Giving thanks

For family and loved ones. Each person in our lives shapes us, and those we love make us who we are, since who we love explains who we are.

For the beauty of the Earth, with all its miracles. The myriad forms of life with whom we share this planet reveal the marvelous works of God.

For the delights of the mind-- for poetry, music, art, language.

For living in a free country getting freer every minute. For democracy-- and the responsibility that that implies. May we get the government that we deserve.

For peace. May it come.

God bless you!

For turkeys thanks is hard to come by

A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder. John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.

Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly open the door to the freezer, the parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said, "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?"