Giving thanks, wishing & resolving

The year is ending and the holiday season is on us again starting with Thanksgiving. This is when we give thanks for many things Those of us with LaSalles, of course, have more to be thankful for than most. Of course for myself, well, Phyllis and I just celebrated our golden wedding anniversary.

Therefore, this Thanksgiving I give thanks for having a great wife, a great LaSalle and many good friends in the Cadillac-LaSalle Club. Of course, we must not forget all the good eating that comes with this holiday.

Christmas is next in line with a time for lots of wishing and letters to Santa. Of course, we all wish that more families could be as fortunate as ourselves. Our club Christmas project will make it better for a few families. Too bad we couldn’t do the same for hundreds of families.

For ourselves, we will all wish for more garage space and then we realize Santa’s sleigh isn’t equipped to carry garage space and we wish for one or two more old LaSalles or Cadillacs. Again, we realize that Santa’s sleigh is made to carry toys and he doesn’t have a trailer to haul cars. But, we can wish for tools. After all, those are toys to us. And, don’t forget, we always have that good Christmas dinner. Let’s face it, we will be happy with whatever we get.

Now comes New Year’s Eve and we bring in the new year in our own various ways. Some believe this time is the real Y2K or millennium and while this is being argued it is time to make those New Year’s resolutions. May I give you a few suggestions?

1. I will not store cars out of doors without them being covered. (Of course, my wife’s modern iron is exempt from this resolution.)

2. I will not love my old cars more than my wife and children. (As much maybe, but not more.)

3. I will not read Hemmings or Old Cars Weekly while my wife is talking to me or on company time at work. (Because if I get caught, I may no longer be able to afford my old car.)

4. I will not criticize my neighbor for driving a Ford, loving Edsels or Mopars. (Just feel sorry for him for not having an old Cad or LaSalle to set his mind straight.)

5. I will not miss family weddings, funerals, or reunions to attend a swap meet. (Hershey and Carlisle are excluded from this resolution.)

6. I will not interrupt our Sunday drive by going to look at another car or visit a junkyard. (Unless of course, you take her out for breakfast first.)

7. I will not worry or anger my wife by telling her the whole cost of my latest restoration. (At least all at once.)

8. I will not deceive my wife into thinking that the new addition to the house is for a family room instead of car and parts storage. (Of course, if this is the only way to get the project started, then break the news to her very gently. It may be necessary to make provisions for a bunk because you may be sleeping there for a while.)

9. I will not buy my wife another set of socket wrenches for Christmas next year. (Maybe a new floor jack that is too heavy for her to throw at me from under the Christmas tree.)

10. I will not answer any more questions relating to how I was able to stay married to the same woman for 50 years. (It’s really her fault, with her being such a great, understanding wife.)

Don’t you have a few more good new year’s resolutions of your own that you can promise during a nice New Year’s Day dinner? (After all, resolutions usually void themselves before the next newsletter comes out.

See ya next month.

—Walt