Gobble, Gobble....zzzzzzz

So, what does Thanksgiving mean to me? Hmmmm....



I find it interesting that the meaning of the day has changed for me over the years. It used to merely mean a couple luscious days off school, a little shopping (nothing 3 a.m. crazy) with my mom, tons and tons of mashed potatoes (my favorite) and chilling to play games with my beloved Grandmother and family.

Now, the day is generally spent with me getting up early in the morning because I was too lazy to make my portion of the meal, which is usually some new dessert I've been dying to try out. I live 5 hours away from my parents...sadly, I've since lost my Grandmother and don't make the trek home for the holiday meal like I used to. Instead, we go to my in laws for dinner with them and my husband's brother's family. It is cozy. I don't have to make a turkey, which I cherish. [someday I'll have to tell you about the year I made a turkey on the grill because my stove blew up...best turkey I've ever eaten.] The day is spent chatting around the table, playing games, looking at circulars, and trying to relax.

While I no longer get to go Black Friday shopping, that suits me fine. I hate crowds of people and hate the commercialism that Christmas tends to bring. It seems that this nation has forgotten to cherish the holiday that causes deep reflection. This is evidenced by the Christmas ads that you now see even before Halloween. It is sad and breaks my heart.

In my home, I have a strick rule that is enforced. NO CHRISTMAS MUSIC UNTIL THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING! Yes, I am very strict about this, because I never want my daughter to forget to be thankful. It is already sad enough that we blow through most of the year without remembering to cherish the simplicity of our lives, the little blessings and the big ones, and just the dog-gone time with family and/or friends.

My goal at some point is to go for and early Thanksgiving lunch with family and then go as a family to serve meals at the local shelter. For me, I believe that would complete my day more than any parade could.

Laugh at the Little Things

So, I've been challenged to answer the question of "What Makes Me Laugh". Hmmmm...it has, I must say, created quite the thought process for me, because I enjoy laughing and it made me realize just how often I do truly laugh.

[Sidenote: I am highly medicated on cold meds...hope this all makes sense :)]

Ok, in case I haven't told you before (although I'm pretty sure I have), I'm a dork, so I tend to laugh at stupid things. For instance, I find the commercial for Scared Shrekless hysterical...every time the gingerbread man poops jelly beans because he is afraid, I bust up laughing. Honestly, I could be in the middle of a conversation and laugh about it. I truly tried hard to find an image on the internet, but failed. Commercials that show people running into things, such as signs or doors, also spur on loud belly laughing from the pit of my stomach. Depending on the commercial, it will envoke tears with that laughter. I know...it's just a commercial, right? But...why not enjoy life?

Besides items seen on TV, I tend to laugh at silly things. I find squirrels, yes, squirrels to be hysterical creatures and will often pass many a minute watching them outside the window. (I'm sure they'd be less funny if they were inside my house.) But, seriously, tell me they are not funny to watch with their tail twitching back and forth? My dog creates much laughter in that she is so gosh darned carefree about life. She chases that ball like it is the last available ball on the Earth. My dog also uses the most interesting ways to seek my attenion and never fails to bring a smile and chuckle as a response from me (note above picture). After giving this aspect some thought, I realized that sometimes the most innocent of things creates laughter within me. I think it is mainly due to the fact that they are true and real in their simplest of forms.

Times with friends usually and almost always inspires laughter at some pathetic and silly act. Generally, it wasn't, but done by accident....be it a mislad word or phrase or action that just was out of the blue.

Sure, jokes are funny, but I always feel like I need a fake laugh for them. True laughter comes from the things that arent' planned...the things that just happen. Sometimes those are trips or falls (as long as the person isn't hurt...well, maybe even if they are-hardest thing ever to hold in a laugh of that nature) or just a snapshot of life as we know it. Hmmm...maybe this question is harder to answer than I first thought.

What do you think?

The blog post was inspired by the #letsblogoff folks. All of the other entries can be found at www.letsblogoff.com. Have a read to see what makes others laugh.