With Christmas just weeks away, most of us are caught up in the pre-holiday hustle and bustle. That means shopping for the perfect gift, a skill I have never managed to master.

Isn’t it wonderful that the holiday season begins with Thanksgiving? I like the idea of looking around your life and finding things you are thankful for. Now is the perfect time to make a list. You don’t need to share it at the turkey table, but I hope you do. I’ll share mine to get you started.

I like to think I’m not resistant to change, because it can make life better. However, this past year may well do me in. As if what’s happening (or not happening) on the political side isn’t distressing enough, along comes artificial intelligence.

As a kid growing up on our dairy farm, October was my favorite month. It was high harvest season. After-school hours and weekends were filled with hard physical labor that seemed more palatable when working in the cool, crisp fall days. I remember watching my father tour the farm buildings every year around Halloween.

I’ve gone to a lot of funerals this year. Jon’s a member of the Legion Honor Guard, so he has attended more.

This may be an unpleasant topic, but when a person is closing in on 80, certain things get your attention. Remember the commercial where an old lady cries, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”? That used to put me in stitches. Now if a fall means just getting a few stitches, I consider that a blessing.