Happy All Saints’ Day.

November is the month when we traditionally think of Thanksgiving, but there are many other special days, weeks, and month-long commemorations.

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, American Diabetes Month, Lung Cancer Awareness Month, National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, and Crohn’s & Ulcerative Colitis Awareness Month. As you can tell, this is a month particularly given to the awareness of several serious diseases. However, it is also National Family Caregivers Month. Many times the spouses and family of those with serious conditions are forgotten in the equation.

From their material: “NFC Month is organized annually by the National Family Caregivers Association as a time each year to thank, support, educate and empower family caregivers. “This year we are encouraging people to speak up during National Family Caregivers Month,”said Suzanne Mintz, NFCA president and CEO. “One of the most important attributes of being an advocate for your loved one is the willingness and the ability to speak up and keep your eye on the ultimate goal, protecting not only the health and safety of your loved ones, but your own as well.”

Remember to keep an eye on those who are keeping an eye on others.

Lastly, for those other budding writers out there, November is National Novel Writing Month. Only 29 more days to go. We can do it. this is our year.

Pore over it and pour it on.

Now I guess we need to expand that to include Unmanned Flying Objects.

Try to engage with a pie somehow today. Eat one, throw one…whatever!

This past week:

I looked into the eyes of sadness when I saw Somer Thompson’s mother plea for the return of her second grade daughter early yesterday morning and then later that same evening thank those who searched for that same daughter. The twin girl had been abducted, killed, and left in a landfill–while she was on her way home from school.

I looked into the eyes of madness when I saw Richard Heene plea for the return of his son who I (and many others) thought was on a sure flight to his ultimate demise. A son, whom he had co-opted along with his other two sons (you too, Mayumi) into perpetrating this canard.

In both instances, innocence and childhood have been lost.

Yesterday in Florida a fifteen year old boy was set on fire by his schoolmates. Last week in Chicago an honor student was beaten and killed by his peers. And he was, reportedly, the third student that week to die at the hand of another youth. And there are many more instances—everyday. Everywhere.

An old favorite revisited…

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

– Author unknown

U.S. President Barack Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize! He became only the fourth U.S president and the third sitting to win the prestigious award. The others were: Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Jimmy Carter (who I’ve actually had the pleasure to meet.) Congratulations to President Obama.

Yeah, I know it’s all safe and thought out and planned and everything, but it’s strange for me to read about and hear newscasters and scientists talking about “bombing the moon.” We are actually going to hurl an object at the moon tomorrow morning. I feel like this kind of “snuck up” on me. I usually keep up with all manner of news—I’m a bit of a junkie— and honestly feel like this came out of nowhere and it’s now here. Anyway, I’m not really worried or anything…it just strikes me as odd. No more so than it will the moon, though.

I went for a walk in the fall
by William Visher

I went for a walk in the fall,
And that is not all.
I went across and down, over and around,
above and upon, across and among.
In the fall.

I saw fall and smelled fall and heard fall
and was touched by fall.
I went for a walk in the fall.

On my way out of the gym at zero dark thirty this morning, the sadistic personal trainer I had worked with for almost 60 minutes said (almost mockingly– I’m pretty sure) “don’t forget to stretch.” I’ve heard this before so it really didn’t mean much—until later. I’ve actually started a new workout routine, so I’d worked out harder and differently that I had in the past. It was good and awful at the same time. It wasn’t much later in the day that I began to feel the effects of the early morning, so stretch I did and continue to do. It really does help and it feels great.

I’d like to consider applying that advise to other areas. Body, soul, spirit, emotions, experiences, etc. Don’t forget to stretch. It seems that I (we) are being routinely asked to choose favorites. Favorite team? Ice Cream? Movie? Place to go? Automobile? Etc. The applications in many networking sites are bevy of quizzes and tests that can unintentionally narrow me, my world, and my thinking. They are fun and to be taken for what they are, but for me, I’m beginning to feel that I have to frequently choose between sometimes two (or more) desirable and equally valid choices. Why can’t I like all 32 flavors? Or want a different one each day of the month? Don’t forget to stretch.

Consider this quote:

“Each day do something outrageous to stretch
your mind and broaden your horizons, to
change the present and help someone become
something more than they were before-
and that someone might be you.”

Source: Harry Quadracci