kidsmoke

My you people are an even-tempered bunch! I expected many complaints.

Go ahead, you know you have them. Get them off your chest here. Like, I bought this gorgeous reversible Christmas wrap, and it is wonderful paper, but it is on such heavy stock that the edges are like razors and every time I wrap something with it, I'm afraid I'm going to give myself the mother of all paper cuts! I know, I know....silly first world problems.... ...but, PAPER CUTS! Ok so I've been very careful and so far so good. But I'll let you know. Stupid expensive reversible paper. What do you feel like griping about this season? It's better than bottling it up!

We're gonna need some new songs soon, Jeff.

And in response to "Heavy Metal Chicken", may I point out that "Chicken is Chrome".

You guys are cracking me up! Remember the Mountain Chicken (and watch out!)

Just reading that made me smile. What a wonderful way to give Haileigh faith in the good in the world, and in her dad! Years ago, when I took my daughter Alissa to her very first rock show at age 8 (She's nearly 18 now), Jeff dazzled her by singing Hummingbird to her. She was already a Wilco fan, but wow, did that ever cement the deal! She'll always love this band. I'll bet today Haileigh can't wipe the smile off her face or the glow out of her eyes!

Look, gang, it isn't easy. ever, to discuss politics in a crowd. The topic is polemical by its very nature. Whatever political views you hold, it is likely that you've given them a lot of thought over a lot of years, and hold your own opinions strongly. It's the nature of the beast. Those of us who moderate here don't expect all of you to agree, especially in a political thread. What we do expect is a "live and let live" mentality that allows all of us to inhabit this space. There is enough blame to go around here, and many members have behaved badly and given in to ugly impulses. I ask now

Or, alternatively, Chicken Up My Sleeve (Which bears a startling similarity to A Chicken in the Arm!)

Hesitating Chicken

With all the pressures inherent in the holiday season, I thought it would be nice for us to decompress a bit with some sheer silliness. I'm sure Jeff and band will forgive us. At least I hope so. Here's the game: Take the name of any Wilco song or album, and in place of only one of the words in the name, substitute the word "chicken". It can be in any spot within the song title or album name, but is to be used only once. If the word being substituted for is a plural word, you may pluralize "chicken" to "chickens", but only in that case. Please limit yourself to one or two titles so that mo

The kids do love the Wilco, and how marvelous that the Wilco loves them back. Jeff J. & Haileigh, have an incredible time in Santa Barbara! How could Jeff resist a letter like that?! See you at Largo Judy! I managed to get tix for the last 2 nights.

Yes, this is whetting my appetite for Largo! See you there, Brianne!

Lovely. Thanks for sharing that.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm sure Pancake was thankful for having you, too.

Last one. This time I ask that you mull over the past year of your life, and choose a personal event of 2013 for which you are grateful. I say personal, rather than a world event, because I want these meditations to reflect back our own blessings to ourselves...we all have them, even in the hardest of years. This year, in January and February, I buried both my dad and my stepmom. So, off to a very rough start. But the year went on to include many family achievements, travel & concerts with cherished friends, and best of all: In October, my family gathered again, this time in Northern CA,

I'm really enjoying them, too. A lot of very moving posts have been made, like yours and Sarah's. One last Thankfulness thread tomorrow. Thanks for taking part, everybody!

I know it's just "stuff", and you can't take it with you & all that, but sometimes material objects hold a special place in our hearts for what they represent or the memories they conjure up. Choose one item that is dear to you, whatever it may be. For me, it's my dad's beloved white baseball cap. Dad passed away last December 22nd, and although I inherited some things of greater value, it is this hat that I treasure most. He wore it constantly. It is decorated with a big "paratrooper" patch, and another for the 503rd Airborne unit, which retook the island of Corregidor from the Japanese

I love reading these. Doug, what a story! (And yes, I'm Donna) You make me want to schedule a trip right now to the Dordogne River Valley! And of course, Diane, you know how much I love North Adams. I considered that being my "place" when I started this thread, but I remember England's west coast and that won out. Joe, I was just through that area in October. Wish I had had more time to get out and wander & explore, but we were just shooting up quickly to Santa Rosa for a family wedding. But one of my fondest memories from my twenties is a picnic on Mt. Tam. All that beauty! Maudie, N

Today's thankfulness meditation asks you to name a single place that echoes in your heart and mind. This one is "difficult" for me only because I have deep love for so many different locations on this earth, and it's hard to select just one! But I'm going with one that just popped into my mind from the sweet mists of memory... The wild, rough west country of England, with its narrow lanes and full rainbows across the enormous sky, its ancient cliffs plunging down to cold hard surf, its empty, brooding beaches, its wide-flung fields under shifting skies. Somehow I don't think I've ever felt a

Stop it, stop it, I'm drooling on my keyboard!

Ok, this thankfulness meditation might get a bit tougher. You are probably going to have to search your mind to come up with someone worthy, because let's face it, public figures have a way of getting all their warts thoroughly exposed to scrutiny. What I mean by a "public figure" is someone who is currently alive and is well enough known that the general public would know the name. I have to admit, this is a tough one for me. I can't think of a lot of public figures...politicians, actors, writers, athletes, religious figures, etc....who are what I consider good and kind and decent people. B

Nice to see you around these parts, Serg!

Ok, now we are getting into the spirit of the feast! I've begun some early cooking so food is on my mind. Let's meditate on the foods we love that nourish and sustain us. Name one food you are thankful for, and one drink. I'm going with a Sunday favorite: a crispy skinned, garlic-rubbed roasted chicken. Somebody please make me one. For a drink, I'll go with a simple, icy-cold glass of milk. I've always loved both. This wouldn't be a bad "last meal". Thank you, chicken. Thank you, cow. What food and what drink are you thankful for? Please stick to just one of each. (Remember: it doesn'

For today's thankfulness subject, I ask you to reflect on an animal that has brought joy or comfort or a sense of wonder to your life at some point...or if you've been fortunate, maybe all of these things, many many times. Any animal will do, whether wild, a pet, a work animal, or even a creature being raised for meat. I'm thinking of a hog I raised from his babyhood, as a 4-H project when I was a young teen. "Fat Albert" was the name I gave him, after the Bill Cosby character. But he was never fat, he was all lean muscle and as tame and people-friendly as a pet dog. Albert knew and responde

These are such cool acknowledgements. These people had a hand in shaping us into who we are. I love hearing these stories. The person named does not need to be "the most important" person in your lives, so don't get hung up on trying to figure out who that would be. Just name anyone you treasure.