As we observe the period of Thanksgiving, we have so much to be thankful for in the midst of all the global events around us. Please continue to be safe and to practice safe, healthy habits—washing hands with soap, encouraging the younger ones to resist touching surfaces outdoors, and even for us as adults, using gloves when pumping gas or even when shopping for groceries.
A few months ago, I was sharing with you my experience helping a less privileged person I met in Maryland and by extension, somebody I had met here in Texas. I just want to encourage you, my reader, to do something nice for somebody this season. It is cold. One can buy some warm clothing or blankets to hand to somebody or a charity in the area. Many of the churches have community service departments that will know how to get the items to the end users. The Beltsville Seventh-day Adventist Church runs a community center in conjunction with the Prince George’s County, and it is located on the corner of Ammendale Road and Old Gunpowder. You can also donate canned foods to them. I know in the past the youth from the Pathfinder Club would have come round the community in Beltsville for the annual food collection drive. I am not sure what is being done this year, but still, feel free to pick up a few caned items and donate in person to the center. Thank you very much.
I am taking on a BIG CHALLENGE this season. The weather has changed, so I am doing what I can to protect some of the plants in my garden. Specifically, I have two pineapples growing, and I am determined to make sure they do not get messed up by the cold weather at nights. I have a lime tree and a lemon tree I have had to bring indoors, and I have to make sure they make it as well. They just started to flower, and I am excited that I hopefully will witness the first fruits on those trees. It has been a battle to keep them going.
Holidays and gifts. I work full-time for FedEx Express, and I want to suggest that if you are planning on ordering gifts online and shipping, you need to do so as soon as possible. The numbers we are dealing with have risen over the past few weeks. It is going to be brutal shipping season, and you want those gits to get there safely. In addition, beware of package thieves. Beltsville is a nice, quiet area but then every year, people will come from outside the area to try and reap where they have not sown.
If you are shipping a package to your residence, select the option for the package to be signed for upon delivery. That way, the package CANNOT be left at your residence. It is delivered in person and a signature obtained upon delivery. As an alternative, if you will not be home, consider shipping to a FedEx Office location (or UPS Mail store) or even ship to an address where you know someone will be home. Do not wait until the weeks before Christmas. Here in Dallas, we are processing ridiculous volumes of freight, and it is the same at many of the other companies in the industry.
This is going to be a short one. Enjoy your Thanksgiving and be thankful for family, friends, and coworkers. Let us continue to be respectful to one another and give true meaning to love. A simple good morning or good afternoon with a smile can make a difference to somebody else. Have a great day, and we will jive again next month.