A Note of Thanksgiving from Charles Schultz

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.

Pass this on to those people who have made a difference in your life.

--Charles Schultz
Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia.

----- Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving--Giving Thanks, Sharing Blessings

Oh, how I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving--one of my favorite holidays of the year. We're celebrating at our house this year. I'm so looking forward to snuggling under a warm blanket with my husband and daughter, and watching the Macy's Day Parade on TV in the morning. Later that day, we'll enjoy a roasted turkey with all the fixings and maybe even go out to the movies that night.

I hope your Thanksgiving plans are coming along nicely, and that you have time that day to simply relax and enjoy.

Before our feast, we go around the table and each person reveals three things they're thankful for this year. A fun way to capture this is to record what everyone says OR give each person a sheet of cardstock with a thick black marker and have them jot down the things they're thankful for. You can then take a photo of everyone holding their sign up. Later, you can do an online photo slideshow for your friends, or scrapbook these photos in a double layout in an album.

We also share a short toast or blessing before we dig in.

While I feel every toast or blessing before Thanksgiving dinner should be personal and heartfelt, I always feel it's appropriate to close your speech, with an inspiring, thought-provoking quote. Here are three of my favorites for this holiday.

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.
--Meister Eckhart

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.
--Edward Sandford Martin

Thanksgiving comes to us out of the prehistoric dimness, universal to all ages and all faiths. At whatever straws we must grasp, there is always a time for gratitude and new beginnings.
--J. Robert Moskin

May your days ahead be filled with no stress and happy thoughts about the upcoming Turkey Day!

My Current Holiday Tasks

I've been actively tackling my holiday task list:

1) I've already purchased almost all the gifts we plan to give. Items bought online are beginning to arrive. Some of the toys will need to be assembled, so having them in our house now gives us plenty of time before Christmas to get them ready.

One of the tools that really helped with holiday shopping this year was the Wish List tool offered on Amazon. You simply add things you would love to have on the list, and anyone can access your wish list and get a whole bunch of ideas. This is great, because what you send is still somewhat of a surprise, but it is most definitely what the recipient would enjoy having.

2) Holiday cards were purchased online from Shutterfly. They arrived a few days ago and are ready when I need them.

I get nothing for recommending this service, but I have to tell you that it's very easy to get gorgeous photo cards from Shutterfly. We used them both last year and this year--and have been very pleased.

3) I haven't started our holiday newsletter yet, but I plan to do so this weekend. I'll also be printing up our holiday mailing labels. We try to get our holiday cards out right after Thanksgiving, which is why getting them done step by step and ahead of time truly helps.

4) As we see holiday events coming up in our area, they're immediately penciled in on the calendar. So far, we plan to go to our town's Parade of Lights, a holiday Parade of Homes tour and possibly a trip to Chicago to see all of the beautifully decorated shops.

Thanksgiving will be here in a few weeks. If you haven't yet started tackling your holiday to do list, now is a great time to do so.

Now That It's November, Finish Up Any Outside Cleanup

Living in Wisconsin, Joe and I feel extra lucky this year that we're still enjoying fairly nice weather. It is 50 degrees out today, sunny, and not a cloud in the sky. For Halloween last weekend, we didn't even need our jackets!

Still, we didn't want to push our luck. Being that it is so nice outside today, we did a bunch of outdoor cleanup in preparation of the colder days ahead:

1) I removed all the summer and fall container plants, cleaned out the containers and stored them away.

2) Joe dismantled the screens on our Sunsetter Awning and retracted the unit for the season.

3) All of the deck furniture was pushed over to one area, and we'll be covering it in a day or two.

4) Joe dismantled our hoses, as obviously no more lawn watering is needed until spring.

5) I dismantled our small summer fountains and put those away for the season.

6) Our Christmas lights are on our house, and ready to be lit right after Thanksgiving.

Is the weather getting ready to change where you live? If so, now's a good time to prepare for Old Man Winter.

Enjoy the extra hour!

Daylight Saving Time in the United States ends this weekend, Sunday, November 4th. So before you go to bed on Saturday night, be sure to turn every clock and watch you own BACK one hour.

You've just gained an extra hour to play, work or sleep. Enjoy it!