The sun has gone down on Thanksgiving Day on this side of the world, and sadly, I didn’t get a chance to make my annual chili. And I’m good with that. For the last several years, I’ve made chili for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and you know what? That’s a little much, to be hit with two big pots of chili within about a one-month span.
So missing it for Thanksgiving this year? No biggie. But I will be having it for Christmas, I guarantee that.
I’m reminded though, as I sit here after a long day chasing a lot of stuff down, that the commissary surprised me yesterday. With all of these “supply chain” problems keeping the shelves a bit thin, I certainly didn’t expect to see egg nog. But there it was. Maybe not in the amounts to which I have normally become accustomed, but it was there. And quite fortuitously, I still have a little Jameson left in the cupboard.
I’m not at all concerned though that they’re going to run out of egg nog. Last year, it kind of bothered my stomach, so it’s just as well if I just use a quart or two to finish off the whiskey, and then be on my way. Or maybe not. Maybe last year was a fluke. We’ll know soon enough I guess.
I’d like to take this opportunity to announce here too that I’m getting good at baking sweet potatoes. The Korean kind. Yeah, not a huge accomplishment, but they’re all turning out rather well. I think this has been a decent year. Our usual guy (whom Micha suspects is North Korean — probably not, but it’s always cool saying “my North Korean supplier”) didn’t have as good a crop as last year, but Micha’s sister and another grower nearby both did quite well. Sweeter than usual.
Anyway, we’ve got 4 boxes sitting in the closet, so I’d better get baking…
I haven’t had a chance to get out on the bike lately, and that’s troubling. I’m setting aside this Saturday morning though for at least 50 miles. I’ve just got to get out before it gets too cold. I mean, I’ll get out after it gets cold too, but the rides just can’t be as long. I really wanted to get another 100-miler in this year (did two already), but I don’t think it’s going to happen. The body just gets too stiff on long, cold rides. Gotta find that sweet spot — I’d say when the temps are in the 70s, but those days are kind of few in the fall. We’ll get them around May for a while, but the air quality doesn’t match, and in the April/May time-frame, the body isn’t quite ready for a century. Then again, my new habit of starting the long weekend rides by 5 AM was really helpful this last season. I might not mind moving it up to 4 (and I think I did a couple of times — I’ll have to go back and look). Sure would be nice to hit Ganghwa Island with Eric again — this time to start at one of the fortresses and then lapping the place with a few side trips. We’ve got some months to do the research, so it should be good. Hopefully we can dig up some sights to see or stamps to stamp.
To wrap this up, I’d like to leave you with a few thoughts on prayer. I’ve been doing a lot of it lately. I wouldn’t consider myself a “praying man” by any stretch at all. But I’m under no illusion that I lag far behind everyone else, either. Prayer is a hard thing for most people. My typical way (other than the standard Grace before meals and prayer before my daily Bible reading) was to just turn my wandering thoughts into a question for God. “I’ve really got to study Korean a bit more. [Pause] Can you help me with that, God?”
But lately, I’ve been much more deliberate. I’m reminded of the Bible’s telling me about persistence in the asking, and I’m comforted in finding that I don’t need any special formulas to get the job done. Just ask my father. And keep asking. Keep talking to him. Involve him in my life. I mean, he already is, but by prayer I acknowledge his power over my life. And speaking of power, you hear that word when there’s talk of prayer. It’s about the power of prayer. But tonight I felt the value of prayer. I felt it as something truly worthwhile and enriching in my life, even if I didn’t feel its “power.” Face it — God doesn’t always answer prayer the way we want it answered. This is where the confusion comes in for some — “Prayer doesn’t work because I didn’t get what I wanted.” But it’s not about what we want. It’s about what God wants for us. And in every circumstance, he knows the answer. So yes, there’s power in prayer. But even when that power isn’t full-up front-and-center in the form of an answer, there’s undoubtedly value in the praying itself.
Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving.
