Thanksgiving, 2025

Happy Thanksgiving!

I've been writing this blog since 2006, and some of you have been reading it almost since the beginning. You've learned many things about me over the years, one of which is that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In a crazy world in which we too often focus on fear, negativity, and the material things in life, it's good to have a day on which to sit back and reflect on the things for which we can be truly thankful.

We’re living in a scary time in which it’s easy to be distracted from things for which we can be thankful, because there is so much going on that is awful, and so many people who keep working hard to keep it awful. For me, this year the awful things included:

The knowledge that many of my fellow Americans support a president who is a corrupt and self-centered liar, grifter, convicted felon and sexual abuser who proudly and deliberately tramples on every norm of human decency and honor in a relentless pursuit of wealth, power, and revenge;

A Congress more interested in keeping problems alive so they can be weaponized against opponents than in actually solving them;

The sad reality that many Americans cheerfully accept frequent mass murder - even of  children - as an acceptable price to pay for their beloved, unrestricted "right to keep and bear arms;" 

The return of diseases we thought long conquered, largely because ignorant fools believe weird conspiracy theories and conflate the responsibility for public health with Government overreach and unacceptable limits on their personal freedoms;

A flawed legal system in which the availability, affordability, and equality of justice depends on one’s skin color, political connections, ability to manipulate the system to their advantage, and ability to pay astronomical legal fees; and,

The reality of a changing climate that is denied by those who steadfastly refuse to see the obvious truth around them.

That all sounds pretty bad, and it is, but on the whole, it’s once again been a good year for me. Although there have been some occasional negatives, I consider myself a fortunate man for a lot of reasons:

Good health, aside from the normal aches, pains, and sound effects common to advancing age. I had a second knee replaced this past summer, and through the miracles of modern medicine and my ability to afford them - as long as the GOP keeps its hands off Medicare - I'm still walking;

The patient and long-suffering love of my beautiful and endlessly talented wife;

Three loving and successful children of whom I am proud beyond words;

Six adorable, intelligent, talented, and loving grandchildren;

A large and loving extended family;

A comfortable retirement, at least as long as the GOP keeps its hands off Social Security and my modest retirement investments continue to prosper;

A roof over my head (as long as I keep up the mortgage payments);

Good friends (yes, all of you are included);

The ability to write what I wish in this space without worrying (so far, at least) about government censorship;

 

The freedom to worship (or not) as I find meaningful, free to ignore those who insist that their way is the only way and their scripture the only scripture, and that I must follow their path or suffer the consequences; and, 

The good fortune to have been born in the United States of America - a country which, for all its faults, gives me the opportunity to enjoy all of the above ... so far.

I have many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, and it's only proper that I should take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am, as ever, most richly blessed.

I wish all of you, Dear Readers, Friends, the very happiest, healthiest, and safest of holidays.

Have a good day. Give thanks for the good things you have and the bad things you don't. 

More thoughts tomorrow, when we name the On-Crack Ass Clown for November ... see you then.

Bilbo

Thanksgiving, 2024

Happy Thanksgiving!

I've been writing this blog since 2006, and some of you have been reading it for much of that time. You've learned many things about me over the years, one of which is that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In a crazy world in which we too often focus on fear, negativity, and the material things in life, it's good to have a day on which to sit back and reflect on the things for which we can be truly thankful.

We’re living in a scary time in which it’s easy to be distracted from things for which we can be thankful, because there is so much going on that is awful, and so many people who keep relentlessly reminding us of it (from both ends of the social/political/news spectrum). For me, this year the awful things included:

The knowledge that many of my fellow Americans voted to bring back to the presidency a convicted felon and sexual abuser who proudly and deliberately tramples on every norm of decency and honor in a relentless pursuit of power and revenge;

The continuing reality that many Americans cheerfully accept frequent mass murder - even of  children - as an acceptable price to pay for their beloved, unrestricted "right to keep and bear arms;" 

The return of diseases we thought long conquered, largely because ignorant fools believe weird conspiracy theories and conflate the responsibility for public health with Government overreach and unacceptable limits on their personal freedoms;

A flawed legal system in which the availability of justice is directly related to one’s skin color, political connections, ability to manipulate the system to their advantage, and ability to pay astronomical legal fees; and,

A reality of a changing climate that is denied by those unwilling to see the obvious truth around them.

That all sounds pretty bad, and it is, but on the whole, it’s once again been a good year for me. Although there have been some occasional negatives, I consider myself a fortunate man for a lot of reasons:

Surviving another year. Although Agnes came down with Covid again this summer, safe and effective vaccines* once again made it a nuisance rather than a death sentence;

The patient and long-suffering love of my beautiful and amazingly talented wife;

Three loving and successful children of whom I am justly and endlessly proud;

Six adorable, intelligent, talented, and loving grandchildren;

A large and loving extended family;

A comfortable retirement, at least until the new administration takes an axe to Social Security;

A roof over my head, as long as I keep up the mortgage payments;

Good health, aside from the normal aches, pains, and sound effects common to advancing age, at least until the new administration takes an axe to Medicare;

Good friends (yes, all of you are included);

The ability to write what I wish in this space without worrying (so far, at least) about government censorship;

 

The freedom to worship (or not) as I find meaningful, free to ignore those who insist that their way is the only way and their scripture the only scripture, and that I must follow their path or suffer the consequences; and, 

The good fortune to have been born in the United States of America - a country which, for all its faults, gives me the opportunity to enjoy all of the above.

I have many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, and it's only proper that I should take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am, as ever, most richly blessed.

I wish all of you, Dear Readers, Friends, the very happiest, healthiest, and safest of holidays.

Have a good day. Give thanks for the good things you have and the bad things you don't. 

More thoughts tomorrow, when we name the On-Crack Ass Clown for November ... see you then.

Bilbo

* Yes, RFK Jr, I'm talking to you, you schmuck.

Thanksgiving, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving!

I've been writing this blog since 2006, and some of you - masochists that you are - have been reading it for much of that time. You've learned many things about me over the years, one of which is that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In a crazy world in which we too often focus on fear, negativity, and the material things in life, it's good to have a day on which to sit back and reflect on the things for which we can be truly thankful.

We’re living in a scary time in which it’s easy to be distracted from things for which we can be thankful, because there is so much going on that is awful, and so many people who keep relentlessly reminding us of it (yes, GOP and Faux News, I'm talking to you). For me, this year the awful things included:

A political party and its media machine that continues relentlessly to weaponize fear and hatred, which accepts - and, indeed, praises and amplifies - the most coarse, violent, and angry discourse, and which works tirelessly to undermine a political system it cannot win in a fair contest of ideas and policies;

Americans who are willing to believe the most outrageous and dangerous hogwash because they trust a lunatic proven liar and would-be dictator;

The continuing horror of realizing that many Americans freely accept frequent mass murder - even of little children - as an acceptable price to pay for their unrestricted "right to keep and bear arms;" 

Diseases we thought long conquered which have returned, largely because ignorant fools conflate the responsibility for public health with Government overreach and unacceptable limits on their “freedom;”

A flawed legal system in which the availability of justice is directly related to one’s skin color, political connections, and ability to pay astronomical legal fees far in excess of what ordinary people can afford; and,

A changing climate that is denied by those unwilling to see the obvious truth around them.

That all sounds pretty bad, and it is, but on the whole, though, it’s actually been a pretty good year for me. Although there have been some negatives, I have to consider myself a lucky man for a lot of reasons:

Surviving the pandemic for another year (although yes, mild cases of Covid did catch us this summer);

The patient and long-suffering love of a beautiful and amazingly talented wife;

Three loving and successful children of whom I am justly and endlessly proud;

Six adorable, intelligent, talented, and loving grandchildren;

A large and loving extended family;

A comfortable retirement;

A roof over my head;

Good health, including the medical marvel of the new knee I received back in March;

Good friends (yes, all of you are included);

The ability to write what I wish in this space without worrying about government censorship;

The freedom to worship (or not) as I find meaningful, free to ignore those who insist that their way is the only way and their scripture the only scripture, and that I must follow their path or suffer the consequences; and, 

The good fortune to have been born in the United States of America - a country which, for all its faults, gives me the opportunity to enjoy all of the above;

I have many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, and it's only proper that I should take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am, as ever, most richly blessed.

I wish all of you, Dear Readers, Friends, the very happiest, healthiest, and safest of holidays.

Have a good day. Give thanks for the good things you have and the bad things you don't. 

More thoughts tomorrow, when we offer the final collection of Great Moments in Editing and Signage for the month.

Bilbo

Thanksgiving, 2022

Happy Thanksgiving!

I've been writing this blog since 2006, and some of you - masochists that you are - have been reading it for almost all of that time. You've learned many things about me over the years, one of which is that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In a crazy world in which we too often focus on fear and negativity* and the material things in life, it's good to have a day on which to sit back and reflect on the things for which we can be truly thankful.

We’re living in a scary time in which it’s easy to be distracted from things for which we can be thankful, because there is so much going on that is awful, and so many people who keep relentlessly reminding us of it. For me, this year the awful things included:

A political party that continues relentlessly to weaponize fear and hatred, which accepts - and, indeed, praises and amplifies - the most coarse, violent, and angry discourse, and which works tirelessly to undermine a political system it cannot win in a fair contest of ideas and policies;

The continuing horror of realizing that many Americans continue to accept frequent mass murder - even of little children - as an acceptable price to pay for the unrestricted "right to keep and bear arms;" 

A deadly pandemic that lingers on, largely because ignorant fools conflate the responsibility for public health with unacceptable limits on their “freedom;”

A badly flawed legal system in which the degree of available justice is directly related to one’s skin color, political connections, and ability to pay astronomical legal fees far in excess of what ordinary people can afford; and,

A changing climate that is denied by those unwilling to see the obvious truth around them.

That all sounds pretty bad, and it is, but on the whole, though, it’s actually been a pretty good year for ol’ Bilbo. Although there have been many negatives, I have to consider myself a lucky man for a lot of reasons:

Surviving the pandemic for another year;

The patient and long-suffering love of a beautiful and amazingly talented wife;

Three loving and successful children of whom I am justly and endlessly proud;

Six adorable, intelligent, talented, and loving grandchildren;

A large and loving extended family;

A comfortable retirement**;

A roof over my head***;

Good health†;

Good friends;

The good fortune to be able to live in the United States of America - a country which, for all its faults, gives me the opportunity to enjoy all of the above;

The ability to write what I wish in this space without worrying about government censorship††; and,

The ability to enjoy the good things of the world that would be denied by those whose harsh and intolerant worship of a jealous, angry, and politicized God ignores the beauty and possibilities of the present in favor of rigid belief in a single religion and an imagined paradise in an unknowable future.

I have many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, and it's only proper that I should take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am, as ever, most richly blessed.

I wish all of you, Dear Readers, Friends, the very happiest, healthiest, and safest of holidays.

Have a good day. Give thanks for the good things you have and the bad things you don't. And stay out of the stores this weekend ... you'll thank me.

More thoughts tomorrow, when we offer the final collection of Great Moments in Editing and Signage for the month.

Bilbo

* Yes, GOP, I'm talking to you.

** So far, anyhow. If the GOP succeeds in wrecking Social Security, I'll be looking for a large cardboard box in a more affordable neighborhood.

*** As long as we keep up the payments.

† Unless the GOP succeeds in gutting Medicare, and continues its efforts to eliminate the ACA with no coherent idea of how to provide health care to tens of millions of Americans.

†† Yet. Given the GOP's attitude toward the First Amendment (as opposed to its undying love of the Second), I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanksgiving, 2021

Happy Thanksgiving!

I've been writing this blog since 2006, and some of you - masochists that you are - have been reading it for almost all of that time. You've learned many things about me over the years, one of which is that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In a crazy world in which we too often focus on fear and negativity* and the material things in life, it's good to have a day on which to sit back and reflect on the things for which we can be truly thankful.

We’re living in a scary time in which it’s easy to be distracted from things for which we can be thankful, because there is so much going on that is awful, and so many people who keep relentlessly reminding us of it. For me, this year the awful things included:

A political party that has weaponized fear and hatred, which accepts - and, indeed, praises and amplifies - the most coarse, violent, and angry discourse, and which works tirelessly to undermine a political system it cannot win in a fair contest of ideas and policies;

The continuing horror of realizing that many Americans continue to accept frequent mass murder - even of little children - as an acceptable price to pay for the unrestricted "right to keep and bear arms;" and

A pandemic that drags on and on, largely because ignorant fools conflate the responsibility for public health with unacceptable limits on their “freedom;”

A badly flawed legal system in which the degree of available justice is directly related to one’s skin color, political connections, and ability to pay astronomical legal fees far in excess of what ordinary people can afford; and,

A changing climate that is denied by those unwilling to see the truth around them.

That all sounds pretty bad, and it is, but on the whole, though, it’s actually been a pretty good year for ol’ Bilbo. Although there have been many negatives, I have to consider myself a lucky man for a lot of reasons:

Surviving the pandemic for another year; 

The patient and long-suffering love of a beautiful and endlessly talented wife, who is still with me thanks to the skill and dedication of the doctors and nurses who saved her life this past weekend;

Three loving and successful children of whom I am justly and endlessly proud;

Six adorable, intelligent, talented, and loving grandchildren;

A large and loving extended family;

A comfortable retirement**;

A roof over my head***;

Good health^†;

Good friends;

The good fortune to be able to live in the United States of America - a country which, for all its faults, gives me the opportunity to enjoy all of the above;

The ability to write what I wish in this space without worrying about government censorship^††; and,

The ability to enjoy the good things of the world that would be denied by those whose harsh and intolerant worship of a jealous, angry, and politicized God ignores the beauty and possibilities of the present in favor of rigid belief in a single religion and an imagined paradise in an unknowable future.

I have many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, and it's only proper that I should take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am, as ever, most richly blessed.

I wish all of you, Dear Readers, Friends, the very happiest and safest of holidays, even if it must be limited by the measures we need to survive a deadly disease.

Have a good day. Give thanks for the good things you have and the bad things you don't. And stay out of the stores tomorrow ... you'll thank me.

More thoughts tomorrow, when we offer a new collection of Great Moments in Editing and Signage.

Bilbo

* Yes, GOP, I'm talking to you.

** So far, anyhow.

*** As long as we keep up the payments.

† Unless the GOP regains power, succeeds in gutting Medicare, and continues its efforts to eliminate the ACA with no coherent idea of how to protect the health of Americans.

†† Yet. Given the GOP's attitude toward the First Amendment (as opposed to its undying love of the Second), I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanksgiving, 2020

Happy Thanksgiving!

I've been writing this blog since 2006, and some of you - masochists that you are - have been reading it for almost all of that time. You've learned many things about me over the years, one of which is that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In a crazy world in which we too often focus on fear and negativity* and the material things in life, it's good to have a day on which to sit back and reflect on the things for which we can be truly thankful.

We’re living in a terrifying time in which it’s easy to be distracted from things for which we can be thankful, because there is so much going on that is awful. For me, this year the awful things included:

A presidential administration and its unquestioning partisan supporters that ruined America's standing in the world, coarsened our political discourse, worked overtime to undermine the results of an election that repudiated its excesses, relentlessly worked to undermine our legal system, our voting rights, and the unexpectedly fragile fundamental institutions of our government, and utterly mismanaged the tragedy of the Covid-19 pandemic, undermining the health, safety, and security of the American people; and,

The horror of realizing that many Americans continue to accept frequent mass murder - even of little children - as an acceptable price to pay for the unrestricted "right to bear arms;" and

On the whole, though, it’s actually been a decent year. Although there have been negatives, I have to consider myself a lucky man for a lot of reasons … such as:

The patient and long-suffering love of a beautiful and endlessly talented wife;

Three loving and successful children of whom I am proud beyond all measure;

Six adorable, intelligent, talented, and loving grandchildren;

A large and loving extended family;

A comfortable retirement**;

A roof over my head***;

Good health†;

Good friends;

The good fortune to be able to live in the United States of America - a country which, for all its faults, gives me the opportunity to enjoy all of the above;

The ability to write what I wish in this space without worrying about government censorship††; and,

The ability to enjoy the good things of the world that would be denied by those whose harsh and intolerant worship of a jealous and angry God ignores the beauty and possibilities of the present in favor of rigid belief in an imagined paradise in an unknowable future.

I have many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, and it's only proper that I should take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am, as ever, most richly blessed.

I wish all of you, Dear Readers, Friends, the very happiest and safest of holidays, even if it must be limited by the measures we need to survive a deadly disease.

Have a good day. Give thanks for the good things you have and the bad things you don't. And stay out of the stores tomorrow ... you'll thank me.

More thoughts tomorrow, when we offer a new collection of Great Moments in Editing and Signage.

Bilbo

* Yes, Der Furor and the GOP, I'm talking to you.

** So far, anyhow.

*** As long as we keep up the payments.

† Until the GOP succeeds in gutting Medicare and wiping out the ACA with no replacement, anyway.

†† Yet. Given Der Furor's attitude toward the First Amendment, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanksgiving, 2019

Happy Thanksgiving!

I've been writing this blog since 2006, and some of you - masochists that you are - have been reading it for almost all of that time. You've learned many things about me over the years, one of which is that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In a crazy world in which we too often focus on fear and negativity* and the material things in life, it's good to have a day on which to sit back and reflect on the things for which we can be truly thankful.

We’re living in a time when it’s easy to be distracted from things for which we can be thankful, because there is so much going on that is awful. For me, this year the awful things included:

A presidential administration and its unquestioning partisan supporters that continues to ruin America's standing in the world, coarsen our political discourse, and undermine the health, safety, and security of the American people;

The horror of realizing that many Americans accept frequent mass murder - even of little children - as an acceptable price to pay for the unrestricted "right to bear arms;" and

An administration that relentlessly works to undermine our legal system, our voting rights, and our fundamental institutions of government.

On the whole, though, it’s been a pretty good year. Although there have been negatives, I have to consider myself a lucky man for a lot of reasons … such as:

The patient and long-suffering love of a beautiful and endlessly talented wife;

Three loving and successful children of whom I am proud beyond all measure;

Six adorable, intelligent, talented, and loving grandchildren;

A large and loving extended family;

A comfortable retirement**;

A roof over my head***;

Good health†;

Good friends;

The good fortune to be able to live in the United States of America - a country which, for all its faults, gives me the opportunity to enjoy all of the above;

The ability to write what I wish in this space without worrying about government censorship††; and,

The ability to enjoy the good things of the world that would be denied by those whose harsh and intolerant worship of a jealous and angry God ignores the beauty and possibilities of the present in favor of rigid belief in an imagined paradise in an unknowable future.

I have many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, and it's only proper that I should take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am, as ever, most richly blessed.

I wish all of you, Dear Readers, Friends, the very happiest and safest of holidays.

Have a good day. Give thanks for the good things you have and the bad things you don't. And stay out of the stores tomorrow ... you'll thank me.

More thoughts tomorrow, when we offer a new collection of Great Moments in Editing and Signage.

Bilbo

* Yes, Mr Trump and the GOP, I'm talking to you.

** So far, anyhow.

*** As long as we keep up the payments.

† Until the GOP succeeds in gutting Medicare, anyway.

†† Yet. Given Mr Trump's attitude toward the First Amendment, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanksgiving, 2018

Happy Thanksgiving!

I've been writing this blog for more than 12 years, and some of you - masochists that you are - have been reading it for almost all of that time. You've learned many things about me over the years, one of which is that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In a crazy world in which we too often focus on fear and negativity* and the material things in life, it's good to have a day on which to sit back and reflect on the things for which we can be truly thankful.

We’re living in a time when it’s easy to be distracted from things for which we can be thankful, because there is so much going on that is awful. For me, this year the awful things included:

A presidential administration and its unquestioning partisan supporters that continues to ruin America's standing in the world, coarsen our political discourse, and undermine the health, safety, and security of the American people;

The horror of realizing that many Americans accept routine mass murder as an acceptable price to pay for the unrestricted right to own and carry firearms; and

An administration that relentlessly works to undermine our legal system, our voting rights, and our fundamental institutions of government.

On the whole, though, it’s been a pretty good year. Although there have been negatives, I have to consider myself a lucky man for a lot of reasons … such as:

The love of a beautiful and endlessly talented wife;

Three loving and successful children of whom I am proud beyond all measure;

Six adorable, intelligent, talented, and loving grandchildren;

A large and loving extended family;

A comfortable retirement**;

A roof over my head***;

Good health^†;

Good friends;

The good fortune to be able to live in the United States of America - a country which, for all its faults, gives me the opportunity to enjoy all of the above;

The ability to write what I wish in this space without worrying about government censorship^††; and,

The ability to enjoy the good things of the world that would be denied by those whose harsh and intolerant worship of a jealous and angry God ignores the beauty and possibilities of the present in favor of rigid belief in an imagined paradise in an unknowable future.

I have many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, and it's only proper that I should take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am, as ever, most richly blessed.

I wish all of you, Dear Readers, Friends, the very happiest and safest of holidays.

Have a good day. Give thanks for the good things you have and the bad things you don't. And stay out of the stores tomorrow ... you'll thank me.

More thoughts tomorrow, when we name the Left-Cheek Ass Clown for the month.

Bilbo

* Yes, Mr Trump and the GOP, I'm talking to you.

** So far, anyhow.

*** As long as we keep up the payments.

† Until the GOP succeeds in gutting Medicare, anyway.

†† Yet. Given Mr Trump's attitude toward the First Amendment, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanksgiving, 2017

Happy Thanksgiving!

I've been writing this blog for more than 11 years, and some of you - masochists that you are - have been reading it for almost all of that time. You've learned many things about me over the years, one of which is that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In a crazy world in which we too often focus on fear and negativity*, and on the material things in life, it's good to have a day on which to sit back and reflect on the things for which we can be truly thankful.

We’re living in a time when it’s easy to be distracted from things to be thankful for, because there is so much going on that is awful. For me, this year the awful things included:

A presidential administration and its unquestioning partisan supporters that has ruined America's standing in the world, coarsened our political discourse, and undermined the health, safety, and financial security of the great majority of the American people;

The horror of realizing that, for many Americans, the murder of children is an acceptable price to pay for the protection of the right to own and carry firearms; and

A profound undermining of my faith in the essential fairness and justice of our legal system and those who serve and administer it.

On the whole, though, it’s been a pretty good year. Although there have been negatives, I have to consider myself a lucky man, for a lot of reasons … such as:

The love of a beautiful and endlessly talented wife;

Three loving and successful children of whom I am proud beyond all measure;

Six adorable, intelligent, talented, and loving grandchildren;

A large and loving extended family (considerably larger than the part shown in this picture from last week's reunion at my sister's home in Pittsburgh);

A comfortable retirement**;

A roof over my head***;

Good health^†;

Good friends;

The good fortune to be able to live in the United States of America - a country which, for all its faults, gives me the opportunity to enjoy all of the above;

The ability to write what I wish in this space without worrying about government censorship^††; and,

The ability to enjoy the good things of the world that would be denied by those whose harsh and intolerant worship of a jealous and angry God ignores the beauty and possibilities of the present in favor of rigid belief in an imagined paradise in an unknowable future.

I have many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, and it's only proper that I should take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am, as ever, most richly blessed.

I wish all of you, Dear Readers, the very happiest and safest of holidays.

Have a good day. Give thanks for the good things you have and the bad things you don't. And stay out of the stores tomorrow ... you'll thank me.

More thoughts tomorrow, along with a new batch of Great Moments in Editing and Signage.

Bilbo

* Yes, Mr Trump and the GOP, I'm talking to you.

** So far, anyhow ... we'll see how it looks after Congress gets done wrecking our health care and undermining the tax code for the average American.

*** As long as we keep up the payments.

^† Until the GOP guts Medicare, anyway.

^†† Yet. Given this administration's attitude toward the First Amendment, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Planning the Holiday Seating

One of the most difficult things about planning the Thanksgiving dinner is not what to serve, but where to seat the guests.

You know what I'm talking about ... we all go through the exercise every year of figuring out where to seat each person based on an assessment of table manners, conversational abilities, political affiliation, familial responsibilities, and so on. It's especially dicey this year, when many families and friends are hopelessly divided by seemingly-irreconcilable political differences. Kings, Queens, and presidents have entire staffs dedicated to the issue of protocol and ensuring that everyone is properly seated and arranged ... we have to navigate the shoals of propriety and peacekeeping on our own.

Fortunately, a few years back I ran across this chart that I'll share with you as a way of helping you survive the holiday ...

Don't thank me ... it's all part of the service.

Have a good day. Come back tomorrow, when I'll wax eloquent on why I love Thanksgiving. More thoughts then.

Bilbo

Thanksgiving Day, 2016

As all of my regular readers already know, today is my favorite holiday: the traditional and quintessentially American holiday of Thanksgiving. In a crazy world in which we too often focus on fear and negativity*, and on the material things in life, it's good to have a day on which to sit back and reflect on the things for which we can be truly thankful. Today - as on every Thanksgiving Day - Bilbo the Cynical Curmudgeon yields the blog to Bilbo the Reflective Grandpa to think about some of the things that are right with the world ...

A beautiful and marvelously talented wife who makes life interesting and enjoyable ... if a little chaotic at times;

Three loving and successful children who have made their own marks on the world, and of whom I am proud beyond all measure;

Six adorable, intelligent, and loving grandchildren that can warm the most jaded heart;

The world's best daughter-in-law;

A new, fine son-in-law;

A comfortable retirement**;

A home***;

Good health^†;

Friends^††;

The good fortune to be able to live in a country which, for all its faults, gives me the opportunity to enjoy all of the above;

The ability to write what I wish in this space without worrying about the heavy hand of the censor; and,

The ability to enjoy the good things of the world that would be denied by those whose harsh and intolerant worship of a jealous and angry God ignores the beauty and possibilities of the present in favor of rigid belief in an imagined paradise in an unknowable future.

I have many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, and it's only proper that I should take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am, as ever, most richly blessed.

I wish all of you, Dear Readers, the very happiest and safest of holidays.

Have a good day. Give thanks for the good things you have and the bad things you don't. And stay out of the stores tomorrow ... you'll thank me.

More thoughts tomorrow, along with a new batch of Great Moments in Editing and Signage.

Bilbo

* Yes, Mr Trump and the GOP, I'm talking to you.

** So far, anyhow.

*** As long as we keep up the payments.

† Until the GOP guts Medicare, anyway.

†† Amazing, after the misery of the campaign season.

Thanksgiving Day, 2015

As all of my regular readers already know, today is my favorite holiday: the traditional and quintessentially American holiday of Thanksgiving. In a crazy world in which we too often focus on fear, negativity, and the material things in life, it's good to have a day on which to sit back and reflect on the things for which we can be truly thankful. Today - as on every Thanksgiving Day - Bilbo the Cynical Curmudgeon yields the blog to Bilbo the Reflective Grandpa to think about some of the things that are right with the world ...

A beautiful and marvelously talented wife who makes life interesting and enjoyable ... if a little chaotic at times;

Three loving and successful children who have made their own marks on the world, and of whom I am proud beyond all measure;

Six adorable, intelligent, and loving grandchildren that can warm the most jaded heart;

The world's best daughter-in-law;

A job;

A home;

Good health;

Friends;

The good fortune to be able to live in a country which, for all its faults, gives me the opportunity to enjoy all of the above;

The ability to write what I wish in this space without worrying about the heavy hand of the censor; and,

The ability to enjoy the good things of the world that would be denied by those whose harsh and intolerant worship of a jealous and angry God ignores the beauty and possibilities of the present in favor of rigid belief in an imagined paradise in an unknowable future.

I have many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, and it's only proper that I should take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am, as ever, most richly blessed.

I wish all of you, Dear Readers, the very happiest and safest of holidays.

Have a good day. Give thanks for the good things you have and the bad things you don't. And stay out of the stores tomorrow ... you'll thank me.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Thanksgiving, 2014

Today is my favorite holiday: the traditional American holiday of Thanksgiving. In a crazy world in which we too often focus on the negatives, it's good to have a day on which to sit back and reflect on the things for which we can be truly thankful. On this Thanksgiving Day - as on every Thanksgiving Day - Bilbo the Cynical Curmudgeon yields the blog to Bilbo the Reflective Grandpa to think about some of the things that are right with the world ...

A beautiful and endlessly talented wife that makes life interesting and enjoyable ... if a little chaotic at times;

Three loving and successful children who have made their own marks on the world, and of whom I am proud beyond all measure;

Six adorable, intelligent, and loving grandchildren that can warm the most jaded heart;

The world's best daughter-in-law;

A job;

A home;

Good health;

Friends;

The good fortune to be able to live in a country which, for all its faults, gives me the opportunity to enjoy all of the above;

The ability to write what I wish in this space without worrying about the heavy hand of the censor; and,

The ability to enjoy the good things of the world that would be denied by those whose harsh and intolerant worship of a jealous and angry God ignores the beauty and possibilities of the present in favor of rigid belief in an imagined paradise in an unknowable future.

I have many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, and it's only proper that I should take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am, as ever, most richly blessed.

I wish all of you, Dear Readers, the very happiest and safest of holidays.

Have a good day. Give thanks for the good things you have and the bad things you don't. And stay out of the stores tomorrow ... you'll thank me.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Thanksgiving, 2013

It's early on this bitterly cold morning here at Chez Bilbo. Agnes is still asleep and all is temporarily peaceful and quiet. This condition will, of course, change radically when our daughter and the grandchildren arrive, but for now I'm just enjoying the silence.

Today is the holiday we here in America call Thanksgiving. Most cultures throughout history have had some form of feast to celebrate a good harvest, but the American version of the holiday dates back to the year 1621 when a group of Pilgrims sat down with the Indians who had, quite literally, saved their lives, to celebrate not just their first successful harvest, but their very survival in a strange and dangerous new world. The official Thanksgiving holiday dates to 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln decreed the last Thursday in November as a "national day of thanksgiving." In 1941 Congress - then, as now, always willing to fix things not requiring fixing while ignoring real problems - designated the fourth Thursday in November as the official Thanksgiving holiday.

There are many traditions associated with Thanksgiving. It's a time for families to gather and presidents to pardon a few turkeys, and it marks the traditional start of the Christmas holiday season (which nowadays, of course, begins just after the Fourth of July).

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In a crazy world in which we too often focus on the negatives, it's good to have a day on which we can sit back and reflect on the things that are good in life ... the things for which we can be truly thankful. On this Thanksgiving Day, Bilbo the Cynical Curmudgeon yields the blog to Bilbo the Reflective Grandpa to think about some of the things that are right with the world ...

A beautiful wife that makes getting up every morning worthwhile;

Three loving and successful children who have made their own marks on the world;

Six adorable, intelligent, and loving grandchildren that can warm the most jaded heart;

The world's best daughter-in-law;

A job (for the time being, anyhow);

A home (where the mortgage company lets me stay in exchange for large payments);

Good health (for a geezer-in-training);

The good fortune to be able to live in a country which, for all its faults, gives me the opportunity to enjoy all of them;

The ability to write what I wish in this space without worrying about the heavy hand of the censor;

The ability to enjoy the good things of the world that would be denied by those whose harsh and intolerant worship of a jealous and angry God ignores the beauty and possibilities of the present in favor of a belief in an imagined paradise in an unknowable future.

I have many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day. And as I get ready to finish cleaning the house and preparing to greet our friends who will join us later in the day, it's only right and proper that I should take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am, as ever, most richly blessed.

I wish all of you, Dear Readers, the very happiest and safest of holidays.

Have a good day. Give thanks for the good things you have and the bad things you don't. And stay home and relax tomorrow ... you'll thank me.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Cartoon Saturday - Special Thanksgiving Edition

Well, last week's Cartoon Saturday was posted on Friday, and this week's Cartoon Saturday will appear, as usual, on Saturday ... but there are just too many good Thanksgiving-themed cartoons out there to pass up. Therefore, we will do not one, but two Cartoon Saturdays this week. I don't think anyone will complain, given the general condition of the world.

Let's just skip all the peripheral stuff and cut right to the chase ...

I always wondered what that "free-range" expression meant, other than an excuse to tack on a few extra dollars per pound ...

How the GOP celebrates Thanksgiving ...

Hmmm ...

Everything may not be what it seems ...

It's a serious question ...

Perhaps he knows something you don't ...

Planning ahead for the holiday ...

Well, that's another way to celebrate ...

And finally, a question I've often asked myself ... except that in the last few years, I start asking it just after the Fourth of July ...

And there you have it - Bilbo's cartoon tribute to the greatest American holiday. Well, it's my favorite holiday, anyhow. Tomorrow we'll talk about why that's the case. For now, if you're traveling for the holiday, please be safe. If I'm going to lose any readers, I'd prefer it was because you didn't like the blog, and not because you had a tragic accident*.

Have a good day. Be safe and thankful. More Thanksgiving ruminations tomorrow.

Bilbo

* Just step away from that turkey fryer and nobody will get hurt.

Seating Arrangements

Turkey Day (no, not the midterm elections, those were back on the 5th of this month) is coming up fast ... just a week from today for most of us. Here at Chez Bilbo, we'll be hosting my sister Lisa and her family and our daughter and the local grandchildren this weekend for a family Thanksgiving, and we'll have another Thanksgiving next week for our friends. I've been spending my free time drilling new holes in my belts.

One of the problems that comes each year at Thanksgiving, particularly if you are part of a large family, is the issue of seating arrangements. Who sits at which table, and who sits next to whom? This is often a thorny problem, and there's a lot of good advice out there online and in the etiquette books, but here's a pretty good chart that will help you think it all through (you can see the original here):

No need to thank me ... it's all part of the service.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Thanksgiving, 2012

Today is the holiday we Americans call Thanksgiving. The first feast of thanksgiving was supposedly (the history is a bit murky) celebrated by early settlers to give thanks for their survival in a new and dangerous land, and as an additional gesture of thanks and friendship they invited the Indians who had shared their food and knowledge to help them survive.  Thanksgiving has been celebrated as a national holiday on different dates throughout our history, but after the Civil War victory* at Gettysburg, President Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation on October 3, 1863, declaring the fourth Thursday in November as a national Thanksgiving Day. In 1941, Congress made it official**.

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, for the simple reason that I am a person with much to be thankful for and need occasionally to be reminded of how fortunate I am. Thus, it's good to have at least one time a year to reflect on my good fortune and be appropriately thankful.

Here is a partial list of the things for which I give thanks today ... and every day:

The love of a wonderful lady ...

Six wonderful grandchildren ... sadly, not all on the same continent ... Noah, Ava Rose, Marcy, and Joe ...

and Leya and Elise ...

Good parents who raised me in a loving family and taught me the things I needed to know and the values in which I believe ...

A home.

A job.

Enough to eat.

Good friends.

People who actually read, comment on, and (occasionally) enjoy my blog.

And a whole lot of other things it would take me days to enumerate.

I am, truly, a thankful fellow, today and every day. And on this Thanksgiving Day it's good to sit back and reflect ... despite all economic uncertainty, political chicanery, war, and Congressional buffoonery ... on how much we truly have to be thankful for.

Have a wonderful, safe, and happy Thanksgiving Day. Thanks for being my digital friends.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* Well, "victory" if you're a Yankee, anyhow.

** Nowadays, the measure would certainly not pass Congress - Republicans would object to it as job-killing^TM and socialist, while Democrats would be upset because it does not explicitly support equal rights for toms and hens to marry.

Thanksgiving, 2011 - Part 2

If you've read any of my previous Thanksgiving Day blog posts, you already know that this is my favorite holiday of the year. It's the time when we gather with family and friends, eat too much, drink too much, and generally celebrate the good things in life. It's the time I get to prepare the traditional Thanksgiving dinner (and be thankful that I don't have to rely on Congress to do it for me) ...

In the mad rush of everyday life, at a time when the Capitol Hill Clown Show and the miserable state of the economy make each day a new struggle of worry and head-shaking, it's sometimes difficult to remember that we really do have things for which we can be thankful. This is what I wrote at this time last year:

A beautiful wife that makes getting up every morning worthwhile;

Three loving and successful children who have made their own marks on the world;

Five adorable, intelligent, and loving grandchildren that can warm the most jaded heart;

The world's best son-in-law and daughter-in-law;

A job (still!);

A home;

Good health (well, most of the time, anyhow);

The good fortune to be able to live in a country which, for all its faults, gives me the opportunity to enjoy all of them;

The ability to write what I wish in this space without worrying about the heavy hand of the censor;

The ability to enjoy the good things of the world that would be denied by those whose harsh and intolerant worship of a jealous and angry God ignores the beauty and possibilities of the present in favor of a belief in an imagined paradise in an unknowable future.

Yes, in spite of the best efforts of Congress, the financial mismanagement industry, and legions of political, social, and religious ass clowns to screw it up, I still have many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day. And as I get ready to finish cleaning the house and cooking the dinner for our friends who will join us later in the day, it's only right to take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am, as ever, most richly blessed.

To all of my friends out there in the blogosphere, new and old, here and overseas, I send out the very best wishes for a happy Thanksgiving and a safe and joyful holiday season to come.

Don't let the turkeys get you down.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Thanksgiving, 2011 - Part 1

Those of you who have been with me for a while know that in our family, we have a tradition (at least, since 2007) of having a Thanksgiving family reunion on the weekend before the actual Thanksgiving holiday. It's a bit rushed, but it avoids the holiday traffic, the cost of travel is usually less than it is the following week ... and the stores haven't been sold out of whatever you need.

We all converged on my sister Lisa's house in Pittsburgh this past weekend for the annual reunion, and - in spite of pinkeye, various creeping crud illnesses, and the Construction Zone from Hell between the hotel and Lisa's house - everyone had a great time. And there are pictures!

The out-of-towners always stay at the same hotel not far from Lisa's house. We like it because it's clean, friendly, has free breakfast, and has a big pool, which is good for helping children burn off excess energy (of which they usually have lots). They do cringe, though, when we all descend on the breakfast area at once ...

Leya and Marcy really like the pool ...

Cousin Eddie set the table with the good family china ... Great Grandpa still can't believe that so much of it has survived so many years of family dinners!

Our son Matt made it back to Pennsylvania from Los Angeles for the first time in several years, and was a big hit with all the children. Even with Elise. She was glad to see him. Really ...

I usually end up having to carve the turkey. This year, I decided to try a new technique I learned from watching back episodes of Dexter ...

After dinner there's usually a gather-around-the-table game of some sort. This year it was "Apples to Apples," a word-comparison game which was a big hit with everyone ... except when their answer didn't get picked by the judge ...

It was a long day, and both Opa and Elise were pretty pooped out as the evening wore on ...

On Sunday morning, we all cleaned up for the traditional family pictures. We started off with the whole group (except for our brothers Paul, who wasn't able to get off his shift as an EMT, and Mark, who wasn't able to come up from Florida this year) ...

And finally, the other picture that sums up all the things Agnes and I have to be thankful for - the picture with all five of our grandchildren ...

Has Elise got a cute scowl or what?

And that was our first Thanksgiving for the year. I'm always glad that we're close enough together (well, mostly) that we can get together and have this family blast each year. It's important for everyone to know that they're part of a larger family, and that we all love each other. In a world full of political dumbassity, violence, and hatred, it's good to reflect that there really are still things out there for which we can be thankful.

Later this week, we'll do the whole thing again when we celebrate Thanksgiving with a group of our friends here at home in Disneyland-on-the-Potomac.

But for now, it's time to get ready to go back to work. I'm not complaining, though ... I still have a job - and nowadays, that's something to be really thankful for.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Thanksgiving, 2010

It's early on this rainy, cold morning here in the Bilbo household. Agnes is asleep, the sweet potatoes are baking in the oven, Nessa has been for her first walk of the day, and all is temporarily peaceful and quiet. This condition will, of course, change as the day goes on, but now is a time for reflection.

Today is the holiday we here in America call Thanksgiving. Most cultures throughout history have had some form of feast to celebrate a good harvest, but the American version of the holiday dates back to the year 1621 when a group of Pilgrims sat down with the Indians who had, quite literally, saved their lives, to celebrate not just their first successful harvest, but their very survival in a strange and dangerous new world. The official Thanksgiving holiday dates to 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln decreed the last Thursday in November as a "national day of thanksgiving." In 1941 Congress - then, as now, always willing to fix things not requiring fixing - designated the fourth Thursday in November as the Thanksgiving holiday.

There are many traditions associated with Thanksgiving. It's a time for families to gather (as ours did last week in Pittsburgh) and presidents to pardon a few turkeys, and it marks the traditional start of the Christmas holiday season (which nowadays, of course, begins just after the Fourth of July).

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In a crazy world in which we too often focus on the negatives, it's good to have a day on which we can sit back and reflect on the things that are good in life ... the things for which we can be truly thankful. On this Thanksgiving Day, Bilbo the Cynical Curmudgeon yields the blog to Bilbo the Reflective Grandpa to think about some of the things that are right with the world ...

A beautiful wife that makes getting up every morning worthwhile;

Three loving and successful children who have made their own marks on the world;

Five adorable, intelligent, and loving grandchildren that can warm the most jaded heart;

The world's best son-in-law and daughter-in-law;

A job;

A home;

Good health (well, most of the time, anyhow);

The good fortune to be able to live in a country which, for all its faults, gives me the opportunity to enjoy all of them;

The ability to write what I wish in this space without worrying about the heavy hand of the censor;

The ability to enjoy the good things of the world that would be denied by those whose harsh and intolerant worship of a jealous and angry God ignores the beauty and possibilities of the present in favor of a belief in an imagined paradise in an unknowable future.

I have many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day. And as I get ready to finish cleaning the house and cooking the dinner for our friends who will join us later in the day, it's only right and proper that I should take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am, as ever, most richly blessed.

I wish all of you, Dear Readers, the very happiest and safest of holidays.

Have a good day. Give thanks for the good things you have ... and the bad things you don't.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo