Sunday Evening with out the big screen tv

At the end of what seems like a long day, (long enough for a little nappy po right after lunch) I begin to reflect on the almost over Thanksgiving extended weekend.
On Thursday the kudzu wife and I journeyed down to her sister's house for turkey and dressing, giblet gravy and sweet potato souflee.  SIL's daughter and newish husband were there along with daughters son by first marriage and his friend John.  Big boy.......Big appetite.  Also attending were SIL's platonic boyfriend and his young son.  A great time.......I did not have too much to drink.

Friday was a clean up day here at the new Kudzu Grotto (I'm searching for a better name) a 112 year old house and acreage.  With assignments from the kudzu wife I started early and stayed at it until late.  Cleaning and dusting......those little things, while the KW was preparing pumpkin pie, cheese cake, two largest turkey breasts.  (man those things were smelling good)  We were looking forward to the first full family get together in the KG.

Saturday arrived and people started arriving before noon.  Son's in law started the fish fryer up to deep fry some cubed wild turkey breasts.  (be still my beating heart, not a piece left over for munching on today. 

Georgia trounced Georgia Tech at the dome in Atlanta which looked great on the old JVC big screen we scrounged from neighbor when he upgraded to plasma years ago.  Got through the game and then since nothing else of interest was on the boob tube was turned over to the teenagers to play games on.
Somehow before they left the volume had completely quit.  That's nice when you're wanting people to just leave already, but not so much if you want to chill out with mindless tv before bed.

So maybe the day seemed long because of no TV, but hey, I got some pecans picked up, ensured the well was adequately covered for the cooler weather that's coming.

I did have some time yesterday to discuss politics and economic conditions with some.  We're all sort of thrashing around trying to keep businesses afloat in what seems like hopeless conditions at the present.  The good things for the elders is we're either out of debt or getting closer.  Still we worry about the younguns, even though some are over 40.

Somehow I suspect that we'll all be judging people by the marks poised by ol' Rudyard in the coming months and years.


If
by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son! 

I think we'll all know a lot more  by the time next Thanksgiving rolls around.