There is so much music they moves us, so it’s hard to pick one, especially for me. Because of that, I’ll choose one that I haven’t seen yet but deeply hits me hard: John Coltrrane’s “A Love Supreme”. It came at the peak of his career. The first three parts were supple, mysterious, joyful sparkles of light, like dragonflies and butterflies dashing and fluttering on a beautiful summer day. Pure smiles, floating heart stuff. Then the final act hits. It’s a prayer of gratitude and reverence, a reflection of the magesty of existence. It gripped my head and heart, leaving me vulnerable and open, crying in awe.

I love this album with all my heart. And yes, it makes me weep in rapture every time I hear it.

Acknowledgement Resolution Pursuance Psalm

Cats are wonderful. However they’re also stubborn. If you want a cat to not bug you for something, never give in. One you do, you lose. They’ll outlast you.

For some reason, I thought of Reverend Dexter from Babylon 5

“Every day, here and at home, we are warned about the enemy. But who is the enemy? Is it the alien? Well, we are all alien to one another. Is it the one who believes differently than we do? No, not at all, my friends. The enemy is fear. The enemy is ignorance. The enemy is the one who tells you that you must hate that which is different. Because, in the end, that hate will turn on you. And that same hate will destroy you.”, followed by the hymn

It still hits me hard, one of the best juxtaposition scenes in a series. Chilling and beautiful.

That was also realistically powerful. I am glad I made it through the picture, if only to be reminded of the horror of sending young men to kill each other. Saving Private Brian is a masterpiece, but most of us aren’t capable of more than a single viewing.

The opening starts with D-Day and it destroyed my emotions. I was ricocheting from terror to grief back to terror and being drowned in sensory overload. Twenty minutes of cinema around the horror of war and the mass infliction of death was unbearable. I cried for an hour afterwards and I can never bring myself to watch it again. The movie was definitely a masterpiece, and it’s a story that should be told, but it is brutal.

The “We want your money but get outta here” stools. Just seeing them in a restaurant is enough to make me want to leave.

Feels like a Silent Hill monster. Long arms reaching from the mist reaching out to strangle me…

They’re so fortunate to have a solid unit of a dad in you. Hugs and a salute!

Yup. I also groan when I sit down. You just had to call me out, didn’t you?

Why is it the ones you most expect?

Sunday: dry brine turkey, wrap it up in plastic and refrigerated.

Monday: get bread from local baker, cut and toast to make base for stuffing, then make my cranberry compote.

Tuesday: make turkey gravy. Already have basic turkey stock, so cook additional onion and celery in stock and strain, then build gravy from a roux. Make my pea and corn succotash.

Wednesday: unwrap the turkey and return it to the fridge to let the skin dry out. Make the mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and a ridiculously large amount of butter.

T-day: roast the turkey, cook the stuff and bring other items up to temperature.

Others are bringing a couple veggie sides, desserts, salads and appetizers, so I’m pretty free for the main meal.

Like others, I do the turkey because it’s moist, tender and juicy in my hands and I don’t trust others to do it well.

If you are largely responsible for the meal but are forced into traveling to make the meal, I’d probably do most of the prep at home and if it’s practical, do most of the cooking there as well. You would have your tools there and won’t run the risk of forgetting something or having some clueless but well meaning relative ruining something that you care about. You can also get that lovely turkey gravy flavor by roasting turkey legs and wings in the oven a few days before, then using that with a mirepoix to build a turkey stock to make the gravy.