Happy Thanksgiving

"I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union."

- Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation October 3, 1863

Thanksgiving Day has always been one of my favorite holidays of the year. My memories as a young boy of travelling to Southwest Oklahoma to see family at my grandmother's home are fond ones. As the next to youngest of the more than thirty immediate members of the family, I was always chosen to assist in the cooking of the meal. I'm not certain if that occurred because I was talented or because my usual sleeping location was on a roll away cot just outside of the kitchen. Yet even today I look forward to spending hours toiling in the kitchen.

This is certainly a historical Thanksgiving for us all. With men and women of the Armed Forces and Foreign Service in Iraq and Afghanistan and the economy in such poor shape, it would be easy for us to dwell on what is bad. Yet we are fortunate that so many are willing to sacrifice on our behalf and to live in such a time with so many opportunities to make a real difference.

In particular I know that I'm truly blessed. I'm thankful to live in a country and state where we can experience a distinct change in government that occurs peacefully. I'm especially thankful to have my close friend Marc Young back safely from Iraq. I'm thankful for my health and that I'm imbued with the will to keep building a brighter future for this state and the optimism to always see a new way. To my friends and family who put up with me, I'm deeply grateful to have you in my life and I know you all enrich each day for me.

May God bless you and provide for you as He has for me.

65-21

What a game. I had cautiously said to friends and family that I thought we could maybe win this game - perhaps the biggest home game I've ever attended. After all, Mike Leach is one of the brightest coaches in college football and he had coached here before. He knew what to expect and how to prepare his team for what was coming.

Yet I was surprised, right from the beginning. The fans were more excited and more a part of this game than ever before. Lots of times fans will "make some noise" on a 3rd down, but after the opponents convert, many people sit down and quiet down. Not this time. The Memorial Stadium was as loud even after Tech would convert, or make a catch. I watched old men dance - dance - when House of Pain's "Jump Around" was played over the sound system. You could feel the enthusiasm flowing from the OU sidelines. The Pride and student section produced as much volume as the entire stadium on an average game.

The team didn't disappoint. Sam Bradford was as good as you could ever ask from any quarterback. The Defense looked as if they had read Tech's game plans - sacking Tech's Graham Harrell four times and twice in a row. After the game the team went to the middle of the field, then came to the sidelines to thank fans. Coach Stoops hung around and the crowd actually stopped leaving to applaud and cheer. In a move that shows what a class act Bob Stoops is, he actually tipped his visor to the fans, then bowed to them. He knew that he is loved, and that the fans has heard his call earlier in the week to help out.

It being an election year, I have been too busy to attend any other home games, so this was the only one I made it to - and what a game to see.* Years from now, those fans who were there will hold this game aloft as one of the greatest home games they ever watched, and recall how they were actually a part of the game, part of the defensive scheme that rattled a top-notch Texas Tech team and an outstanding quarterback from Lubbock. It was Sooner Magic in action and Sooner Legend in the making.

* Thanks to Jim and Pat Thompson who generously gave me the chance to go as a birthday present. Of course, I picked this game back in August as it was the only home game after the election, so it was especially nice as it became the biggest home game of the year.

Oklahoma City Councilman Mark Schwartz

Former Oklahoma City Councilman Mark Schwartz has passed away. A true leader in Oklahoma City, and later an official at the U.S. Department of Energy, he will be missed.

I was fortunate in getting to know Mark a bit during my time in Washington, D.C. where he was a great help to a displaced Okie. He was also loyal supporter during a couple of tough campaigns and did so because he truly wanted Oklahoma to have a bright future.