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The Inevitable Thanksgiving Post

As I most always do, gentlemen, I tender my standard preamble: this post is lengthy, not in a War and Peace way but it’s far from a more easily digestible two paragraph forum post. Those who haven’t the time or constitution for such stretches of reading are better served moving along, no hard feelings on my part. If you’re sticking around then I humbly request your forbearance, as I most always do.

I consider myself—properly or otherwise—to be a romantic sort. I appreciate the ability we have to, with words and/or actions, ever so gently touch and lift another’s heart, to calm or entice their spirit with our own genus of magic. I believe these moments of soulful import most often happen privately, but in American history we have voluminous textual documentation of such a relationship between John Adams and his wife, Abigail. Their relationship was not one of perfection but undoubtedly one of genuine humanity, filled with respect, admiration, a true dearth of intelligence, and absolute, earnest affection. Long have I admired, even been charmed by, Abigail Adams. I consider myself fortunate indeed to have found my own present-day counterpart, but I’ll get to that shortly.

Almost immediately following the American Revolutionary War John Adams was named the newly minted United States’ first Ambassador to Great Britain by the Continental Congress. As you may imagine, having to make nice with the country that just handed you your collective *** isn’t something we humans are apt to want to do, much less be forced by protocol or any kind of unwritten social convention to proffer to your former enemy. John and Abigail had been lamentably separated for quite a long time while he had been posted in France in a frustrating attempt to convince the French Court to officially recognize the revolting colonists as the good guys. Ben Franklin was much better suited to the task and grew to dislike Adams’ direct style of political exercise. Eventually Abigail and their daughter Nabby came to live with him in Paris, and, with the Revolutionary War ended, they all went to London, very much a mixed blessing for John, and as it would turn out, for Abigail as well.

The Britons—especially the general populace—seemed to go out of their way to show the Adams’ the very contrary of genteelism, the aristocrats especially so. In her frequent correspondence with her family back home Abigail didn’t pull punches when describing her dislike of London and its environs. “I shall quit Europe with more pleasure than I came to it,” she wrote, “uncontaminated I hope with its Manners and vices.” The longer they stayed in London the more homesick she became, longing for her more sensible, American life and homestead “…which has more charms, for me, than the drawing rooms of St. James, where studied civility and disguised coldness cover malignant Hearts.”

And there, folks, lies the foundation for this post—civility, and the underlying current of warm comforts that we all sometimes take for granted.

If we were to assess or aggregate lists of what we are most grateful for I daresay we would find much more in common than in difference. Ironically, that may be an inverse truth regarding our shared ‘hobby’—there is much which we hold in friendly disagreement, if only because this is such an individual pursuit. What I find pleasing you may find repugnant, and vice versa.
  • I am grateful to my son for introducing me to ‘wet shaving’ last Christmas. He gifted me a Van Der Hagen TTO and a Cremo package containing a tin of their Reserve Blend cream and a horsehair brush. I have moved on from the VDH razor but still have it, and still enjoy the Cremo cream, along with lots of other soap options—it’s been a pretty good rabbit hole to visit, and less expensive than many others.
  • I cannot fully express how much it stings to write this, but many times truth does not come without some measure of pain . . . I am, to some degree, grateful for all the fools, idiots, and morons who pollute my external life, for without them I may not fully realize that I am, in some respects, a better person than them and certainly smarter (as a general rule). Yes, I understand that’s a touch absinthian, but I ask you to consider what other positive could you plausibly extrude from the woeful dolts you encounter?
  • I am grateful to many of you here who, unbeknownst to you, help to keep my aforementioned simmering hubris in check. You often remind me there are truly many intelligent people around, but I still ply the Universe with queries as to why they don’t coalesce about me.
  • Indeed grateful that I can share a DIY project like my shave gear storage unit and you guys just ‘get it’.
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And this recent DIY project . . .

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I know, not shaving related, but if I reeeeaaaaaally stretch it I can say it is made with ‘upcycled’ (a term I’ve yet to come to grips with) wood, just like my shave storage unit. Too far a stretch? Okay, okay.

In case you’re wondering, it’s a homemade Squatty Potty™. If it made you smile then it was worth the post infraction. Besides, we like pictures here, right? :biggrin1:
  • I am thankful that I survived another year, still upright and breathing; that I was able to visit Italy and Greece with my son this year and immerse myself in a bit of antiquity—and that I got to share that experience with the woman below . . .
  • Forever grateful for my most ardent and heartfelt best friend, Bella Dea—her mortal name is Denise. As of late she has taken to a different kind of forum where folks dealing with a range of pain management issues frequent; her pursuit is one of chasing the very real specter of suffering, while mine, here, one of more pleasurable means. I would give anything for the power to assuage her pain but I know she will get through this. She absolutely must, for she is my true mortal blessing, my Abigail Adams.
Still within the adolescence of my first year on B&B, I nonetheless am grateful for what this community continues to provide for all who care to participate. Indeed, there exists open civility, a shared desire for what we might term ‘being of a gentleman’. There is entertainment to be had, and certainly a wealth of information to be learned and applied—the experience of many offered for the elevation of the one.

I wish each of you warmth and genuine good will this Thanksgiving and holiday season. It has been a pleasure to associate (if digitally) with you, and I hope that all who may enter into these threads of discourse within our forums do so not with disguised coldness or malignant hearts, but rather with their better angels at their shoulder.

Happy Thanksgiving, all.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
What Big J said!

Both of youse guys have helped me bunches. Big J by what he don't say, and you by what you do.

I wish you both a wonderful Thanksgiving day, which happens to be my favorite holiday.
 
Very nice and meaningful post. It took me a long time to find the love of my life and I am grateful to her putting up with me for as much time as I spend on this forum and for my numerous purchases and experiments.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.
 
Big J was one of the first to welcome me to B&B. I don't think I have EVER seen him use a cross word in a post. Always supportive, and to those who pay attention, offers a lot of valuable advice.

Thank you both for taking the time to read through it :001_smile
 
The woodworking is a little rough but I like to think of the end result as rustic. It suits me fine and gets the job done.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
Very nice and meaningful post. It took me a long time to find the love of my life and I am grateful to her putting up with me for as much time as I spend on this forum and for my numerous purchases and experiments.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.
You and I are definitely blessed by having the wives we do.
 
Terrific woodwork. I've always been envious of those who can use their hands skillfully. I had two older brothers who used to paint miniature soldiers in incredible detail and build model kits that looked like the real thing. But I am so grateful to have them as brothers, and we still all get along. I truly enjoy spending time with my family. That is the gift I've been given that is beyond all others.
 
Very nice and meaningful post. It took me a long time to find the love of my life
Thank you, Jim.

Living alone can have its upsides, of course. But anyone who says they don't mind loneliness is either a bad liar or possesses a heart of stone. Denise has taught me some important things about myself and I cannot imagine my life without her in it. She means the world to me, as clearly you gents' wives do to you.
 
What an uplifting thread. It pains me to see the world we live in and how the "men" of younger generations, mine included, treat the one they "love". My wife is so very special to me, and I lay down my life for her. All the strength I have is put forth in an effort to make certain she never questions that. I tip my hat to you, and all others, who are MEN amongst "men" and know the blessing that is a good woman.
 
I tip my hat to you, and all others, who are MEN amongst "men" and know the blessing that is a good woman.
Thank you, sir!
I have known plenty of guys who feel they need a loud muscle car, a fat wallet, or more notches on their bedpost. But what they've never understood is all you really need is a good woman in whom you find all the genuine treasures you could ever desire.

Fantastic post and when I read Deuces Wild was a squatty potty I spit my beer out!
:a14:Thanks, Jay! My sense of humor can dip into the shallow end of the pool once in a while--I chalk it up to being a guy.
 
Gentlemen and Ladies, I am truly humbled and grateful to be a part of a great bunch of guys and gals.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.
 

Raven Koenes

My precious!
Ben Franklin was much better suited to the task and grew to dislike Adams’ direct style of political exercise. Eventually Abigail and their daughter Nabby came to live with him in Paris, and, with the Revolutionary War ended, they all went to London, very much a mixed blessing for John, and as it would turn out, for Abigail as well.

Abigail went to Paris to live with Ben Franklin? That was very brave of John Adams...trusting to...:tongue_sm :wink2:
 
Hmmmm, suppose I could have been a touch more specific. Frankly (see what I did there!) I probably didn't need to add that bit in. At the time I felt the piece of information helped underscore John's tribulations as an 'American' representative.
 
Nice post.

I hate to be "that guy," but I'm pretty sure you didn't mean to say "dearth of intelligence" in describing the marriage of John and Abigail Adams, since that means a scarcity of intelligence.

Otherwise, I enjoyed the post immensely. The Squatty Potty thing is genius, and I really like your shave gear storage unit.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.
 
I knew I missed something!

As I was composing it I remember looking at 'dearth' and thinking the same thing and meaning to change it back to 'wealth' but I got caught up in everything else I was writing.

Good catch!
 
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