Being with family and friends is one of life’s biggest blessings

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is watching holiday movies.

My favorite is “It’s a Wonderful Life” starring Jimmy Stewart. It’s a classic with a message.

I enjoyed the Brooklyn Community Theater production of the movie as it would have been done on the radio. The local actors and actresses, all of which had more than one role, did a great job. I’m glad I got to see it.

Another favorite and more modern movie is “National Lampoons Christmas Vacation” starring Chevy Chase and a host of other nutty characters.

My favorite character in the movie is Cousin Eddie.

I’ve watched the movie a couple times this year already.

I enjoy “Elf,” as well and “Home Alone” is another favorite, especially the first one.

“A Christmas carol” is another good one.

Debbie and I always try to watch “Frosty the Snowman” and the classic “The Muppet Christmas carol.”

The Muppets perform the classic Dickens holiday tale, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit, the put-upon clerk of stingy Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine). The movie includes other Muppets — Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear and Sam the Eagle – who weave in and out of the movie.

And of course I can’t forget Hallmark and now Great American Country movies.

These are just a few Christmas movies I enjoy.

I’m not much into baking cookies or making big holiday meals. However, I enjoy making mashed potatoes and green bean casserole.

I once tried my hand at making a pecan pie and it turned out great.

I’ve never tried to bake a turkey or smoke a ham or brisket. I leave that up to the real cooks in my Iowa family.

We enjoyed smoked brisket for Thanksgiving this year, prepared by our middle nephew. It was quite tasty.

My mom was a great cook and when I returned home during college or after moving to Iowa, she went over and above in preparing a family holiday meal.

As I have written before, her mom was a great cook and could cook up a meal for a dozen or more people in just a few hours.

I never cared for my mom’s dressing at Thanksgiving time, but everything else was the best, especially the deviled eggs and homemade cole slaw.

When I was around age 7, I asked my mom to cook a Thanksgiving meal. So, she did. She went all out cooking a turkey and making homemade dressing.

She put a couple spoonful of dressing on my plate, and I didn’t like it. I had to sit at the kitchen table and eat the dressing before I could go play with my cousins.

At age 66, I’m still making memories and thanking God for his many blessings.

This year I am thankful to be cancer free after colon surgery in March. It was this time a year ago that my stomach was bothering me. The pain would come and go and it would hurt a lot. I was still working my day job back then, and I would have stop while on my forklift until the pain subsided.

Thanks to the encouragement of Debbie, I went to see an endocrinologist at the Iowa Clinic in West Des Moines in February. She encouraged me to get a CT scan and a colonoscopy. The cancer was discovered during the colonoscopy March 11.

I met with a surgeon March 13 and had my surgery March 21.

I was in the hospital for 10 days and nine nights.

I’m thankful that I remain cancer free, and I’m more thankful that Debbie has been by my side throughout the whole process.

I’m also thankful for my family and for the trip that Debbie and I took to Oklahoma in early June to attend the Horton (my mom’s dad’s side of the family) cousin reunion.

All of my cousins but two were in attendance. It was a great day and good to see everyone.

I’m thankful that Debbie and I have food to eat, a roof over our heads and many more blessings.

No matter if you can purchase gifts or not, just remember that Jesus is the reason for the season, and getting together with family and friends is one of life’s biggest blessings.

Have a great week, and always remember that “Good Things are Happening” every day.