Giving thanks

Ah, Thanksgiving. Time to enjoy good food, friends, and family and reflect on our good fortune. So, herewith, a few thoughts.

I'm thankful for days as nice as this one, with clear skies and temperatures near 60F. Today, I rode some of my favorite roads through the rolling hills and valleys of the Virginia Piedmont, took some pictures of Old Rag Mountain -- I still find it hard to believe I've actually climbed it -- and just enjoyed the afternoon.

Old Rag, regarded as the toughest climb in Virginia, looms over farm fields in Madison County.

I'm thankful for the re-election of a president who has a brain, believes in science and fairness, and works harder than some in recent memory. None of us, including me, agrees with President Obama all the time on everything, but he may well be the best president of my lifetime, and I've been around for a while. Long enough to remember John Kennedy, whose death we remember today.

President John Kennedy

Such promise, so many possibilities for true greatness, cut down way too early in life. Thinking of his presidency, I'm thankful he had the courage to handle the Cuban missile crisis thoughtfully and bring it to a close without starting a war with the Soviet Union. Some hotheads on the scene today -- John McCain, I'm talking to you -- could well have ended civilization as we knew it had they been in power.

I'm thankful to have a decent job, health insurance, and no real worries about my living situation. I know how lucky I am. I'm not rich, but I can put food on the table, cover my mortgage, and pay my bills. There are plenty of people who cannot say the same.

I'm thankful for those who serve our country, in uniform and behind the scenes. I'm fortunate to know many such individuals, and they are the best of the best.

I'm thankful the Redskins drafted Robert Griffin III, if only to see him lead the team to victory against the Cowboys in Dallas on Thanksgiving :-) Honestly, RG III is amazing to watch, and incredible when you consider he's a rookie.

Robert Griffin III celebrates with the crowd after a touchdown.

I'm thankful for all who fight for historic preservation. Living where I do, amid Civil War battlefields and homes that date to our colonial predecessors, it's hard for me to imagine not appreciating history, but my conversations with other people bear witness to the fact that not all realize the debt we owe our ancestors.

I'm thankful for writers of history, like Robert Caro, whose four volume (so far) biography is my current read. The depth of research and thus transmitted information in these books is extraordinary. I'm on the third volume right now, and I'm learning more about American politics of the twentieth century than I could have imagined.

I'm thankful for more than I could possibly relate here. I hope you have too many blessings in your life to list them all, too. Did I mention beating Dallas?