Barbara J. Hamby

T.O.P.S Thanks

Every week at our T.O.P.S. meeting, I draw an assignment from a glass jar and we all attempt to complete it during the coming week. This week our assignment is to write down one thing we are thankful for every day.

So I’ve been thinking a lot today about all the things I have to be thankful for. Probably I listed a bunch around last Thanksgiving, so I won’t repeat myself, but I’ll write them down to take to the next meeting.

This afternoon I remembered, for the first time in three months, to attend the free monthly musical next door at the Clubhouse. A sort of funky quartet played a variety of music—a bit of jazz, a bit of country, a bit of folk and an original song written and sung by the bandleader.

A couple of the musicians used some kooky props—the horn player popped an A&W root beer bottle in for a mute on a couple of songs. He used an ordinary mute on others, so there must be a different sound he gets with the recycled bottle. The drummer replaced a drum with a wooden box for a jazz piece from the 30’s I believe, but I didn’t get the name of the song. He used brushes on the box and hit the outside edges with the handles of the brushes.

It was a fairly entertaining hour that reminded me I’m thankful, most of the time, for the free entertainment that comes with our Civic Association membership.