear. Not witnessing that Sense of Order. Yes, they are witnessing firsthand many important, sustainable values in life, but it is different.



My Dad is a Veteran. Retired Air Force.

The results are not only our Freedom, but there is a core within each of us siblings that was instilled - and whether we want to admit it or not, that sense of order has helped us become who we are, and with a set of values that is hardly recognizeable in the world we live in today.

So, to my Dad, and to my brother-in-law Ken stationed in Afghanistan - Thank You for doing even more than fighting for our freedom in America - Thank You for walking the walk that gives those around you, a sense of order and a sense of Respect.

Thank You Dad.

And to Ken, please be Safe. You have a wonderful family!

Happy Veterans Day

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Big Talbot State Park

Big Talbot State Park

After Kingsley Plantation, we pulled into Big Talbot State Park and explored one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever been to. The boys had a blast!

Nana would so love this place - the driftwood was amazing.

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Kingsley Plantation

I woke up about 4:30 am WIDE AWAKE. Nothing sucks more. I paced around, went pee, went poop, got on the computer, sat out back and watched the branches swaying in the wind in front of the moon and finally came in and tried to read....

At about 7am, it was like my body was drugged. It felt like I finally realized that it was Saturday. My body totally gave in, and all the stress and anxiety caved.  The bills were covered. Work was covered.

My body said, "Dude, relax..."  And it agreed. Whole body paralyzation.

I couldn't keep my eyes open. I struggled at first- it is a Saturday afterall, and there is something that feels wrong if I am not either working or doing "something!" ...but I couldn't help it... I snored, I grumbled, I slept through the boys jumping all over me, and I did not leave that couch til after 10am...and damn it felt good.

The weather was sunny, warm, slightly breezy.

A perfect day to get out and enjoy.

We joked - Getting a particular wife outside to do something is kinda like sex actually... She's not really in the mood to do it, but once she's relaxed, she likes it, and then it's over before she knows it...Then she is exhausted and all she wants to do is eat.....

hehe -- so true, right?

  

                                     

                             

One of the most fun parts of the afternoon, was driving down a dirt road,  about a mile long, with the hatchback window open and the boys unbuckled in the way back - what a thrill for them!

For me, this afternoon's "funnest" part was watching our boys run and play and explore. Someday, I hope to find a weekend cabin in the woods that we can return to on a regular basis - where the boys can be boys and run and play and explore and a particular family can relax without sitting in front of a television...

 Today though, it was pretty cool when you could tell Michele began to enjoy being out...I loved watching her smile and enjoying the moment...I loved watching her, watching her watch our boys run and play and explore....know what I mean?

For Kingsley Plantation we drove a total of 28 miles and spent $0. We packed sandwiches, water and juice boxes. And we saw amazingly beautiful views of northeast Florida, its history, and its waterways...

But it is the smallest, simplest thing -- our family out together -- that will forever remain huge.

This afternoon was over before we knew it...



and damn we came home hungry!

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