What is Thanksgiving?

[Xanthe]

What is Thanksgiving to you?

To me, its a time to say thanks to my friends who have helped me out through the years. And, give thanks to my kids and grandchildren. Can't forget football; every year my Uncle Bob and I always make a bet on which team will win. Thats fun. And I watch Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, while cooking. "hmm, the smell of turkey".....
Ten more days to go......
Oh, and those long distance phone calls to everyone in my family.....hehe

A Turkey's Lament
Nobody usually likes me
Most people think I am ugly
They use my name in vain
As a joke again and again
But when November rolls around
I am the most popular bird in town

They want to catch me and then cook me
And roast me and make delicious gravy
Then they stuff me where no hands should be
Although I'm dead it's still rather rough for me
Because I have never ever been stuffed up there
Because I am a macho straight male bird, I swear

Why don't they choose some other kind of bird
Ostriches are leaner and better for you I've heard
And I sincerely believe they are even uglier than me
And that is really saying a lot coming from a turkey
They are so ugly they must keep their head in the ground
They should be the bird of choice when November rolls around

Lester 'Turkey' Jones

 

[Ascension]

Thanksgiving is one of the few days a year I see my family. I eat minimally the night before, then go to my parent's house and wage Gojira style destruction upon all the food there.

Then, invariably, some sort of family drama pops off, usually involving my brother.
I get my nap on while everyone fights, then wake up and wreck the desserts. I calm my mother and/or father down and look like the good son. Mom makes me a take home platter, I leave.

Repeat for Christmas and Easter. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/laugh.gif

 

[JustinMartyr]

It is a time of reflection that allows me to remember all that I have been given . It is also a time of sharing with family and friends. We do this all year round but on the holidays, we gain a special focus. Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

 

[Guest]

Thanksgiving is a time when professors like to give a bunch
of papers and projects when they damn well know nobody wants
to do them.

It's long lines and heavy traffic, fighting with sibblings over
nothing important and listening to parents drone on about
things you've heard millions of times.

It's people telling you to be thankful when you have to
work to stay where you are in a world that doesn't forgive.

Other than that, it's a time to watch the Lions and Cowboys play
as you try to beat out everyone else for that last slice of pie.

 

[Dor of Sonoma]

Thanksgiving is waking up to the cheesy Macy's Parade and finishing off the pie-baking begun the night before...usually around ten homemade pies (pumpkin pie w/whipped cream. cherry pie w/ice cream, and mince pie w/hard sauce) Can't run out of Pie, dontcha know...

Thanksgiving is continuing to cook and enlist people for the stuffed-date assembly line and munch on olives, crab and sourdough french bread through the cheesy NFL games (why do the teams on Thanksgiving always have to be so BAD?! *cries*), but hanging in there for Madden's 6-legged turkey

Thanksgiving is praying that my sister does not manage to make the long drive to my place and guzzle all of the brandy, leaving us none for the hard sauce...but really looking forward to having everyone else gathered 'round. Thanksgiving is also the time to share with those whom don't have a family or home of their own. We generally invite a stranger or two, who usually seem to survive relatively intact (and do not guzzle all of the brandy...)

Thanksgiving is great food (even shrimp-fried rice for the oddball vegetarians), lots of candlelight, the good dishes and real wine glasses, tons of laughter and really bad jokes...reeeeally bad jokes...hahahaha...board games, and listening to the full-length version of Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" when our local radio station plays it every few hours throughout the day

Thanksgiving is the crowd descending on the local movie theatre en masse to see a cool movie, as soon as everyone's done eating and drinking and the table begins to suggest that someone should start cleaning up the dishes and so forth...hehe. After the movie, time for more pie and visiting with any friends who've been doing their own feasts.

Thanksgiving is warmth and laughter and closeness...and a lot of hard work.

 

[Xanthe]

You just brought back a memory for me, Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" . WMMR it was their tradition to play that song every Thanksgiving. I don't know if they still do it or not. Thx

 

[SpyderOfSonoma]

*dabs eyes* Looks at Dor's post again, then at Schwan's turkey breast on the counter, and back at Dor's post.

Can I come over??? I'll only drink half the brandy, but I will eliminate any beer you have in the house! /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[Dor of Sonoma]

Yep. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif

All are welcome at my house on Thanksgiving (except for my sister ;-) The more, the merrier!

BYOB *winks*

 

[Ztal]

Why are you guys having this conversation now? Thanksgiving was a month ago!

Silly Americans!

 

[SpyderOfSonoma]

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Why are you guys having this conversation now? Thanksgiving was a month ago!

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*laughs* This is why I want to move to the NW.. celebrate both holidays twice with just a car drive!! /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[Guest]

Ah mafyew, sounds like a true half-Italian to me

You should come down before I leave!!

 

[hiai]

To me, Thanksgiving is about family, plain and simple.

Sure, we have tons and tons of great food. (my father is a professional chef, and none of his many children are slouches in that area)

Sure, we invite friends and acquaintances that may not have other plans.

But mostly, it's about gathering around and playing games or watching a family video, griping at each other, teasing each other, telling stupid jokes and long-winded stories, laughing, ganging up on each other, getting your feelings hurt or soothing someone else's, laughing some more, telling people to shut up so that you can talk, being told to shut up so someone else can talk, an occasional tickle or tongue sticking out, laughing some more, pissing someone off really bad, then apologizing grudgingly, getting the little ones all wound up and running around like maniacs, then telling their parents they need to discipline their children better, laughing some more, eating like a cloud of locusts all the while.

In short, it's all the things that happen when families get together, good or bad, and it's the reason I always look forward to it. Because, as much as they piss me off, or amuse me, or hurt my feelings, or make me smile, my family are always always there for me in a way that is increasingly rare in today's society. They may be all up in my business way too much, but I always have that knowlege, in the back of my mind, that if I make a phone call at 3 am from anywhere in the world, with any kind of problem I might have, there will always be someone who will give me whatever I'm looking for. Just as I do for them.

Not many people can say that, anymore. It's about love...plain and simple.

 

[SpyderOfSonoma]

Well.. from now on Thanksgiving is at Dor's for me! /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif

My typical Thanksgiving is to get up and start working on my home biz's right away... yeah.. Hi, my name Spyder, and I'm a work-a-holic.. *hi spyder*

I start thanksgiving dinner, and make WAY too much for myself and few of my other single friends who come over to watch football. So, I take plates full of leftovers to my college student neighbor and spend 20 min's convincing her I'm not stalking her and there are no ruffies in the food. *laugh*

Light a fire in the fireplace, pop in the first of many Christmas classics such as It's a Wonderful Life or National Lampoons Christmas Vacation and start untangling the christmas lights.

Quick call to the folks to say hello and then settle down with the dog to watch the movies I've watched a million times and try to charge up that holiday spirit!

 

[hiai]

Spyder:

Pop in "A Christmas Story". Nothing will get you laughing and feeling Christmasy faster! /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif I swear, every time the Bumpus' dogs take out the turkey....LOL

 

[Guest]

Ahhhh Thanksgiving, the ONLY holiday I celebrate.

Thanksgiving is just what it says it is, a time to give thanks.

You see, unlike the catholics and all her little protestant off-shoots the Inoxia Indians knew God and knew that it was from him that they had everything they have. It was the time of the year when they remembered him for all the bounty he provided them for their needs.

Unlike ALL other catholic holidays it is not a holiday that was a mixup of Hebrew and pagan holidays like all the other amerikan holidays are. It is truely a day to honor the giver of life and filler of needs for filling those needs and for giving life.

 

[Kolian]

This can be confirmed by the lack of specialized greeting cards, shopping seasons, or other money sinks, =P

 

[Beldara]

OMG LOL @ Dor

I am the sister that always drinks all the brandy at my house! hahahahaha

*wonders if my sisters want me to come home for the holidays*

Don't feel bad Spyder I am alone this year as well /php-bin/shared/images/icons/frown.gif my family is too far for me to go visit. I am tired of cooking big meals just for me so this year I said heck with it!

 

[SpyderOfSonoma]

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Don't feel bad Spyder I am alone this year as well my family is too far for me to go visit. I am tired of cooking big meals just for me so this year I said heck with it!

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Well.. I say we take advantage to your management status and toss back the holiday spirit at the Skyview! *laugh*