Abundance of thanks to go around this year

Thanksgiving is a day for families and a time to be thankful that our entire meal isn’t maize.

This is the day to overindulge in food and family

Here’s a few things yours truly is thankful for:

• My family, who met in mom’s memory last Sunday for our annual Thanksgiving, and another contest of dressing making, Ryan Harrell kept the trophy.

• That today my family, my wife and our children and grandson will have a holiday lunch complete with honored guest, Bob Holt.

• That yet another bad football season will end tomorrow. In more than 40 years of covering the University of Arkansas Razorbacks it seems almost impossible to comprehend how they sunk so far they could lose to San Jose State (4-7) and to Western Kentucky, who was beaten by Central Arkansas.

• That Eric Musselman is the Razorbacks head basketball coach. They aren’t going to win as many games as everyone thinks when they start playing better competition, but they will play hard on both ends of the court and that is exciting basketball.

• That Darrell Walker is turning it around at Arkansas-Little

Rock. The Trojans could have beaten Memphis if the referees had known the difference from a charge and a block. Walker clearly outcoached Penny Hardaway.

• That Blake Anderson has been able to survive this season with dignity and lead his ASU Red Wolves to an unprecedented ninth postseason bowl game.

• That Dave Van Horne is happy in the Boston Mountains. What he did in taking his team to the championship game of the College World Series and then turn around and make the tournament again the very next season is amazing.

• That UCA made the playoffs and will be the last team still playing from Arkansas. Athletic Director Brad Teague has UCA becoming more respected every day.

• For all my friends and our weekly meeting when we solve most of the world’s problems although no one asks for our help.

• For my daughter who seems very happy.

• That whoever is on the search committee for the Razorbacks new football coach is taking their time. The committee is two or three people. • That Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek said after the firing of Chad Morris that he had checked with his CFO and they had the money to pay Morris off.

• That apparently the Razorback Foundation didn’t get stuck with paying off another coach who failed.

• That the four casinos will add jobs for our state.

• That Oaklawn Park has grown from a sleepy little track in Arkansas to one of the big three along with Santa Anita and Churchill. Oaklawn will continue to grow with larger purses and better horses.

• For my church and Chuck “The Pigskin’ Preacher, who did my mom’s funeral and everyone there left feeling like they knew her. Pinnacle Church is absolutely a nonjudgmental place to worship. Pigskin’s sermon this Sunday is based on the 1969 Shootout between Texas and Arkansas and can be be seen on streaming.

• For Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids, which has made a huge difference in the lives of thousands of teenagers in Arkansas.

• For Randy Allison and the great advice he gave about a life insurance policy that would have eventually been worthless but now will be trip to Prague and Amsterdam this summer.

• That athletic director Terry Mohajir has turned ASU’s football facility into a Power Five facility.

• That we live in a state where mostly people are still helpful, friendly and courteous. Where people invest their time in their children and will help Arkansas continue to grow to be the best state possible.

WALLY HALL