Two miracle's happen every morning, first one eye opens then the other one does, I am thankful this Thanksgiving.

  Drinking coffee this morning, it's becoming a normal activity for me to sit on the riverside deck as the sun rises. I used to drink my coffee black, I got that from my Navy days. Now I put "Swiss Miss" Chocolate in it, I also drink the leftover coffee from yesterday, both of which my wife protests about. (Link to my video Thanksgiving Well Wishes to you.)
I drink "retreaded" coffee for a few reasons, one is I was raised with not much stuff so we would use everything until it was useless, and we would also eat whatever was on our plates. I drink the stale coffee because it makes me feel as if I am conserving and it makes me feel as if I am not wasting it. I watch all of the critters scamper around, I see the raccoons are going crazy right now, a few weeks ago it was the squirrels digging up grubs in numerous places. I saw a patch in the garden today that the raccoons roto-tillered, it won't hurt anything, the garden is dormant. The rabbits are eating what is left of the grape leaves, the skunks are still digging their little holes, and the opossums, well they're being possums, eating roots and hanging out. I was thinking this morning as I was watching the seagulls dive-bomb ahead of the schools of fish swimming by, how fortunate I really am. It's Thanksgiving and this is my Thanksgiving blog.

This is a beautiful bird. 

  I spent two years in Southeast Asia, some time in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Japan to name a few places. One thing a person learns after enlisting in the service and visiting a foreign 3rd world country is that there are some really poor people in this world. I remember riding in a bus in the Philippines when we were on R&R, I don't remember where we were going, I do remember seeing a young child about 10 years old. This child was naked and riding a water buffalo, swatting at the beast as it lumbered down the road, this child had nothing. I also remember going to a church for services, the people were desperately poor, but the tithing plate was passed, I remember thinking why aren't these people receiving rather than giving? I went to Captain's mast in the Philippines, I was on duty working in the galley hauling garbage out to the pier. There were cartons of rolls that were in the trash, unopened, not moldy or spoiled they were perfect, but sometimes the Navy throws stuff like that out. Around the dumpster there were some kids standing around, they were about 15 years old, most likely day laborers hired from the nearby town. I started handing the rolls out to the kids, they asked if they could have some, I said sure here. Well, I went to the Captains mast which is a court date at sea. I got reprimanded, I didn't go to the brig or suffer any terrible consequences, but I was told not to give away government surplus again. My defense was simply "but they were hungry." It didn't matter, we don't give away government surplus. (Link explaining what Captains Mast is.)
  When I was in Hong Kong we would go into town early in the morning, it's a beautiful city, huge and full of people. There are homeless families in that huge city, they sleep in the protected doorways of the downtown businesses, we would walk by them. Upon awakening the families would gather up their belongings, sweep the space they used, they would also sweep from the center of the road to the sidewalk. They appreciated what they had and the space to use as a bedroom, it was in those days a very clean city.

That's about right at 6 am.

  I personally have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, some of it as simple as being able to have chocolate in my coffee in the morning and to live in a secure, safe house. I have plenty to eat when a person can pick and choose what he wants to eat every day, the tide must be in his favor. I live in a place where I can see for miles in all directions and still live 50 miles from San Francisco. I have a closet full of clothes, I have more blue genes and shirts than I will ever wear, you know you're doing OK when there are socks and underwear in your drawer. Those are the things I didn't have while growing up, not enough socks or underwear, but I thought everyone lived like that. I am disabled, in this country, it works out OK, we have safety nets to keep people from dire poverty after no longer being able to work. I have a service-connected disability which makes me eligible for medical care from the Veterans Administration, I'm fortunate as well as thankful.
  I look at my garage full of stuff, most of it is garbage, but even after making a dump run the entire mess stays with me, materialistically I've got stuff. I can grow a garden, read as much as I like, talk to neighbors and we have running water. I walk to the wall and flip a switch, amazingly the lights come on, every day. We have a refrigerator, oven, cooktop and microwave oven, for leisure times I have a bar-b-que.
  You know, I can't drive, walk or run any longer, I can't do a lot of things I did at one time, it's fine, I'm doing good. The best thing that happens to me every day is I have so far been able to get out of bed every day of my life. But before that two miracles happen every morning, the first event is my left eye opens, the second event is my right eye opens, for that I am thankful, and my thankfulness continues all day long.

That right eye is having a tough time opening, but it will
happen, again!

We will have the 30+ guest for dinner on Thursday, we will laugh and talk, play the guitar and uke, my wife and friends will tap dance, and I will be able to see it all, for that I am thankful.
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