The Big Three: A homemade meal

The world can be a crazy place. Sometimes it helps to step back and list a few of the things you’re grateful for. This year, I’m making it a habit to list three blessings each week. Here’s what I’m grateful for this week, March 9 – 15.

What I’m grateful for:

—Fake Summer. I waited patiently for the stoplight to change colors. I looked around and laughed. You would’ve thought it was the middle of summer. The sun was bright on the window. The outside temperature gauge showed 70 degrees. Seventy degrees in freaking March? Wow.

The guy in the work truck next to me had his left arm out his window and his head was bopping back and forth to Beach Boys’ Good Vibrations coming from the car behind him. The young teens and tweens who were just out of school had their hoodies and jackets wrapped around their waists and were running and yelling at each other.

The other drivers and people out and about had smiles and seemed to be enjoying the day. Oh, it’s Fake Summer. I’m not fooled. We have lots of rain and gray skies in our future. We haven’t even hit the point where it will rain for two weeks straight and I’ll be water-logged, but the cold, cold temps should be done for another season.

Go fake summer go!

—’Slow down, you crazy child.’ Billy Joel announced this week that he had a medical procedure and needs to postpone his tour for four months. He said he expects to make a full recovery and the tour will resume at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh in July. 

Whether it’s Rock, Pop, Folk, Metal, Hip-Hop, Rap, Country, Jazz, Latin, Reggae, Classical or a million other choices, I’ll always appreciate it. I’m thankful for good music.

Billy Joel – Vienna

—A home cooked meal. For me, that’s a hot roast beef or turkey sandwich. It’s covered in globs of gravy and it’s just the way mom used to make. Or my wife’s meat loaf or chili and cornbread. AAh, home.

What gave me a smile?

Two days to St. Patrick’s Day. Hope it’s a happy one.

“May the roof above us never fall in. And may the friends gathered below it, never fall out.”

“May you live as long as you want, but never want as long as you live.”

“May you have all the happiness and luck that life can hold — and at the end of your rainbows, may you find a pot of gold.”

“May luck be your friend in whatever you do and may trouble be always a stranger to you.”

“May the leprechauns be near you, to spread luck along your way. And may all the Irish angels, Smile upon you, St. Patrick’s Day.”