The Wednesday Hodgepodge

For one reason or another I have not participated in the HP in about a month.  So, it's good this Thanksgiving Eve to join in the question answering.

1. Tradition...how tightly do you cling to tradition when it comes to holiday gatherings and celebrations? For instance do you always do the cooking, never eat at home, always go to grandma's, never miss the parade, always watch football, never change the menu, always eat at 2 PM, etc.? Have you ever celebrated Christmas or Thanksgiving away from hearth, home, and family? How did that feel?
We do not really have any "real" Thanksgiving tradition.  I have cooked, and we have gone to the country club buffet (it's awesome).  Thanksgiving took on a huge change when my Mom and MIL no longer hosted it.  It was time for me to step up to the plate and I can assure you that I have not done near as well as either of them.
At Christmas we do have a "set" tradition.  We always have our family Christmas on Christmas Eve unless we celebrate it a bit earlier when our daughter and her family can be here.  When family lives away you often have to adjust your tradition.
For many years we lived 1000 miles away from my parents and there were Chritmases that we went to celebrate with them and, while I always preferred to be home, it was very special to share a Christmas with them.

2. Help...is it easy for you to ask for help or are you a do-it-yourselfer? How is that a good/bad thing?
I'd have to say that I'm a do-it-yourselfer.  I have asked for help and am certainly not above it but, as I said, I prefer to do most things, especially when it comes to meal preparation, by myself.  I will allow some help in the clean up process, but again, I just prefer they sit at the bar and keep me company while I work away.  I guess it can be bad in that I probably wear myself out quicker than if I allowed folks to help me.

3. Abundance...what is there an abundance of in your kitchen?
Gadgets and dishes.  I absolutely love dishes and have several sets.  And, I also love kitchen gadgets.  I so enjoy browsing kitchen stores to see if there is some gadget I don't have or even know about.

4. Name...the smallest thing you're thankful for? the biggest?
Well, this may sound so very silly but the smallest thing would be makeup.  My goodness, I cannot imagine my life without it. ~chuckle~

The biggest, without a doubt whatsoever, is my salvation and the assurance of knowing that I have an eternal home with my Lord and Savior.  Nothing else can compare to this!

5. Key...What do you think is the key to living a more grateful life?
Cultivate the habit of always being thankful , realize that bumps in the road are a part of life and always, always have an attitude of gratefulness. 

6. State your own random thought here.

This little guy called me yesterday morning and told me that he had come up with an original joke and he wanted to tell it to me.  Let me preface this by telling you, for those that do not know, Clancy's last name is Broome.  Okay, here's the joke:

Why were the Broome's late for school?
They overswept.

I was pretty impressed and of course I laughed.  I mean, Clancy is only 9 years old and he came up with this all by himself.

May you and yours have a memory making Thanksgiving!