Time change, voting and upcoming holidays

Hi neighbors. It feels like fall now doesn't it?

I was glad to hear that some people of supposed intelligence and importance in Jefferson City have determined that it would be better for people and commerce in Missouri to stay with either Central Standard Time or Central Daylight Time year round. The only hang up is deciding which one to stick to. If you can think of pros and cons for either time designation, please contact your congress members and explain your opinion to them. I'm pretty sure they would appreciate it, and I know the rest of Missouri would. As someone with several clocks to reset twice a year, I vote for either one as long as it remains the same year round. However, being a single state in the center of the country running on different time than our neighbors might present some commerce problems. Other states currently either change or don't, and their economies have survived so I have no doubt Missouri's would as well.

My vote would be for sticking with Standard Time. I get so confused with people saying (when in Daylight Savings Time) "It's whatever o'clock; but in REAL time, it's whatever plus or minus one hour."

This problem would only increase if we stick year round to Daylight Savings Time. I suppose everyone would accept the legal time as the REAL time eventually (within the decade at least); but keeping to Standard Time might fit in a little faster.

Since Election Day has passed, we now have two up-coming holidays left in November.

Veteran's Day will be the 11th. I hope we all take time to consider everything our veterans have done for us and to ponder how we can return the favor.

I have always made it a point to approach people in a military uniform and thank them for their service. A friend told me she has heard from some of her acquaintances that sometimes military members don't like this. I hope I have not offended anyone by showing my appreciation of their service to our country. I have always spoken in a conversational volume and discretely nodded my head or shook their hand if offered: trying not to draw public attention to them. Everyone I have thanked has thanked me in return for recognizing his or her military service. To my knowledge, they have all taken it as a compliment; but if I have thanked someone who did not want that attention, I do apologize.

At any rate, my family has produced a great many veterans from every war in which the United States has participated from its inception.

The biggest holiday for families (and the most ignored by retailers) will arrive Nov. 27 this year. Yes, Thanksgiving will soon be here! You can celebrate Christmas with tinsel, presents and lights; I'll celebrate my favorite holiday with pumpkin pie and turkey.

Here in my little house where the immediate family gathers from far and near to celebrate Thanksgiving each year; we will have two empty chairs. The children's father, Gentry Malcom, and their grandmother, Leta Bell Malcom, both passed in 2014. Gentry came more for the card games and camaraderie and Leta for that and for dessert.

She would fain not being able to decide between which type of pie/pudding/cake to taste each year. Jennifer, my daughter, would serve her a plate filled with little portions of each type of dessert, mostly to receive that famous Leta Bell grin.

Leta was a fellow coffee lover and I will always cherish memories of sitting together at the table after the meal; enjoying the quiet time after everyone else moved into the room with the television. We would linger over the desserts served with coffee, while she shared memories of her childhood and married life. I will miss those quiet times this year. It may be a sacrifice, but I'll try a bite of every dessert, just to fill in for Leta.

I hope you all have nice plans for a happy Thanksgiving celebration with your families. It's a holiday anyone can appreciate, no matter what their belief system. And students get two days out of school!

One thing I have done once and will most likely never repeat -- is Black Friday shopping. Never again!

It was a good experience, and I'm glad I did it once. But once is enough for me.

If you are traveling for Thanksgiving or Black Friday, drive carefully, and I hope you have all your flights arriving and departing on time.

Until the next time, friends, remember to relax for a week or two. It's all run-run after next week.