I was lucky growing up my maternal grandparents lived only three miles from my home.  As soon as I could ride my 20” two wheel bike I spent a lot of time at their house, especially summers.

My granddad was the janitor at my elementary school and he took exceptional pride in his job, his presence made me someone special.

Granddad taught me to play checkers at a young age, not sure how old but it was our game.  When I was 12 granddad got sick and was hospitalized.  In those days kids weren’t allowed in hospitals, I don’t know why.  My parents told me that granddad asked if I could visit him in the hospital because he wanted me to bring him a strawberry shake.  My Dad made sure the rules were bent enough to allow me a short visit early one evening.

I took granddad a strawberry shake and one for me too.  When I arrived in his room he looked fine to me and had a checkerboard set up for us.  My parents and grandmother left the room and let granddad and me concentrate on our game.

Of course, I don’t remember who won – it doesn’t matter.  I do remember not understanding that granddad was sick, he looked fine to me.

That evening at home the hospital called and Mom & Dad had to
return to the hospital.  I stayed with my best friend Ron in their spare bedroom.  I recall getting up in the middle of the night and telling my friend’s Mom, Selma that granddad had died.

This Thanksgiving my 7 and 4 year old grandsons stayed overnight so we could have some time together.  The 7 year old asked to play checkers and as we played the 4 year old watched and wanted a turn.

The 4 year old wanted to make up the rules as we played; I wouldn’t let him do that but did coach him with moves so that after a long battle he won the game.  My 7 year old grandson is very crafty and is learning the game well.  I honestly didn’t see two times being venerable and he dispatched me with a huge smile on his face.
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I love checkers and now enjoy the full circle of life.
  

In the United States we celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow.  It has become common, routine and expected to write about those things we are thankful for in our lives.  I agree that to live a full life having thanks for what we have is essential.  That isn’t enough.

Merriam-Webster defines GRATITUDE as ‘the state of being grateful’ and THANKFUL as ‘appreciation for benefits received.’
I believe and personally aspire to live a life of GRATITUDE.  I challenge you to move beyond appreciation for what you have received from life to change your state of being. 
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GRATITUDE is a way of live not an act of appreciation.  Change how you live this holiday season.   

​http://www.hngnews.com/eedition/page_cc9b95df-c3f6-59f3-9334-2f26072d80e6.html

In a gardening blog my wife follows she learned about the month long plastic challenge.  The challenge is to save all the plastic – all types for a month and at end of the month dump out the bag to learn what types and quantity of plastics you are using.

The image at the top of the page is our plastic use for October.  I am willing to assume that October is like any other month.  I guessed that most of our plastic consumption was in food containers and household cleaners.

As the picture shows I was only partially right.  By size the food containers for vegetables was large followed by cleaners and then liquid food such as milk and V-8.  The surprise was the number and volume of plastic bags that we use.  Nearly all of the plastic bags came from the grocery store.

I will take credit for re-using a lot of plastic bags to collect and dispose of cat litter.  All the others end up in the recycle stream.

This exercise has changed how we store food.  We’ve purchased a variety of glass containers with seal tops to store food rather than plastic bags.  When possible we don’t put store vegetables in a plastic bag and haven’t been challenged yet.  We are also much more conscious about buying vegetables in plastic containers although it limits choice.

A project like this is great in self-awareness to demonstrate how, just by daily living, a person contributes to the pollution of oceans, lakes and rivers.
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Why don’t you try it?