A Surf City Thanksgiving

The Chabad on Warner Avenue gave me the stuffing I  needed to end a perfect Thanksgiving. I celebrate the Sabbath from Friday evening till Saturday at sun down.The more I nurture my soul, the more serene I become. The soul lasts for eternity,  unlike the body with a sixty or seventy year warranty
. The Rabbi was at his best today. His message was loud and clear.
  "WE have been fighting the offspring of Esau for over two thousand years. Jacob had the answer when he arrived in Canaan and saw his brother come towards him.He enriched his soul with prayer and also an offering when he arrived. He had served under Laban for 14 years and had taken his two daughters, now his wives back to the promised land. Israel became his new name. He built a sturdy house and shelter for his animals. Above all, while a captive in the House of Laban, he still studied Torah and remained a Jew.
    A famous Hebrew teacher was visited by a guest. The guest wished to know why he didn't have a bed or furniture.
   "These are only temporary things. But what I teach will last for eternity."
   This great teacher was a man of my heart. I too don't have a bed or nice furniture. I have lots of books and a little Wall Mart radio. But the best filling he left for last.
   "A couple of weeks ago, a family celebrated the marriage of their daughter. On the way to Jerusalem, machine guns lit up their car. The father and brother died, but the kids survived. The family decided to go ahead with the celebration."
   "Ten thousand people jammed the city to make it quite a feast. The show must continue no matter what a few terrorists decided to do."
A turkey dinner on Thursday began the festive holiday for us. My son-in-law made quite a succulent turkey and got up at four in the morning to shop at Ralph's and spread paint over it. The yam, cranberries and mashed potatoes could not be matched anywhere. Even Mel, my brother could not find words to describe its taste. He resides at the  Pacific Spartan Assistance living center.
   Yet Friday was something else again. I needed to exercise to remove some of the fat from the feast of the other night. Again, you could touch Santa Catalina the sky was so clear. I jogged the entire length of the pier and took a breather in back of Ruby's restaurant.
   I heard some people holler. Over the railing, a baby seal rolled over on its back while its mother spread sun screen over it. Next to them, two mallards dove into below the surface and returned with sardines. Fish were not biting at the end of the pier.
   On my return trip, a fisherman yanked seven, yes seven mackerel out of the sea on one line. He gushed with laughter and removed them to his bucket. I studied the Vietnamese in motion. He knew where to place his line, and came up, time and time again with more fish.
   Again I continued my return but stopped to watch two-man volleyball games in progress. I finally made it back to my car parked on Main Street, and thank God I stayed around to enjoy my two grandchildren, Summer and Spring. .