Left to my own devices

Our latest Pic of the Week is actor Jackson Rathbone. Not only does this fellow, who turns 29 today, have an awesome name, he is related to none other than the late, great British actor Basil Rathbone. Enjoy!

My uncle Buster died on December 6th. While mom tried to jog my memory about meeting him at least once, I have no memory of the man. Marion "Buster" Snyder was someone I just heard her talk about sometimes. It's the same for her dad's side of the family. I remember meeting them once, after grandfather Dean Snyder had passed away, but the memory -- now some 20+ year ago -- is a foggy one. When mom and I went to Buster's visitation on the cold night of December 11th, driving from Champaign to her hometown of Clinton, we weren't quite sure what to expect. After mom was born, Dean and my grandmother (Gummy) broke up and Dean started over with a new family with the lovely Hazel, comprised of several children who are my mother's half-siblings, Buster among them. Mom hadn't been extremely close with the family, so we approached the visitation with some trepidation.

We had to put our beagle to sleep today. At first, this was going to be an "in memorial" post, but then I realized that we're in the midst of 30 Days of Thanks , and how grateful I am that Zena was a part of our lives. So, as much as is possible, I'm going to take a few moments to appreciate the beautiful little beagle that was ours for the past two-and-a-half years. Thirty Days of Thanks, Day 8: Zena We brought her home on April 4, 2011. I remember the date clearly because it was the day before the local municipal elections, when we got a new mayor for the city of Champaign, and things were looking up. There's a picture somewhere of Ashley and Zena on the couch together, Ashley looking at the incoming election results on his laptop, Zena simply looking-on, probably trying to gauge who this new owner of hers was. She was 11, almost 12 when we got her. I wanted a dog and, eventually (thankfully), got Ashley to agree. We went to the humane society an...

"We Miss You." Just those three little words from, of all places, the History Channel, really got to me. Apparently, long ago, I'd signed-up with them online, or purchased something from them, or who knows what? At any rate, it's been eons since I last visited their page (of that, I am sure), and so they sent an e-mail to me yesterday with those three words being the first part of the subject line. I'm a people person. It's a cliche, however, very true in my case. I tend to do better when in the company of good people whose presence I enjoy. Rightly or wrongly, my days can be made better or worse by those whom I converse with, what we discuss, how they react to me, and the vibe they're putting off. Whether it be a close friend distant friend, relative or loved one, I appreciate it when I hear from you, or, better yet, get to spend time with you.

My 5th day of gratitude was a derailed slightly by the delightful news out of our state capitol that marriage equality is finally going to become a reality. Thus, today, I give thanks for my birth state, the place I call home -- Illinois. 30 Days of Thanks, Day 5: Illinois The Land of Lincoln has been my home for (gosh) nearly four decades. It was where I was born. It may be where I die. It's what I know. The midwestern sensibilities, the changing of the seasons, the hot summers and harsh winters, the good people of all ages and political stripes and, last but not least, it's great location. We're situated either on the western fringe of the eastern U.S., or the eastern fringe of the midwest, take your pick. From where I live, it's a fairly quick drive to three major cities. Can't beat it.

Today, on Day 4,  I am thankful for Tom Daley, because of course I am.

The gratitude continues as we enter our third day of being thankful for people and things in the life of ol' Matty-Matt. 30 Days of Thanks, Day 3: Education I was born and raised in Champaign, IL, attending Unit 4 schools for my K-12 education. This consisted of three schools altogether: Westview, Jefferson and Centennial. To be honest, it wasn't always the best of times. Kids can be cruel. But the teachers, deans and administrators were almost always wonderful. I feel fortunate to have experienced those years with them.