Oh Theres No Place Like Home for the Holidays

Here we are, the week before Thanksgiving, and  Christmas tunes are playing on the radio continually, they won't stop till Christmas Day. We will be so sick of this beautiful music because of repetition over and over again.
Not only that, but there were at least 6 trees decorated and all through the lobby of the hospital when I was there on Thursday.
And driving home this evening one house has their tree up and lit, they had their curtains open and the tree was lit in its glory.

Whats wrong with everyone?  Why is everyone so determined to by- pass a wonderful holiday?
Thanksgiving.  A day to thank God for all of our blessings, to spend the day with our families- together, instead of hurrying through dinner because of the great sales being held. Trust me, they will have more great sales..For people leaving the gathering early so they can go home and get ready to shop is ridiculous. Stay with the family, play games or watch a special program, share the day with your loved ones AND 
boycott the stores now - before it gets out of hand and Thanksgiving will be known as a great shopping day instead of being known for what it is THANKSGIVING.

Everyone is so into material things, that they forget the real meaning of  the holidays. ALL the holidays, not just this one. Step back and look at what the world is turning into - really -  look around, take a good look and realize that you do not want to be a part of the material things, of rushing out to get a good deal, to stand in line with all the others for the same deal. Be thankful for your love ones around you and enjoy them -

Mom, whats Thanksgiving?

In the years to come, when some of us no longer walk the face of the earth, will the Thanksgiving Day holiday still be celebrated? You know the one - where family and friends gather together like the Settlers and Indians did to gave thanks of gratitude to God.

A day for being thankful for all of God's blessings. Yes, we are thankful every day, but this is a special day of thanks. A day spent breaking bread with our family and friends, followed by the guys watching football, the boys playing football outside (weather permitting). The women, if not with the men watching football, then together talking about everything & anything, while the young girls play with each other or everyones playing family games. Some families spend Thanksgiving going to the theater together or skiing. We spend the day with music. Our family (except for me) can sing and play instruments together making them popular among friends and family. They are known as The
 Family Tradition Band. Some of you may have heard them play at functions.

What we are NOT doing is going shopping for Christmas specials, ordering on line or doing anything not related to Thanksgiving.  Media and retail have been advertising for weeks, actually when the Halloween decorations went out, so did the Christmas ones! Crazy, eh? but so true. I walked into a store and saw the Halloween and Christmas decorations side by side. It first made me mad and then I felt sad, still do for that matter. They are trying to by pass Thanksgiving, because it is not a big money maker for them, so they are pushing Christmas shopping.

Who of you remember when we kept holy the Sabbath day? All the stores were closed, it was a day of worship and rest for everyone. Everyone stayed in their "Sunday" clothes and spent the day with family or exended family. But slowly the stores, one here, one there started to open up on Sundays and pretty soon every store was open and no one treated Sunday as a day or worship or rest.

Thats what will happen with Thanksgiving unless we do something to stop it. Stop this insanity by NOT letting them win, not shopping for Christmas until AFTER Thanksgiving. Or else someday, when some of us no longer walk the face of the earth, there will be a little child looking at a beat up, dog eared Thanksgiving book asking their mom and dad - what's is this about? Whats Thanksgiving?

Think about it `~`~HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE`~`~` 

OBSERVATION OF LIFE

     LIGHT UP NIGHT FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18    downtown    Pittsburgh - and it is not a joke!! 

Rushing through the holidays of life is not something I want to do, I want to enjoy Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas - I like to give each holiday its due.
When I worked full time, Halloween came and went, along with Thanksgiving and Christmas. I was not able to enjoy any of it the way the it should of been enjoyed. Working 8 hrs, coming home and taking care of the house, cooking, plus washing etc., did not leave much time for extra work that come with the holidays. There is the hustle and bustle, the fun kind, and then there is the" I hate this because I don't have the time and still do everything else that needs done". Having to go back to work the next day took away from all the happiness of the holiday I just celebrated. A lot of people are fortunate to schedule their vacations around the holidays but not many.
My dad use to take the week between Christmas and New Years off and during that time we would visit relatives, have relatives and friends over.  It was always such a fun time.
Everyone thought it was awful  when the stores would decorate for Christmas the week before Thanksgiving, BUT NOW, the stores are in full Christmas decorations by the early part of October.
So, how can I enjoy and celebrate the holidays before Christmas, whenever Christmas decorations are all I see when I go into a store now? They have the Halloween decorations up with the Christmas decorations. Thanksgiving, I hardly see any Thanksgiving decorations out except in the grocery store.
I feel bad for the kids today, I was able to enjoy the Happy Day kind of life. Today - Mayberry would be hard to find anywhere.