Thoughts

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By Bob urban

burban@tnonline.com

It's a good Saturday when there are still leftovers remaining from Thursday's Thanksgiving dinner. Time to dig in again while watching one of the many football games on the tube this weekend.

There are four things that you cannot recover in life:

(1) The Stone..........after it's thrown,

(2) The Word...............after it's said,

(3) The Occasion......after it's missed, and

(4) The Time.............after it's gone.

In between football games, today will be a good day to put the Christmas tree up. My wife will decorate it with her own special touch. Homemade ornaments, some that go back to when our sons were very young, take precedent.

District and state high school football playoffs are great, but for us old-timers, there's something missing on Thanksgiving Day when we don't have a Turkey day rivalry to witness or compete in.

And wouldn't it have been great had Panther Valley pulled out that triple overtime game against North Schuylkill last week? That would have pitted them against Northern Lehigh, and its strong Panther Valley connection in its coaching staff, in today's District XI final.

And how many out there remember the Turkey Hop, on Thanksgiving night, after the big game, in the Coaldale High School gym? If you remember, or if you attended some of them, then you have been around the block a few times. Enjoy the memories.

Officials say there was no public health risk from the Three Mile Island radiation leak last weekend. But whenever these incidents occur, it sure gets your attention, doesn't it? Despite the risks, I think the country would be much better off, energy wise, if we had more nuclear power plants. I lived for 20 years near the plant in Limerick, and never felt threatened.

Whenever the holidays roll around, I start thinking about food. Actually, I think about food even when the holidays aren't rolling along. This week I got a craving for something my late Aunt Celia used to traditionally make every Christmas toasted almonds. They were great, and loaded with salt and butter (all healthy ingredients), and her house would smell so great when she was toasting them in the oven. I haven't tasted anything quite so good since she passed away. Unfortunately, she took the recipe with her and I haven't been able to duplicate it since.

I'm hoping for a Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions Bowl game. It's a rivalry that should be played every year, despite the fact that they play in different conferences.

The question isn't when will Notre Dame dump Charlie Weis as coach, it's who will they get to replace him. My bet it will be the University of Cincinnati's Coach Brian Kelly. He has two good things going for him one, he's Irish, and two, he's a winner, something sorely lacking at Notre Dame during the Weis era.

I don't plan on flying anywhere this Christmas season, and for that, I'm thankful. Staying home is so much better.

Soon, I read, there is expected to be a vaccine available to help people who want to quit smoking. I hope, whenever it becomes available, it will be easier to obtain that the H1N1 serum.

One of the nice stories in college football this season is the Temple Owls. Long a doormat, the Owls certainly appear headed for a bowl game this season, and they've won nine games in a row. What a turnaround.

Motown Records recently turned 50. I was only a teenager when that sound started captivating music lovers. How time flies.

And, what was I most thankful this Thanksgiving? He came wrapped in blue, weighed in at 7 pounds, 4.9 ounces, and arrived on August 28. He's a little young to tackle a turkey drumstick, but hopefully Sean James Urban and I will be sharing a lot of great holiday memories in the future.