BINGO

If you watch the news (which I never do) it is all about Obama care, Black Friday sales (now that is every Friday) and my favorite  “Thanksgiving is 6 days late this year therefore we have 6 less shopping days till Christmas”. I guess advent has gone from preparation of the birth to preparation of things! To that I say we are a bunch of egotistical, narcissistic, self centered, materialistic, money grabbing consumer driven, fools. (I need some eggnog) To make up for lack of revenue, retailers will be open Thanksgiving Day! How nice is that, less turkeys will have to give up their lives, less violence at Wal-Mart at midnight, no more traffic jams on Friday morning, less people watching the Macy’s day parade, fewer people having to go to the hospital as a result of back yard football injuries, fewer obese people and most important families will no longer have to sit down and face each other for good old family conversation!  (Hey Clark, if you are not doing anything constructive can you get me a stogie!) Now Clark will have to opportunity to be doing something constructive while being at Macy’s checking out the new line of underwear. (‘Tis the season to be Mary) and Lewis will be healthier, because he will have to get his own stogie. You turn on the TV and the Hallmark channel has Christmas movies, I hear Etna already has their decorations up, and light up night for Pittsburgh is this weekend! To all of this I have to say, boycott the hallmark channel, flatten Etna, pull the blug on Pittsburgh,(is your house on fire Clark?) and come to southern Maryland where Lennytown still has light up night the day after thanksgiving! I like to remember a simpler time when each holiday had a meaning, and it was not about spending money.  Take for example Thanksgiving. I remember waking up in the morning to the smell of stuffing, and pies, the  old white turkey pan on the kitchen table,  a big old bird on the porch, and mother in her dress with her white apron, preparing the fest with the grace of a symphony conductor. Father in his suit preparing to make a trip to Morningside,(burn some dust here, eat my rubber) to pick-up our Grandmother and Grandfather and aunt. (You surprised to see us Clark? Oh, Eddie… If I woke up with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn’t be more surprised than I am now”) All of us kids were all gathered outside, ready to  start our annual football game. After the game, which my team always wins,we came in and changed into our Sunday best while the adults played 500 on the old red card table. On or around 5:00 it was finally time to gather in the dining room at a table that must have been a mile long, just packed with family and pleasant conversation.   We entered the room to a spread that was fit for a king. After we were all finally seated, father walked in with the 30 pound bird that was done to perfection, browned as if it was sitting on the beach in Kiawah for the past year.( Catherine, if this turkey tastes half as good as it looks, we’re all in for a real treat! Save the neck for me!) While father carved the bird, we orderly passed the food around the table until our plates could not hold another thing. We continued for the next couple hours, enjoying a fine family meal, with intellectual conversation. (I bet that is where I get that)  After we were completed with dinner, and the dishes were being washed father made his return trip to Morningside, we all sat in anticipation of gathering in the TV room to begin the Christmas season! Now for the unknowing, the TV room back in the day was 5 feet wide and 8 feet long, and there were at least 12 of us! When father returned home and mother had completed the dishes it was now time to complete a perfect day as a family watching a classic film, Christmas vacation!  There was no such thing as Black Friday, there was no talk of shopping, we did not have to go to Wal-Mart in fact there was no such thing as Wal-Mart! There was time to just sit back in our recliners have some homemade eggnog, eat some pumpkin pie, and watch Eddie clean his (see picture above), while drinking a beer! Those were the days my friend!

 Here is some free advice: it is not about the lights, the sales, the constant advertising, and the pressure, it as Eddie said  Clark, that’s the gift that keeps on giving throughout the entire year.”  It is the memory of that gift, be it big or small or not at all that keeps on giving.(Hey Grizz, Bethany and I figured out the perfect gift for you….Aw, you didn’t have to get me anything….Dammit , Bethany, he guessed it.)

You do know I have to get a Kiawah story in every blog, so here goes. Some of you might think that I have an active imagination, or might not have a good grasp of the facts, or just plain loco! Well Last year a couple of us took some time and went on a tour of the place that makes the sweet tea( I can’t remember the name) but any way, we were able to taste some of the products one of them was moonshine. Well let me tell you it was not as I remembered! It was way to smooth, it did not have the burn or kick of my youth. I engaged the girl in a conversation in regards to the shine and she agreed with me! She told me that their shine was made in a very controlled sanitized environment, they were FDA regulated. So as you can see my memory is sharper than ever, if I can remember what a taste of shine was and compare it to some new shine, I certainly can remember how thanksgiving was!

Here is a little known fact about Christmas vacation.  The song “Holiday Road” is a creation by Lindsey Buckingham It was used in  the national Lampoons Vacation series. it was also used in the year 2013 by the Chicago Blackhawks, who won the Stanley cup!

Words of wisdom: For wisdom is more mobile than any motion; because of her pureness she pervades and penetrates all things.