Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing You And Your Family A Blessed Thanksgiving Day

Favorite Fictional Character --- Kermit the Frog

It was pretty cool on Sunday and Monday, needless to say, I loved it.  I love cooler temps and shorter days.  When I get to leave work, and it's already dark out, I'm in love.  I know most of you don't feel that way, and I'm okay with being the odd man out.  There is just something about the fall and winter that I love more than spring and summer.  For those of you who know what I'm talking about, thank you.  To those of you who don't get it, I'll leave the warmer part of the year to you.  It also means Thanksgiving is almost here, only 8 more days to go, if you don't count today that is.  Which means it's almost time for the parade.  Until then, I'll bring up one of my other favorite character balloons, Kermit the Frog.

Growing up in a swamp with 3,265 brothers and sisters would be hard on anyone.  He would be struggling to make a name for yourself or even to figure out what your role would be.  So when Kermit was 12, he packed up and headed out into the world.  On his his journey he ran into a young boy, Jim Henson, and became one of the first frogs to talk with a human.  Neither one of them though, understand the role they would play in each other's lives later on down the road.

When the wanderlust finally abated a bit, Kermit returned to the swamp and his to his duties for the family.  It wasn't long after though when a traveling talent agent happened to stop by the swamp.  He was impressed by Kermit's talents, and it wasn't long before Kermit was on his way to Hollywood.  Once there, he and some of the other Muppets, were signed by a studio, and the rest is show biz history.

In his career, Kermit has been everything from a reporter for Sesame Street News, ran his own theater company, and even starred in a few movies.  He and his friends have become iconic legends in many circles, and he is always in demand wherever he goes.  Now most of the time, he will accompanied by his "girlfriend" Miss Piggy, or in the company of his best friend, Fozzie Bear.  Either way, if you run into him on the street, shake his hand, and thank him for the years of entertainment he has brought to us all.  One word of caution though, if it's Miss Piggy with him, make sure you compliment her first.

Favorite Fictional Character --- Snoopy

Now that it's November and Election Day is behind us, it's time to start thinking of Thanksgiving.  It's time for cooler weather, roasted turkeys, family and friends coming together, and one of my favorite happenings of the year, The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Since I was a kid, I've been in love with this yearly tradition.  I wake up just a bit earlier, get the turkey in the oven, and hunker down to watch the marching bands and balloons.  It's those balloons that I'm using for inspiration for this month's theme.  For the month of November, I will be featuring characters who have had their image immortalized in our collective memory as giant balloons floating down the New York skyline.  To start off the month, I would like to present you with a very special dog, Snoopy.

Whether he is the faithful sidekick to Charlie Brown, the fearless fighter pilot waging war against the Red Baron, or the sloppy kisser that Lucy fears, Snoopy is one of those characters that just seems to have been ingrained in our pop culture.  I don't think there is anyone in this country who would not recognize that iconic image of a white beagle wearing a huge grin.

I can't remember the first time I was introduced to Snoopy, he seems to have always been in my life.  My mom was a huge fan of Woodstock, the little yellow bird who acted as Snoopy's wingman, pun intended.  Because of her love of Woodstock, Snoopy was there all the time in our house.  When It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown came on every Halloween, we watched it.  I got to watch Snoopy take the sky in his Sopwith Camel (doghouse), and fight the Red Baron over occupied France.  

Every Thanksgiving we would watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.  Charlie Brown, with the help of his friends, including Snoopy, tried to throw a Thanksgiving day feast.  Snoopy and Woodstock set up the table, his fight with the lawn chair is hilarious.  For whatever reason Snoopy was also the chef, serving up buttered toast, popcorn, pretzel sticks, jellybeans, and a jello sundae for desert.  Needless to say, Snoopy's hard work is not appreciated by most of the guests who were expecting turkey and all the trimmings.  As a kid, I thought Snoopy's dinner wouldn't have been so bad.

Then for Christmas, we got to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas, my personal favorite of the Charlie Brown specials.  We get to see Snoopy go over the top and decorating his doghouse, all to win $50, something Charlie Brown just doesn't understand.  We are also treated to his spectacular skating skills as he skates loops around the kids.  It's in this special that Snoopy really cemented himself in my heart as a character that would stay with me forever.  It's just not Christmas without him.

Now as an adult, I actually own the box set that includes all three specials, along with three others themed together.  My favorite image out of those three specials is Snoopy as a pilgrim settler in It's America Charlie Brown, The Mayflower Voyagers.  Snoopy and the gang have become a part of our holiday traditions.  He is so central to our celebrations that it's unimaginable to not have these shows playing in the DVD player.  It's just as horrific to think of the Macy's Parade without Snoopy's balloon floating above the heads of the spectators.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all have a wonderfully Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to tell all of you to have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope you are surrounded by friends and family on this wonderful day.

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with lots of fun, laughter, and food!

10 Things I Need on Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving just around the corner I decided to list the top 10 things I need for a happy and joyful day.

Whether it's your biological family or the family you have created for yourself, Thanksgiving is a day for togetherness and being thankful for those in your life that love and care for you.

Every year I wake up early enough to put the turkey in the oven and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I am just as fascinated by it now as I was when I was my son's age. He would be mad at me if I even suggested not watching it.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is a must watch classic every year. Now this one I probably enjoy more than my son does but I'm convinced he will end up loving it just as much as I do.

I'm not a big turkey person but on this one day (for a week) of the year I willing to roast a turkey and savor every bite of it. After all Thanksgiving would seem naked without turkey.

Forget the pumpkin and pecan pies, give me sweet potato pie any day and I'm quite content with the world.

Whether it's canned, store bought, or homemade, cranberry sauce is my secret addiction over the holidays. I can not get enough of this wonderfully bitter, sweet concoction.

Nap time! After all the cooking and eating you need to take a restful nap so you can enjoy the rest of the day.

I'm not the biggest sports fan in the world. I will normally only watch football if the Denver Broncos are playing but I throw that rule out the window on Thanksgiving. Football is just as important on Thanksgiving as the turkey.

What day off of work is complete without a good dose of reading thrown in? I only have three guaranteed days off a year and this is one of them, so I like nothing better to do than take a few hours (normally later on in the evening), curl up on the couch, and read a fantastic book.

Just before my son goes to bed and I'm relaxed enough to embrace the chaos of putting up a Christmas tree, I put on some Christmas music and get to work. Putting up the tree is on the must do list and watching my son's face once it's all done is my favorite moment of the day.