Thanksgiving was celebrated well here in The ‘Nati. I thought about reading George Washington’s first Thanksgiving Proclamation (October 3, 1789). But, since the table was filled with seven lively little bodies and minds age 17-months through 13, I thought the better of it.

“Let your house be a meetinghouse for the sages and sit amid the dust of their feet and drink in their words with thirst.”~ Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) Chapter 1 #4 – Yosi ben Yoezer of Tzeredah

So it is that here with my morning coffee I come to realize that these seven little bodies at our Thanksgiving table were in fact our ‘sages’. As fogies, with eyes open, we surely could learn a lot about joy, the love of life, and growing one’s mind through play. And, we certainly sat “amid the dust (kicked up) by their feet”.

Thanksgiving was celebrated at Adrianne and Tevita’s transforming their new ‘house’ into a ‘home’. Also, Tevita’s Box Oven was the single piece of equipment big enough to deal with bothe the bird and the ham. Thanks guys!

Kellen – and the rest of his family spent Thanksgiving in Florida (plus a short cruise which they wished wouldn’t end). It all finished with a couple of days with Grandma in Sebastian. Now, what does a ten year old do in Florida – hang near water of course. What happens when same ten year old ‘discovers’ his moms camera? Take some photos of course. Then what happens when this ten year old is spotted as having an artistic eye? Result, enjoy these few of Kellen’s photos (click on the photo to enlarge):

Grand Parents day – is a major event at North Avondale Montessori School. Morning coffee and sweets are served to the nearly 350 assembled Grandparents. While licking off fingers from any lasts bits of donuts or cake the drum band played and a choir sang. Then it was off to visit the various classrooms.

Dinah our fourth grader represents her grade on the Student Council – hence, she was one of the hallway guides providing instructions to where the various classrooms were located. Vili, in Kindergarten, was beyond thrilled being able to demonstrate what he had learned. Vai, third grade was in the Media Lab and generated a decorated sheet containing a list of ten attributes grandparents possess. It’s one of my favorite school events!                         

Finis – After decades of watching our city as a city in deterioration – the place seemed to have lost its heart and soul. The place was truly in decline – as were many cities in the nation’s mid-section.

However, over the last several years there’s been a revival, a rebound. There is a new vitality. The heart of the city has come to life. This week I spotted an article on Forbes: Christie’s 10 Cities to Watch in 2017, and Cincinnati is listed at one of these 10. Nice going everyone!

Congratulations to Daniel, his team, the hundreds of others, and NASA on the successful launch of the GOES-R Satellite. I do want you to know that our local weather weenies have not yet improved their daily fare; drop them a note would you and tell them to get with the times?

Which reminds me, for those who have threatened (absolutely real) an Intervention if I did not move away from my penchant for carrying around a ‘flip-phone’, those days are past. I just thought that you’d want to know that you can stop bugging me.

I still love the old flip phone, but am movin’ on as the song goes.

Cheers.

Dirk