Furman Bishers's 90th birthday thanksgiving

Oh how I love these. To think Furman Bisher is 90. I use to read this every thanksgiving morning in McDonough, Georgia when I would visit my parents.

A day to gorge on good feelings

By Furman Bisher

For the Journal-Constitution

Thursday, November 27, 2008

There’s nothing like a holiday, and Thanksgiving is extra special, for it’s one that our own country invented. And not only that, but instead of one day, with Thanksgiving we get four. We stuff ourselves on Thursday, then we have three days to work it off.

It can be traced back to the pilgrims and their good friends, the Indians, but nothing official was done about it until Abe Lincoln’s presidency.
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In time, the date was jostled around by one president or another, but the heartiness has never diminished. It has come to represent a feasting time. No gifts, no denominational affiliation, no political connection; generally speaking, a day of appreciation for the good life.

In my case, this unofficial expression of thankfulness relates to the birth of my first son. Roger would be 53 now, and though I have lost him, the joy of having him lingers on. He is forever in my heart.

What began as an annual remembrance turned into an occasional touch of humor and a jab at somebody or something, so here we go again:

> I’m thankful I haven’t had to park my car on the front lawn with a “for sale” sign on it —-yet.

> I’m thankful for the cellphone, which I’d sworn I’d never have.

> I’m thankful for the player who makes a tackle and doesn’t act as if he has never made one before.

> I’m thankful for “Sounds of Faith,” the Sunday morning program that the former WPCH station had to bring back by popular demand.

> I’m thankful when the bank statement comes in and I’ve made another mistake —- in my favor.

> I’m thankful when the moon breaks through the night clouds like a great big pumpkin.

> I’m thankful I made it to 90, but I hadn’t planned on looking 90.

> I’m thankful aging doesn’t look nearly as bad now as it did when I was 18.

> I’m thankful for the first sip of a cold beer —- about once a month.

> I’m thankful for the days the Dow Jones goes up, even if my account doesn’t.

> I’m thankful I got to know Atlanta the way it used to be.

> I’d be thankful if I could compose an instant answer to the guy in the 18-wheeler up ahead with the sign “How’s My Driving” on the back.

> I’m thankful I never developed a taste for chicken wings.

> I’m thankful for third-and-1, and second-and-1, short-yardage stuff.

So we close again on another Thanksgiving Day, with best wishes for much happiness. And by the way, have you noticed how many more friends and passersby are saying “Happy Thanksgiving” this year? Somehow, I don’t recall that ever having been as much a seasonal greeting before. Maybe it’s the times, good nature or the economy. Cheaper to say “Happy Thanksgiving” than mail a card.

furman@ajc.com

Thanksgiving day

Restful night in spite of cold. Big breakfast with home made sausage. I rest more at dry hollow than anywhere.

Laura dream. Two hours before wedding of her daughter. Janet and I have a back room overlooking water. Everyone waiting for ride to wedding. Went in suv.
Felt good to be a part and good of it.

Reading psalm 147 and drinking coffee.

Titans play lions on tv today.

Sing praises...he rebuilds jerusalem...heals broken hearted
..binds wounds...throws stars into space and names them. He is great.

Sing praise on the flute. The cloudy sky brings rain and grows grass that feeds hungry animals.

Horses do not impress nor men's power. God values those who fear Him.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Book self in office

Ready for thanksgiving. Weather was 26 this am. Frost.
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ketichan ak

Picture I found of trip to alaska.
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Fw: Thanksgiving- Things for which I am thankful.

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From: Phillips Dan <Dan.Phillips@HCAhealthcare.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:59:21 -0600
To: brodanphillips@gmail.com<brodanphillips@gmail.com>
Subject: FW: Thanksgiving- Things for which I am thankful.

 

Subject: Thanksgiving- Things for which I am thankful.

 

Things I am thankful for at Thanksgiving:

 

 

A dog, named cuddles, who chews paper, terrifies our cat Aiden, then sleeps in my lap.

 

That the election is over. 22 months is too much.

 

For people I work with, who encourage me, who don't always take me seriously, and still love me.

 

For a wife of 41 years whose giggle I still love to hear.

 

For only grandson Jack, who at 15 months, amazes me with his basketball playing,

his banging on the piano with a concerto never heard before, and who loves to pet the cat.

 

For Furman Bisher, who every year writes a thanksgiving column in the Atlanta Constitution-Journal

that I have followed for over three decades..

 

For Chipper Jones winning the National League batting title.

 

For Vanderbilt going to a bowl game.

 

For Jack's BBQ and Hog Heaven.

 

For the ducks that swim in Centennial Park.

 

For the Carmack statue in front of the capital. (But I still wish they would put his full name

on it and what he is famous for on the statue)

 

For homemade banana pudding.

 

For sunshine that brightens the day and moonlight, the night.

 

For good coffee early in the morning.

 

For books, and London, and the Queen, and Charles Dickens, and Thomas Merton,

and the History Channel.

 

For the monkeys at the zoo who are sometimes very noisy.

 

For pennies I find while walking.

 

For the monastery where the greeting sign says, "Silence is spoken here."

 

For downtown Nashville where I walked to Cain-Sloane, ate at Harvey's, and

sat in Dr. Fesmire's Dentist chair overlooking Church Street where he told me,

"You need to use more toothpicks."

 

Thanksgiving is a great time to remember those precious moments long past

that refresh our spirit and gladden our day !

 

 

Dan K. Phillips

108 Breckenridge Road

Franklin, TN 37067

 

http://danphillips.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blackberry Storm

I finally got my Blackberry Storm. It was quite an effort. I was at the Verizon Store over an hour before it was to open. I met my favorite salesman at 8 a.m. and bought the first 2 storms. (One is for wife Janet) They only had 10 storms. They were all gone in 30 minutes.

I cannot say I have mastered the storm. I have only begun. There are so many options and I am still having problems with the keyboard. I may never get as good on it as a regular keyboard, but hopefully so. Also with the built-in camera here is hoping I can update this blog more often.

I have also had to change my email address to BRODANPHILLIPS@GMAIL.COM

Please change in your email address book. Looking forward to Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving blog is on the way.

Weird, weird, weird

Lost everything??? All of my sidekick PDA's which I use to update this blog have all died. I am really blogless --meaning until I get a new phone --hopefully the Blackberry Storm before Christmas-- I will probably be unable to update this blog.

The worse thing is losing all of the data on my sidekick, including all addresses, all emails, etc. So many of you possibly have disappeared in my life. Yes, that is irritating. Still hoping to get it fixed but.......oh well.

If anything this says to me, "Dan, I am more important than all these PDA's, computers, and cell phones. Be still and know I am God."

Yes, there is more time for God when computers don't work. There is also the sense one is losing the way with friends one usually communicates with. Yes, lots is happening but expressing meaning to it now is almost impossible. Just waiting to get some order in my life.

I would appreciate your prayers during this time. Since I can't read this blog if you want to send me information try: dphillip@edge.net It works sometimes.

SELAH