Yeah, detail-oriented readers of our blog may have figured out that…whoops, I was supposed to draft this post last week and forgot. So here we go this week, and because I cannot help myself when it comes to celebrating every major holiday with Garfield, you are getting a Frankenstein post that covers two topics: one concerning and one thankful (Garfield).

First, the concerning bit.

The government is open again. I am thankful to our elected representatives that the brownout in government was just that, a little brownout. Not to worry, the power is back on again. But I am also concerned, because no bill in Congress ever seems to be complete without a little extra stuff (*cough* pork) that only makes sense to those in Congress, not normal people.

What is in this reopening bill, you ask? Well, the “loophole” in the 2018 Farm Bill that gave rise to a billion dollar industry of THC and other hemp-derived (not including CBD) food and beverages is closed, and all of those products will become unsaleable in less than a year. I did not have “agreeing with Rand Paul” (twice!) on my 2025 bingo card, but I certainly do agree with him on this point. Closing the “loophole” will very likely destroy the THC food industry, and with it, a growth area for many client businesses. Of course, nothing in government is done ahead of time or proactively, so we can hold out hope for a last minute fix 364 days from now.

Now, the thankful bit.

Every major holiday in my house is celebrated with Garfield. Longtime readers might recall my post about Garfield’s Halloween Adventure a number of years ago (a tradition which I have passed to my sons), and Thanksgiving at our house is no different. If you have not had the chance to enjoy this decidedly 80s children’s classic, I recommend it. Jon finally gets to go on a “date” with Liz (although I will say that how he convinces her to do so has not aged so well in 2025), Garfield goes on a diet, and Grandma saves Thanksgiving from Jon’s ongoing inability to do anything right.

A note about Grandma. Grandma in Garfield was voiced by Pat Carroll, one of the best and most prolific voice actors of her time. Some of her credits outside of her recurring role on Garfield include: 1) Grandma in My Neighbor Totoro (the number one favorite movie in our house); 2) Ursula in The Little Mermaid; and 3) The Goofy Movie (a classic for those in my generation).

What I love about Grandma, and about Pat Carroll’s work generally, is that she shows up when things are already sideways. On screen, she does not pretend the turkey is fine, she does not ignore the smoke, she just names the problem and starts fixing what can be fixed. Off screen, Pat Carroll did the same thing. When she believed Hanna-Barbera had breached a deal to cast her as Jane Jetson, she did not shrug and move on, she took them to court. She had no interest in smiling politely while someone else rewrote the deal.

That feels like a useful posture this Thanksgiving. Congress just took a swing at an entire industry that many of our clients depend on, and there is no guarantee of a clean solution a year from now. We cannot wish that away or pretend the turkey is fine. What we can do is pay attention, call out where the rules have been quietly rewritten, talk honestly about the impact, and keep doing the slow, unglamorous work of helping businesses adapt. Somewhere between Grandma saving dinner and Garfield sneaking extra pie, there is still room for gratitude, even when the policy choices coming out of Washington make you want to turn off the TV and put on an old cartoon instead.

Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving.