Turkey is a must. My family loves turkey, and I try to keep a couple of turkey breast halves in the freezer at all times; they cook up beautifully in the slow cooker. We also always have a dish of ham; cold thin-sliced country ham.

I’d rather make a Chef Boy-ar-dee pizza kit at home. Cheaper, and at least edible, not greasy, and has nostalgia value for being a favorite when I was a kid.

Fun story: One October about a decade ago, Mom was going to undergo a double bypass. The family was gathered ‘round her bed as she was being drugged up to the eyeballs pre-surgery, and she was groggy as hell. We were all trying to cheer her up, and my sister joked, “Don’t worry, Mom, we can always have Stove Top at…

Mom cooks down the pumpkin herself....screw that canned stuff....and makes a great pie. She’s all about the tradition and won’t do anything else.

I tried similar things at my last job, but it did no good; looking back, I honestly believe the management wanted to get rid of me as my desire to try new things and take on new responsibilities was blocked at every turn. I was eventually fired for not being good enough at the work I had been assigned (answering…

They did? Yikes, how did I miss that? (blush)

I’ve heard that folks have been expecting some sort of announcement about HOC’s future for some time; friends tell me the show has gone downhill, badly, and barely ranks as a pale shadow of its former self. One declares it all but unwatchable now.

I grew up in rural western Maryland, Protestant stock, Penn Dutch influences. Whenever someone died, you sent food. When my father died a few years ago, neighbors and friends brought enough food to feed an army. And not long ago, when I got word a friend’s husband was in bad shape and not expected to make it through…

That’s what I learned...

If you want to be really badass, sew some lead weights into the end of a scarf, and whip them into your assailant’s face. WHAP!

Nope, sorry. I am a Gentleman Adventurer.

Thanks for the ego stroke!

I’m all for responsible gun ownership....the problem is that so few gun owners are truly responsible, IMHO. My father was a gun person but he was a stickler for gun safety. I never got into them myself. They’re just not for me.

You’re right. I dislike guns in general, and dislike the idea of carrying one unless it’s absolutely necessary....and I’ve never, ever felt it was absolutely necessary. I only own one gun, a century-old shotgun that belonged to my grandfather, and I can’t see myself carrying that down the street. No guns for me, thank…

THAT is an excellent idea!

I dislike guns, largely because I’m a terrible shot.

Sword canes are illegal in my state. I do own one (purchased before the law was in place) but it sits in my closet. My fighting cane, as I call it, is metal, adjustable in length, with a hard wooden ball handle that can land a nasty blow. I’d rather use it than a sword cane, really. And I can’t get in trouble with the…

There are good self-defense devices that we can carry, like a cup of coffee (throw in your assailant’s face), or even an old scarf or hat (again, throw in their face), which will probably give you a chance to start hoofing it outta dodge. I keep a cane handy, largely because I have intermittent knee problems, but…

Nope, in Montgomery County, Silver Spring to be exact.

My mom overdid it. She became share-obsessed, to the point that I cringed every time she said the word “share.” “Share that with me! You won’t share! Share this with the others!” Instead of, “I have something to tell you,” it was, “I have something to share you.” It wasn’t “Show & Tell,” it was “Share & Tell.” And I…