Counting Our Blessings

Counting Our Blessings - Susan Branch



What blessings can you count this Thanksgiving?

The obvious ones are with us each year;
Family, friends, good fortune of health.

I will add to that the benefit of having grown up
knowing what the holiday of
Thanksgiving is really about.

'Black Friday' had no meaning
and 'Cyber Monday' would have sounded
like a sci fi story.

The panic was not to get the 'deal of the season'
but rather
to have everyone's favorite dish
on the Thanksgiving table.

Trying to find a store open on Thanksgiving was unthinkable.
If you were traveling the gas tank needed to be full
because  few stations would be open.

All that was open were the mouths of hungry guests
 waiting to dig in to the bounty on the table.

No one was camping out for days in front of stores.
The only early rush was to not miss
the Macy's Parade on T.V.,
 or in person if you were lucky enough.

The 'good old days' were not always so good,
 only a fool would venture to think so.

For this particular holiday, however, it truly seems to apply.

Thanksgiving now gets little-to-no respect
even though
it's a holiday without prejudice to race, color or creed.

Let's focus on those thoughts.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving.
Count your blessings!

My Special Veteran

Veterans' Day 2014


This is a "thank you" to my special veteran.

My husband, Walter served three years in the army during the Cold War era.
He was stationed in Germany, his birthplace, and served at a Ground-to-Air Missile base.

He spoke little of those years.
 Memories were made, friends were lost and life moved on.

Now he is retired and we are living the 'good life' in sunny Southern California, far from our home state of New Jersey and further yet from his family in Europe.

Walter is now a veterans' volunteer.
He is an exceptional one at that.
He spends forty hours or more every week at the
Greater Los Angeles Veterans' Hospital
assisting hospital staff and needy veterans alike.

When asked why he gives so much of his time when
he could be doing so many other things, his reply is always the same;
"I do it for the Veterans."
A simple answer and what more needs to be said?

So today I thank my husband for being a Veteran and for his selflessness in taking care of other Veterans who are not as fortunate as is he.

Blessings to all who serve; past, present and future.

Well, hello again!

Photo Courtesy of Susan Branch

Well, hello again!

It's been many moons since I have posted. 

Shame on me. 

Airing out the laundry, I suppose. 

It's time to get back to the keyboard

and 

share my musings, meanderings and memories. 

For now I'll just say that it's good to be posting again and can't wait to pick up where I left off.

Best to all.