I really hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving and remembered to truly give thanks for all that is around you; not just the things but, more importantly, the people, your talents, your health, your life. We just returned from Massachusetts where we spent a few days in Williamsburg with our adopted family. It's hard to tell who adopted who and it doesn't really matter. The fact is that everyone is so welcoming and accepting and generous. This family vacations together all the time, sees each other every day, works together at a green house they own, and still enjoys getting together for dinner and holidays. It's hard to believe this is the 6th year I've gone to see them with my spouse (he's been going for 15 years) and they have welcomed me as if I was one of their own. It's always difficult leaving and we always promise to see them again next year and sometimes we are fortunate enough to see them before Thanksgiving. It was a great time with friends, loads of food, drink, and laughter.

Potter Power: My spouse and I took Doug the 14 year old son of the family we stayed with to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Doug calls Jim, my spouse, his uncle Jimmy (even though they technically aren't related, he feels like Uncle Jimmy) and that of course makes me Aunt Paulie. It was fun hearing him laugh during the movie and watching him watch the movie. The movie is by far, in my humble opinion, the best one yet. It was very faithful to the book and though a lot of stuff was cut out because the book was very very long, what was in the movie was almost exactly the way JK Rowling had described it. I thought there were only one or two parts that felt a bit slow but for the most part it was action and excitement the whole way. A lot of reviewers have been saying the movie is so-so or the worst one yet; it just goes to show you that just because they are paid, it doesn't mean they are right. I like reading reviews but I don't put a lot of stock into them. Emma Watson, the girl who plays Hermione, is growing up to be quite a very pretty young lady; she'll be a heartbreaker. The whole cast was terrific and the casting coup was Miranda Richardson as gossip hound Rita Skeeter. This woman needs an Oscar.

That's about it for this week. I really hope you are all well and know I pray for each of you every day. Just because we don't see each other or talk to each other does not mean that we're not in each other's thoughts; but the seeing and talking is nice.

paul