The Best Day Of The Year

This is one of those re-posts I told you about the other day. I told you I'd be posting this one on Friday, but I lied. Oh, well. The tiny blotch on my soul may be your gain, depending upon whether you enjoy this or not.

I always publish this one during my last days at work before taking Thanksgiving week completely off. If you've seen it before, feel free to skip to the end and leave a generic polite comment. If you do that, though, you'll miss the extremely slight re-writing I've done noting the fact that the Patriots are playing the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving this year.

OK, that's enough new material. On with the turkey rehash!


THE BEST DAY OF THE YEAR

fris‧son / Pronunciation [free-sohn; Fr. free-sawn]
a sudden, passing sensation of excitement; a shudder of emotion; thrill.
(Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2006)

Let me tell you about the holiday I like best of all – Thanksgiving.



I like all holidays. Any day you get off from work, or during which people get together to celebrate, or when you get (or give) gifts? In my book, that’s a good day. Some days are more special than others, though.

Christmas used to be my favorite. When I was a kid, I went straight from one frisson to another during the week leading up to Christmas. The celebration of Christ’s birth was magical and there was no end to the ways that the world delighted me. As I’ve grown older, the magic has ebbed. I haven’t changed, however; it’s the world that has.

When I was a child, nearly every house in the neighborhood sported red, yellow, green, blue and orange pastel lights, either as decoration outside or via a candle or two in the windows. The streets were bathed in an embracing warmth, a welcoming glow. Nowadays, the lights of choice are mostly cold; icicles and clear starbursts. I guess a lot of folks like them – otherwise, why would they have them? - but all they do for me is make the night streets too much like daytime. Those bright white lights don’t do anything but remind me of how cold it is in winter. The colorful lights of my childhood made me feel warm, even during the meanest of snowstorms.



(Photo courtesy Photos From My Life. Isn't it a lovely tree?)

The music is omnipresent now. Don’t get me wrong. I love Christmas music. I always have. I always looked forward to it beginning, sporadically, after Thanksgiving, and then building bit by bit until there was an entire glorious day and night of it from Christmas Eve through to Christmas Night. It played on the radio all day, but only all day on Christmas and most of the day before. In the morning, while opening presents with my Mom and Dad, we played the two or three vinyl Christmas records we had at home. It was special.

Now the trouble is in trying to avoid it. Even as of today, November 18th, there have been radio stations playing Christmas music 24 hours a day for the past two or three weeks. Seriously - and I mean this - if you like that sort of thing, God bless you. To me, though, Christmas music is like chocolate. A few pieces, rich and creamy, are delightful. Feed it to me non-stop for sixty days? All that is, is a sick stomach.

(My job, as good as it is, doesn’t help matters. I’m a voice-over guy, and I also do production work, but my actual job title is “Music Director”. Therefore, in the course of my duties, I sometimes have to use holiday music for background in pieces I complete for clients during September and October. I try to remain detached while doing so, but...)

The final nail in my Christmas coffin is driven in by the greedy merchants who just plain don't have the common decency to wait for Thanksgiving to be over before they start spewing forth their hideous advertisements. Every year, they start earlier and earlier. I rail against it every year, too. MY WIFE tells me to relax, that I can’t change it, that there really isn’t anything all that bad about it. I love MY WIFE dearly, but on this she’s dead wrong. I’ll go to my grave cursing those bastards for draining the innocent joy out of a lovely day. I try to ignore it and I try to keep the spirit I believe in, but they just beat me down and beat me down and one of these days I won’t be able to get back up.

I can’t even begin to imagine how hideous a time it must be for those who don’t share my faith. No wonder some of the atheists keep trying to run it out of town. The money-grubbing parasites, who see it only as a time to reel in a profit, have turned it into something even I want to partially get rid of.
Ho-Ho-freakin'-Ho.

Ah, I suppose that’s a bit over the top. The day still has charm. The real importance of it, for someone like me, is spiritual, and the sons of bitches can’t rip that out of me unless I let them. The people I share the day with, and with whom I eat good food and exchange lovely and loving gifts, are dear to me. They still make it a wonderful day, but that frisson I spoke of earlier, that I used to have in multiples during the season, hasn’t been felt in quite a while.

****************************************************************

The only holiday I can always count upon to deliver a frisson is Thanksgiving.

(I’m trying to set the world record for frisson mentions in one blog. Am I there yet?)

I have never had a bad Thanksgiving. Not one. As a matter of fact, not only have I not had a bad one; I’ve had nothing but good ones for as long as I can remember.

For every other holiday, I can dredge up at least one bummer. There have been New Years Eves with toothaches and New Years Days with hangovers, Washington’s Birthdays with flu, Memorial Days with sunburns, July Fourths with car accidents, Labor Days with the dread of returning to school, Halloweens with stolen candy, and even Christmases with “Dear John” letters thrown into the mix, but never a bad Thanksgiving.

(I’m hoping I’m not the victim of selective memory. Somewhere in the past there may have been one horrible incident I’ve tucked into a corner of my mind under lock and key. If so, and you know about it, don’t tell me. I’d rather be ignorant and happy.)



You know one of the reasons why it’s so easy to have a good Thanksgiving? Nobody’s trying to sell you anything. It’s just good company, some football, great food and maybe a nap with your belt loosened. The biggest thing anyone can put up for sale is a bird. There are no bogus guilt trips laid on you by manufacturers trying to make you feel as though you haven’t done right by your loved ones. All you have to do, to do right by your loved ones on Thanksgiving, is show up.



Oh, the smells of Thanksgiving dinner cooking! There is no perfume in existence that matches the fragrance of turkey, stuffing, gravy, squash, turnip, sweet potatoes, hot rolls, pumpkin pie, and all of the other mouth-watering aromas that emanate from the kitchen on that day. It is the smell of pure love. The one doing the cooking isn’t doing it because he or she is guilt-ridden. It’s being done because the people who will eat the feast are near and dear; as simple and lovely as that.



MY WIFE and I have hosted Thanksgiving at our place for the past fifteen years. It is the most sublime pleasure of my year to plan that meal and then prepare it. I’m the luckiest man in my family. I get to enjoy those smells longer than anyone else. And I get the lion’s share of the leftovers, too.

I remember lovely, huge tables full of food at my grandparent’s apartment in Roslindale, the vegetables served in great green ceramic bowls and topped with pats of yummy, unhealthy real butter. I remember waking in my upstairs bedroom to the smell of a turkey roasting in my childhood home in Dorchester. After my parent’s divorce, I ate TWO huge dinners every Thanksgiving – the first cooked by my father and the second served at my Grandma’s in Weymouth, where I would eat with my mother. It wasn’t easy, but I loved both of them too much to disappoint either one of them, so I did my duty. I even ate a couple of pieces of pie at both places, just so they’d have no doubt about how much I cared.

I try to remember what the name of the holiday calls for – the giving of thanks. I look upon my preparation and sharing of food as a sacred rite of sorts. There’s no skimping on this meal. If money’s tight, it’s a way of showing my faith in the idea that God will bring better times. Always, it’s a time to be thankful for the good people who are sharing the table with me (even if some of them don't like their picture taken.)



There are lovely constants at Thanksgiving. For instance, every year the Detroit Lions play football. Well, at least they try, and they ought to get credit for that. And the same stories get told at the table. There's one that never fails to get mentioned, concerning turnip and a Danish friend of the family .

Seems that one year, when this Dane was a holiday guest, my grandmother was preparing the food and one of the vegetables was turnip. The fellow laughed and said, in his Danish accent, “Turnip! Ha-ha! Very funny!” and when he was asked why he was laughing, he said, “Ho-ho! Yes, the joke’s on me! That’s a very funny joke. OK, you can take it away, now.” Seems that they only served turnip to pigs in his region of Denmark. He thought it was a joke for his benefit. When he found out that it was something we actually ate, and enjoyed, he became somewhat indignant, if not sick to his stomach. Every year, when I bring out the turnip, that story returns for it’s annual telling. And I love it. There is also usually a mention of turducken as though it were just invented the previous week.

When the meal is over – well, at least the part of the meal that doesn’t involve pie – my stepfather and I turn our attention to the end of the Lion’s game. Meanwhile, the other folks have good conversation, coffee, tea, and, yes, pie. If the Lions win, Bill and I have a piece of pie to celebrate their good fortune. Since this rarely happens, we console ourselves with a piece of pie if they lose. It’s all good.

(This year, we will have to tear our allegiance away from the Lions. The New England Patriots are playing the Lions. We are Patriots fans, first and foremost. But, we'll still have pie whether the Lions win or lose. As a matter of fact, I think this year we'll have to have TWO pieces of pie if they lose. Yeah, that sounds about right.)


Soon, it gets to be late afternoon and folks start leaving. First, my Cousin Scott and his wife, Andrea, because they go visit some other relatives. Then my Uncle Rick and Grandma. Finally, Bill and my Mom hit the road, and then it’s just me and MY WIFE, all alone in the house. At that point, I do what any red-blooded American man would do. I take a couple of the leftover rolls, slice ‘em open, stuff them with turkey and dressing and a spoon or two of gravy, and eat them. And then watch the end of the Dallas game.

I love this holiday so much, I take the entire week off each year. That way, I can very leisurely clean the house and buy the food and decorate and do prep work for the feast, taking those chores completely off of the hands of MY WIFE, who deserves at least as much of a restful, enjoyable feast as I’m giving everyone else. I love every moment of that busy, yet still somehow slothful, week. And, since I only post from work, that’s why this is the last post until December 1st (at which time you'll get another re-run, since I take the week off from writing, too, but it'll be a really good one, I promise, so please come back!)


I wish you a Tremendously Happy Thanksgiving. Eat much, show love. See you in 12 or 13 days, with more better (albeit old) stuff.

A Suldog Primer

Last week, a visitor left a comment that my posts were like reading a pinball machine. That’s pretty funny. Much as the silver ball caroms from flippers to bumpers to posts, I flit from thought to thought like a drunken fly in a pasture full of cow patties. I think it also means that most people under the age of 25 (as well as a fair amount over) find me to be a boring waste of time. Fair enough. I find most people under the age of 25 (as well as a fair amount over) not just boring, but supercilious.

(I tend to use too many parentheses.)

And sentences beginning and ending conjunctions and prepositions with.

I’m an interesting writer, but sometimes not an easy read.

I tend to lead with my heart, and I’ll go from a week or two of posts that are all goodness and light, to following up with two or three posts in a row that appear to have been soaked overnight in particularly odiferous bile. I can understand why some people come here, read a few posts, think I’m the greatest thing since sliced bread, and then send their friends here only to find that the bread has turned moldy. In order to head off further defections from the ranks, I’ll point out that without moldy bread, we wouldn’t have penicillin. Also, I’m going to give you a primer concerning me and what you’re likely to find in my writings. That way, the next time somebody says they had no idea what they were getting into when they gave me an award, I can just refer them to this post. It likely won’t make that person feel any better about having been reamed, but it will make ME feel better accusing THEM of laziness in their reading habits rather than having to acknowledge the fact that I’m a jerk.

Let’s start with what you’re likely to find here.

I write essays. I tell stories. I string together bunches of corny jokes. I sometimes give my opinion concerning some part of the world or its people. I start lots of sentences with I.

Most of my essays and stories concern my family. Since I’m part of my family, I tend to speak about myself a lot. This upsets the odd reader or two. Personally, I find it strange when someone accuses me of being too self-involved. It’s nearly impossible to not be self-involved and remain interesting as a writer. Anyone who isn’t the star of his or her own life – or, at least, the co-star – isn’t likely to be a very compelling read.

(I think the problem isn’t that I pay so much attention to myself, as it is that I’m unwilling to acknowledge the moral superiority of the person complaining. I’ve found it usually the case that when someone says, “Get over yourself”, the person saying it needs to take that advice to heart more than the person toward which it’s directed.)

Most of what I write is true. That is, I draw upon my life experiences, and it will involve real people and places (although I sometimes change names to protect my nose when I visit the old neighborhood.) I hope that I make it clear enough when something is supposed to be taken as humor, either by explicitly admitting that I’m full of shit or through the use of wildly ridiculous jokes. If you find neither, either your sense of humor is deficient or I’m telling a lie. Or something like that.

When it’s brought to my attention that I might actually have offended someone, I’ll usually apologize. I rarely set sail with the specific purpose of making someone feel bad.

(If I do have that goal in mind, I think I’ll generally make it quite obvious by the overwhelming amount of vitriol used. I see no reason to engage in hand-to-hand combat if I have enough bombs to do the job.)

I have some pet peeves, and I’ll likely write something concerning them in any calendar year. The main one is Christmas advertising and music before Thanksgiving. Others include, but are not limited to, television shows that exploit discord in personal relationships; ads that pop up on-screen during television shows; people who lie for personal gain; political commentators and writers who faun over Democrats and/or Republicans while utterly ignoring anyone outside of the mainstream; and those who want to take away my freedom, no matter how noble they feel their cause.

My loves include MY WIFE, The Boston Celtics, fast-pitch softball, playing the bass guitar, The Three Stooges, peanut butter, and Mister Rogers. I’ll mention some of them too often for your comfort.

I tend to post re-runs once every couple of months. If you’re new here, you won’t notice it for a while. When I post them, I usually try to give some added value by writing fresh introductory material. I’ll be doing it this Friday, actually. Hope you enjoy it!

When someone gives me an award, I generally insult the hell out of that person (as well as his or her ethnic origins, personal habits, photographs on their website, and anything else I can latch onto for a cheap laugh.) I actually appreciate getting awards, and almost all of them I’ve received are listed on my sidebar. The attacks are meant in fun. In most instances, even though I’ve denigrated others, I’ve aimed the bulk of the disparaging material at myself.

I guess that’s enough about what you can expect to read if you keep coming here. Now I’ll give you information concerning my background and what may be informing the words I choose to publish.

I was raised as a Catholic. I flirted with agnosticism for a while, but then came back to the church. I left it again, a few years back, when I found that I could no longer stand to contribute time or money to an institution with so many hypocrites holding high-ranking positions. Your mileage may vary, and, if so, there’s something to be said for you being a better Christian than I am since you suffer fools more gladly. As could be inferred from the previous sentence, I still consider myself a Christian. I believe in God, and Jesus Christ as my savior. I’m unaffiliated, a free agent. That’s because I find something objectionable in every sect I’ve thus far explored. Of course, they’d probably find something objectionable in me, too, so we’re even.

I was raised a Democrat. I discovered Libertarianism in my teens and have been a Libertarian ever since. I once held the office of State Chair for the Libertarian Party in Massachusetts. I’ve run for office as a Libertarian, as well as been campaign manager for a few other folks. While I still firmly believe that a system of government that allows the most individual freedom is best, I’ve also come to the realization that the Libertarian Party, as a political entity, will ultimately, and without fail, shoot itself in the foot. The folks within that organization who truly understand politics are few and far between, and the ideologues that insist on purity at the expense of success will always sabotage the gains made by those who were willing to compromise. I no longer officially belong to the party. I am listed as ‘unenrolled’ on the Massachusetts voter registration lists (that would be ‘independent’, in most other states), and I mostly tend to ignore politics as much as possible because it is better for my mental health.

I am a great believer in sex, both as a fun activity and as a therapeutic aid. How you get your rocks off is your business, so long as you cause no harm to another. I am a firm proponent of onanism, and whatever tools you bring to the table to accomplish the task at hand is OK by me.

(One would hope you’re not actually doing it on the table to which you bring the tools, but if you’re the only one eating dinner there, more power to you.)

As regards the above, I think pornography is a swell thing. It provides incentive for the mentally healthy to take matters into their own hands rather than foist their desires upon unwilling others. It is akin to methadone for a heroin addict.

Speaking of drugs, I’ve done them. Lots of them. And I enjoyed most of them; otherwise, I wouldn’t have done more. So far as I can tell, I’ve suffered few lasting ill effects from my drug usage. That’s the case for most who do drugs. We come out the other end of the experience mostly whole and appreciably wiser.

(I’m not belittling the unfortunate folks who have done harm to themselves, but I think that education and legality would do a whole lot more to prevent such instances than ignorance and prohibition. Many folks who die from drug usage do so because of either impurity in unregulated junk or because they don’t know enough about what they’re ingesting and so take too much. And those who go on to crime often do so because they can’t afford their fixes, which they could if their drugs were legal. I believe it should completely be up to each individual to decide what he or she puts into his or her body.)

I suppose it goes without saying that I’m opinionated. Having admitted that, I’ll let you know that I consider myself one of the easiest people in the world with whom to get along. You can be six different kinds of asshole and I can probably find some sort of common ground where we won’t argue and can coexist in peace. I’ll diligently search for that ground, if you give me a chance.

Despite the many ways I’ve already glorified myself here, I’m basically modest and shy. I know – just saying that seems to make it false, but I still feel it’s true. I’m the king of blushing. The slightest praise or the smallest gaffe will turn my face crimson. Perhaps I’m not so much humble as I have sucky blood pressure, but humble serves my purposes here, so I’m going with that.

I’m a soft touch. When somebody comes to me with a cause asking for support, I will more often than not agree to help. For instance, my buddy, Stu, sent me the following e-mail...

Got a favor to ask, though it's totally cool if you're not into it. See, a musician buddy of mine (we've been real friends since 1st grade) works on The View. He's an audio engineer - he does their live sound reinforcement. Anyway, the show's producers came up with a segment: They auditioned all of the crew who are also musicians for a "Behind The Scenes/In Front Of The Camera" thing. My buddy won one of five spots. They are gonna show him playing during one (or more) of the "going to commercial" spots (it's about 45 seconds). They'll point to the show's website, where people can vote. Whomever gets the most votes gets a full segment on the show, which is huge. My job, as his friend, is to find as many people as possible to vote for him. This is where you come in. If you're up for it, would you be willing to pimp him, to get your dog-pound (or whatever us Suldog readers are called) to stuff the ballot box?

Stu

... and here’s where you can go to cast your vote for his buddy.

Vote For Mike Glazier!

I could go on, and recapitulate the entirety of every personal fact I've already put out here over the course of 5+ years, but even I get tired of me after a while. I’ll give you just one more useful piece of information. I end almost every piece with the following illiterate sign-off:

Soon, with more better stuff.

(But, not this time.)

TCF - The Last Roundup

[Cornucopia comes from HERE]

This is the final list of posts (or, at least, those of which I'm aware) concerning Thanksgiving Comes First.

I promised some folks I'd be doing this listing today, Friday. I wish I had more time to write this, but I've got a very busy day ahead of me here at work, so...

(For those of you who may have been wondering, I do have an actual job. I'm not living off of trying to keep Thanksgiving more alive, unfortunately.)

I'd like more time because I'd prefer to give everybody listed here a big ol' virtual hug. Every time I see a new posting, it makes my heart swell. Seriously, you folks give me a huge boost during this time of year. Any time I see a too-early advertisement for Christmas, I think of you and the bad taste in my mouth vanishes. Thank you, most sincerely.

OK, I have to get a move on, so here are the latest posts. Please visit these fine people and enjoy their writings.

Eva Gallant, at Wrestling With Retirement, is a long-time reader from Maine. Thanks, Eva!

Rayfamily, at Tilting At Windmills (which some might think is an apt name for ANY blog joining our cause, but I don't.)

Bobbi, at Casa Camacho, was actually called ugly names by some insensitive person. Why? Because she makes homemade gifts. Can you imagine? Homemade gifts have the giver's heart and soul built in, but somebody... Ugh.

The webmaster at Singin' In The Barn gives us some lovely photos and lovely thoughts. Very enjoyable read.

Tonya, at A Day In The Life Of A Mama, shares her dismay (as have we all, so welcome aboard, Tonya!)

SuaAnn (aka Slommler) at (where else?) SueAnn's Journey joins the fray (and you get some pics of dismembered baby dolls as a bonus!)

Jenny Kate gives us actual photographic proof that Wal-Mart and Kohl's have no souls. Hey, that rhymes!

Finally, just in under the wire comes Rebecca, of I'm Just A Girl. I hope she finds Jason Varitek under her tree when it IS time for Christmas.

And, even more finally, I just came across another after I already published this piece this morning, and I'll add her here. Yay for Eternal Lizdom!

And here's another one - Thanks, Moogie! Now you know what I do during my lunch hour - scour the internet for your contributions and not eat. You're welcome!

And here's one I missed totally - Mea Culpa, In Extremis - and didn't add on here until I was told about it on Monday... How hideous of me. Crazed Nitwit (love that handle) has written THIS. Visit her, read it, and make me feel less guilty.

[from the wonderful Thanksgiving Corner]

And now, under the category of it pays to be first in line (known in Boston politics as "Vote early, vote often!") here are all of the bloggers who did posts and were mentioned here previously. If you haven't read these, what are you waiting for? Go!

Adam Gaffin, at Universal Hub, did as he does every year, putting a link to my post on his front page and sending a few hundred folks my way. Thanks, Adam!

Another huge source of hits was Hilary, at The Smitten Image. She gave the cause a nice plug here.

Special awards for quick action went to Christina at Lucrative Pain, and Michelle at The Surly Writer. They had their postings - HERE, and HERE, respectively - up on their own blogs within hours of mine.

Thimbelle's writing on the subject, at Creeping Towards Normal, is one of my favorite essays, ever. Please read her wonderful words.

Buck, at Exile In Portales, signs on every year. He gets to the heart of the matter quickly and succinctly.

Again, Thanksgiving Corner

Jillsy Girl has a page on her blog wherein she directs folks to stuff she likes. I thank her for liking me! She also did a separate posting, expounding upon her own thoughts concerning the matter.

Uncle Skip (not my uncle, but he is somebody's) had this to say. Much appreciated!

Brighton Pebbles, from the UK, posted thoughts on the matter, and here they are. Cheers!

Rob, at samaBlog, wrote about the holiday with an entirely new slant. Find his very interesting take HERE.

Calamity Shazaam In The Kitchen gave me a nice bit of an ego-boost in her posting.

Jeni Ertmer, at Down River Drivel, always has the TCF artwork on her sidebar, and that's appreciated. Thanks, Jeni!

(A link to us showed up on The Huffington Post, as well as on Buzz Tracker, but they probably aren't there now.)

My buddy, IT, gave us the link love. Likewise, Alex Johnson provided a way for folks to get here. And Kat, at Seeking Sanity, has the artwork - with link - posted on her sidebar.

My friend Kris, at Noodling On It, has written a nice piece. Please read it HERE.




Pat, at Remembrances Of An Arkansas Stamper, proudly displays the artwork, with a link, on the sidebar.

Robert H. Brague (Rhymes With Plague) has posted about us. Thank you!

A Tale Of Two Buckskins talks about Christmas tree sales around his way.

Jazz, at Haphazard Life, is one of my favorite Canadians. She posted one of my all-time favorite cartoons about Thanksgiving, and she has written about us with pity...

The Fifty Factor has not only written a nice piece, but has also posted the artwork on the sidebar, with a link, and some words.

Messy Mimi, at (where else?) Messy Mimi's Meanderings, has gone all Thanksgiving militant!

Mari, at My Little Corner Of The World, has joined the cause. Thank you, Mari, and God bless.

Gran Speaks! And this time, Gran is speaking about Thanksgiving coming first. Thanks, Gran!

My good buddy, Lime, always writes something worth reading, and her thoughts on this matter are no exception. Please visit her at House Of Lime. There is also a link to another Thanksgiving story, and that's worth a read, too.

Cindy, at Monkey Boy Adventures, chimes in concerning her trip to Target, wherein she encountered Christmas decorations prior to Halloween. Boo, Target!

Jeni (her second mention!) gives us all the story of her Halloween, then sinks her chops into Thanksgiving.

New Country Girl has spoken in general about Christmas stuff being out too early, and our turkey is prominently displayed.

There are some interesting entries on Facebook concerning us. Janine, who until recently wrote well at Sniffles & Smiles - she's taking some time off to catch up on other matters - added a link and some kind words. There are some actual pages devoted to our cause - Thanksgiving Comes First and Thanksgiving Comes First (Before Christmas). It wouldn't hurt to join them.

Lori, at My Life Interrupted, wrote about how the rush to buy, buy, buy marginalizes those without the resources to do so.

Unexpected Surprises is written by Brittany Johnson. She admits she became caught up in the Christmas creep, but then had more sane thoughts.

SAHM (which is an acronym for Stay At Home Mother) is the author of Larsen Loves. She writes of a desire for warm family times.

Another stay-at-home mom is Kat. As Cindy did in her entry linked above, Kat's post mentions Target as an offender (I think it's pretty clear they don't care what holiday they trample upon in the rush for profit.)

Barbara Shallue is worth mentioning again. Her post is entitled Thanksgiving Comes First (p.s. peace) and I enjoyed it immensely.

Renaissance Mama mentions another retailer giving Thanksgiving the virtual finger (IKEA) and shares her struggle of trying to NOT give in to her impulses.

Bonnie-Rocks, at Bonnie's Journal, adds her voice to the battle.

Maren, at Live Journal, also chimes in, and I thank her.



Finally, I gave my swell friend Cricket some effusive praise for his piece. Many of you went to read it, and not a single one of you disagreed with my assessment. Anyway, if you haven't yet seen it, let me tell you that Cricket, of Cricket & Porcupine, has written an essay on Thanksgiving that I consider a masterpiece. It may not only be the best I've ever read concerning the holiday, but perhaps the best piece of writing I've encountered on the internet during the 5+ years since I began blogging. It's THIS ONE. It is worth every second you put aside to read it.

And that, you good people, is that. One more time: Thank You, Thank You, and Thank You!

(If I've missed your posting, or otherwise failed to give you the credit you deserve, please let me know.)

Soon, with more better stuff.

Thank You To A Gentle Man

I wasn't planning on writing anything special for Veteran's Day. I certainly know some vets, and am especially proud of some family members who served - My Dad (Navy), My Uncle Jim (Air Force), My Uncle Rick (Army) - but a couple of things I read yesterday changed my mind and prodded me to write this. I'll give you a quick bit of back-story and then send you to read about a fellow I admire.

My swell friend, Cricket, wrote about some vets he knew. It's a good piece - as is everything he writes - and worth a look. You can find it HERE. After having read his post, I decided to leave a comment.

Another comment, by another friend, Thimbelle, prompted me to say something concerning Bill MacDonald, my stepfather. Here's what I said about him, which, I'm sorry to say, included what seems to be a mistaken notion concerning his military service.

My Stepfather, Bill, received a bronze star for his World War II service - quite a high decoration - and he never ever speaks of what he did to earn it. When anyone asks him to do so, he specifically refuses. I know he was a prisoner of war, but that's as much as I know. I respect his wish to not speak about it, although some try to prod him to talk. He's a true gentleman - a gentle man - and someone pushing him to speak about his military career is one of the few things about which I've seen him get truly angered. I've just told him "Thanks" once or twice, and even that seems to be more than he would like to hear about it.

I admire that reticence to cast himself as a heroic figure, a lot. Doesn't mean he wasn't (or isn't, for that matter.)

Before I go any further, I need to let you know about my mistake. It seems Bill was NOT a prisoner of war. I guess I had heard someone else say that he was, and Bill, being who he is, just didn't want to talk about his service, period, so he never corrected that person. As a result, I had always harbored the notion that he had been. As I've since found out, that appears to not be his story. The actual story is, to my mind, much more interesting.

After leaving that comment, I decided to see if there might be anything about Bill, and his military service, on the web. I specifically wanted to see if there was a listing of Bronze Star recipients, and see whether or not Bill was on it.

Don't get the wrong idea; I had no doubt that Bill had received that medal. I just wanted to see if there was someplace where he was receiving some recognition for having done so, and perhaps I'd also have some light shed on what his actions were during his time of service. I've never pushed him to talk about it, but that doesn't mean I wasn't curious to find out.

Well, I put his name in Google, along with "Bronze Star", and I found something. It wasn't a listing of recipients of the award. It was a newspaper account of how My Mother had prodded him to try and get another medal he deserved - The Purple Heart.




The Purple Heart is awarded for being wounded in action.

While Bill does not seek the spotlight, My Mom is not one to sit idly by and let a person, especially her husband, not get credit where it is due. I have little doubt that Bill kept on saying it didn't matter whether he got the recognition, but My Mom, extremely gentle woman that she is, is like a pitbull when she feels that some wrong should be righted. She won't let go of it until it happens.

And now, please go to the link below, and read Bill's story. I'll finish my part of this by once again, on this Veteran's Day, saying "Thanks, Bill." The difference is, this time I know why I'm thanking him.

Bill's story.

Soon, with more better stuff.

Why I'm Happy I Can't Eat Raisin Bran

[Map courtesy infoplease]

It’s Sunday evening, and I was going to write about how thankful I am. After all, I’m all about the Thanksgiving this month. However, as I waited for this antediluvian computer to warm up, I glanced over at what MY WIFE was watching on television. And there I saw a reason to believe that nothing we do has any meaning and we may as well lie down and die now before we suffer further indignities.

My Big Friggin’ Wedding was on the tube. Near as I could tell, it was a show about the ungrateful and ignorant preparing to be married to the shallow and cruel. I think it all took place in New Jersey, a piece of real estate I can’t see anyone willingly admitting to being from these days. Jersey has always been a somewhat easy place to poke fun at – what other place with that many oil refineries would call itself The Garden State without even a hint of irony? – but, between this show and Jersey Shore, it has now gone from being the slightly slow cousin of states to being intentionally stupid and seemingly proud of it. I thought Wife Swap was the absolute nadir of television programming until I saw this hideous excuse for entertainment. My Big Friggin’ Wedding makes Wife Swap look like NOVA.

Disclaimer: I know a few intelligent folks from New Jersey. All of them, so far as I'm aware, no longer live there.

MY WIFE, showing her intelligence, decided to stop watching that disaster and, instead, make a phone call to her sister. I was asked what I’d like on the tube. Despite some evidence to the contrary, I’m something of a typical American male. I opted for football. She switched over to the Philadelphia – Indianapolis game, and then left the room.

As my eyes stopped bleeding, I noticed that one of the teams was wearing a uniform with which I wasn’t familiar. I recognized the Eagles, but these weren’t the Colts on the field with them. Oh, wait a minute! The announcer informed me that the Colts were wearing ‘throwback’ uniforms. That is to say, they were increasing the stock of merchandise they could sell to their fans via the expedient of wearing jerseys and helmets which they had never before worn in the entire history of the franchise during their time in Indianapolis thus giving pangs of nostalgia, not to mention nausea, to folks from Maryland. See, the Colts, as anyone with knowledge of football history knows, were originally from Baltimore. They were adored in Baltimore, and sold many tickets to their games. Therefore, they did the obvious and moved to Indianapolis.

The NFL is funny that way. Cities with perfectly respectable and profitable franchises lose them because some other city offers the ownership a new stadium and legions of formerly unclothed suckers… excuse me, that would be fans… to whom they can sell merchandise. The citizens of Baltimore were all wearing Colts shirts, some of them even in the design of the throwback uniforms the Indianapolis Colts were wearing in Philadelphia only yesterday, so obviously they needed to move to someplace where there were, in the football sense, previously-naked people.

Want to feel utterly ashamed to call yourself a football fan? Here are the teams that have changed cities since the inception of the league:

The Boston Redskins moved to Washington. The Cleveland Rams moved to Los Angeles. The Chicago Cardinals moved to Saint Louis. The Dallas Texans moved to Kansas City. The Los Angeles Chargers moved to San Diego. The Baltimore Colts moved to Indianapolis. The Houston Oilers moved to Tennessee. The Oakland Raiders moved to Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams, formerly from Cleveland, moved to Saint Louis, while the Saint Louis Cardinals, formerly from Chicago, moved to Arizona. The Los Angeles Raiders decided they liked it better in Oakland, so they moved back. The Cleveland Browns, a beloved franchise like the Baltimore Colts, moved to, interestingly enough, Baltimore. The citizens of Baltimore, knowing well the heartbreak of losing their own beloved franchise, said a figurative "Screw You" to Cleveland and welcomed the Browns with open arms. The NFL, seeing that owners had decided that Houston and Cleveland were both horrible places to be, opened new franchises in Houston and Cleveland. And, of course, both the New York Giants and the New York Jets have been playing their home games in New Jersey for decades, but they're too ashamed to admit it.

I think there may be one or two I’m forgetting about, but you get the idea. Football fans are insane and will stand there being kicked in the gonads for as long as you wish to continue doing so, provided you give them the opportunity to buy many different shirts.

Another thing that happened today was that I found out I can no longer eat raisin bran.

I was watching the New England Patriots (formerly the Boston Patriots, but they moved to Foxboro and annexed five other states in the process) play the Cleveland Browns (the new ones, not the old ones currently residing in Baltimore) and I decided to have a snack. I poured myself a big bowl of raisin bran, deluged it with milk and sugar, and brought it into the living room to enjoy with the game. I took a big spoonful of it into my mouth and realized, as I was chewing on it, that I was in serious pain. It was as though I had decided to chow down on a mouthful of razor blades.

Pain is not what one expects when eating a sweet and tasty breakfast cereal one has enjoyed since childhood. So, thinking that perhaps I was victim of some sort of singular sensory oddity, I scooped another huge spoonful into my mouth. Same thing. I was in immediate searing pain as I chomped down on the flakes. Then I realized what was happening. As I chewed and made the crispy flakes into smaller bits of crispiness, they were getting up under my new denture and cutting my gums to ribbons.

All of which might make you wonder why I’m happy. Well, I’ll tell you.

First off, I have teeth. Thus far, raisin bran is the only thing I’ve been unable to enjoy since getting my dentures. If it were, say, 87 B. C., rather than 2010 A.D., I’d be stuck eating gruel the rest of my life. I’d also probably be living in a tree and painting myself blue, but that’s beside the point. In addition, I’m married to a woman who doesn’t resemble, even in the least, a resident of New Jersey. And the Colts lost. That, in itself, is usually enough to make me happy. The rest is just gravy, which has never cut my gums to ribbons, thank you. Also, when I awoke at 9 o’clock on Sunday, I realized that it was the weekend to set our clocks back an hour, so I then set them back to 8 o’clock and became an hour younger than I had been just seconds before.

Life is good. All you have to do is look at things in the right way.

Soon, with more better stuff.

THANKSGIVING COMES FIRST - More Thanks To YOU!

[The Original Post, for those who may be unaware of what this is following up on.]

I am extremely blessed. Every year, when I write about Thanksgiving, many of you join in and write posts of your own concerning the holiday. And, since I make it a point to read all of your postings, I become privy to some of the best writing on the subject. Every person has their unique take on it. Sometimes, I learn something I never knew before. Other times, I am thrilled anew, by my own Thanksgivings past, as your wonderful reminiscences trigger an unearthing of my long-buried memories.

This year has been no exception. The overall quality of the writing has been superb, and I thank you for pouring so much of your hearts into each posting.

I'm now going to list some links to the latest Thanksgiving Comes First posts, and I hope you'll take the time to visit these people who share your views concerning this holiday I love. Please read what they have to say, and please continue, in your own way, to encourage others to post. Again, I thank you.

Cindy, at Monkey Boy Adventures, chimes in concerning her trip to Target, wherein she encountered Christmas decorations prior to Halloween. Boo, Target!

Jeni, proprietor of Down River Drivel, gives us all the story of her Halloween, then sinks her chops into Thanksgiving. She's been a long-time reader of mine, and I sure do appreciate the loyalty. I know it can become trying at times...

Some folks haven't written a TCF post, per se, but they have put up the artwork on their sidebars, added a link, or otherwise have become involved. New Country Girl, for instance, has spoken in general about Christmas stuff being out too early, and our turkey is prominently displayed. There are some interesting entries on Facebook concerning us. Janine, who until recently wrote well at Sniffles & Smiles - she's taking some time off to catch up on other matters - added a link and some kind words. There are some actual pages devoted to our cause - Thanksgiving Comes First and Thanksgiving Comes First (Before Christmas). It wouldn't hurt to join them.

Lori, at My Life Interrupted, wrote about how the rush to buy, buy, buy marginalizes those without the resources to do so. She adds other compelling thoughts, and I enjoyed every word of it.

Unexpected Surprises - those are the best kind of surprises! - is written by Brittany Johnson. She admits she became caught up in the Christmas creep, but then had more sane thoughts. Good for her!

SAHM (which is an acronym for Stay At Home Mother) is the author of Larsen Loves. She writes of a desire for warm family times, as you might expect a mom to do (and I'm all for that, as you might imagine.) She also has a crafting blog and, if you go there, you'll get a yummy recipe for dessert (another thing I'm in favor of.)

Another stay-at-home mom is Kat. As Cindy did in her entry linked above, Kat's post mentions Target as an offender (I think it's pretty clear they don't care what holiday they trample upon in the rush for profit) and her kid's reactions to Santa and such showing up in October.

I mentioned Barbara Shallue yesterday, but she's worth mentioning again. Her post is entitled Thanksgiving Comes First (p.s. peace) and I enjoyed it immensely.

Renaissance Mama mentions another retailer giving Thanksgiving the virtual finger (IKEA) and shares her struggle of trying to NOT give in to her impulses.

As I wrote this, I received e-mail from a few others, telling me that they had written posts of their own. I've not yet had a chance to read these that follow, but I'll do so as soon as I post this. I trust I'll enjoy them, and that you will, also.

Phyllis, at All Things Beautiful.

Bonnie-Rocks, at Bonnie's Journal.

Maren at Live Journal.

(I truly dislike just linking these folks, without effusive praise for their efforts, but I haven't had a chance to read those entries yet. I hope they understand...)



And now, under the category of saving the best for last...

All of the above are worth reading. I mean that. And I'm grateful for anything that anyone has done to promote this cause. Having said that, and with no disrespect intended toward the writing of anyone else, I have saved a very special post for last. This post touched me so deeply, and encapsulated so completely my own treasured memories and feelings concerning Thanksgiving, that I truthfully have to say it is my favorite writing upon the subject, ever.

Cricket, of Cricket & Porcupine, has written an essay on Thanksgiving that I consider a masterpiece. It may not only be the best I've ever read concerning the holiday, but perhaps the best piece of writing I've encountered on the internet during the 5+ years since I began blogging. I would prefer that you read every post linked within this page, as they are all wonderful. But, if you only have time for one, make it THIS ONE. Hell, even if you don't have any time, make some. This is worth every second, every minute, you put aside to read it.

(I would especially commend this post to those of you from lands where the Thanksgiving holiday isn't part of your calendar. It paints a picture of the traditions, and strong family love shared, more fully than anything else I've read.)

And that will do it for now. Please keep writing, and urging your readers to write. And please tell me if I've missed your writing or anybody else's. I truly want to give credit and a link to anyone who has it in their heart to keep Thanksgiving in top priority during its rightful time of year.

(And, if you'd like more reading, here's a collection of links to TCF posts from earlier in the week!)

Soon, with more better stuff.

THANKSGIVING COMES FIRST - Thank You!

Image courtesy Thanksgiving Corner

Have I told you lately that I love you? Well, I do. I ask you to jump on the bandwagon, via my annual appeal for holiday sanity, and not only do a whole bunch of you climb on board, but some of you even volunteer to drive for a while. That is to say, you drive more people to my blog, with your postings, than I usually get in an entire day.

For instance, Adam Gaffin, the most excellent host over at Universal Hub - a compendium of Boston-centric news items and blog postings - did as he does every year, putting a link to my post on his front page and sending a few hundred folks my way. Thanks, Adam!

Another huge source of hits was Hilary, at The Smitten Image. She has a weekly "Post Of The Week", and she gave my cause a nice plug here. Many folks stopped by because of it, and quite a few promised to do posts of their own.

(By the way, that's how this thing will make a difference, if it may at all. My ranting about it is fun, and lets me blow off some steam, but unless YOU post something - and ask your friends to also do so - it's just a fart in the middle of a hurricane. If we can get all sorts of people to post, then it becomes a really big stink that retailers and whatnot might actually notice.)

(No, I didn't have to use that particular phrasing, but since those who have perpetrated Christmas Creep have been crapping on us for years, it's apt.)

Special awards for quick action go to Christina at Lucrative Pain, and Michelle at The Surly Writer. They had their postings - HERE, and HERE, respectively - up on their own blogs within hours of mine. Both lovely ladies, and I thank them from the depths of my soul.

Some folks deserve special mention for being with me in this campaign for a long time. Thimbelle, at Creeping Towards Normal, is one of those folks. Her writing on the subject is one of my favorite essays, ever. She has given the cause a page of it's own on her blog, as a matter of fact, and it is there year-round for folks to access. Please read her wonderful words.

Another long-timer is Buck, at Exile In Portales. He signs on every year (although he feels it's somewhat fruitless - see the friendly exchange between he and Thimbelle in the comments section of my original posting.) He gets to the heart of the matter quickly and succinctly, as befits a military man.

(In e-mail, he expressed some misgivings about not being wordier. I told him then - and I meant it - that less words will please folks who don't care for my sort of bloviating, and that his approach is very valuable.)

Again, Thanksgiving Corner

Jillsy Girl has a page on her blog wherein she directs folks to stuff she likes. I thank her for liking me! Quite a few readers showed up here as a result. She also did a separate posting, expounding upon her own thoughts concerning the matter.

(I especially like how she laid out her words to look like a Christmas tree.)

Uncle Skip (not my uncle, but he is somebody's) had this to say. And he's posted our artwork, with a link, as a sticky at the top of his blog. Much appreciated!

A number of nice folks who don't even have the holiday of Thanksgiving, folks from across the sea, added best wishes in the comments. I appreciated that. One actually posted thoughts on the matter, and here they are. Cheers!

Rob, at samaBlog, wrote about it with an entirely new slant. At least, it's new to me, and I enjoyed it. I think you will, too. Find his very interesting take HERE.

Calamity Shazaam In The Kitchen gives me a nice bit of an ego-boost in her posting. Like my ego needed any more inflating...

Jeni Ertmer, at Down River Drivel, always has the TCF artwork on her sidebar, and that's appreciated. Thanks, Jeni!

(A link to us showed up on The Huffington Post, as well as on Buzz Tracker. Both of those gave me a slight start, and cause for hope.)

My buddy, IT, gave us the link love (and a Buddy Hackett appearance on Johnny Carson, which is always worthwhile.) Likewise, Alex Johnson provided a way for folks to get here. And Kat, at Seeking Sanity, has the artwork - with link - posted on her sidebar. Every bit helps, and I thank them.

My friend Kris, at Noodling On It, has written a nice piece. Please read it HERE.




And, since I wrote the bulk of this before the weekend, here are the good folks who wrote things that I just discovered since returning to work this morning. God Bless Them All!

Pat, at Remembrances Of An Arkansas Stamper, proudly displays the artwork, with a link, on the sidebar.

Robert H. Brague (Rhymes With Plague) has posted about us. Thank you!

A Tale Of Two Buckskins talks about Christmas tree sales around his way.

Jazz, at Haphazard Life, is one of my favorite Canadians.

(I like Canadians in general. They kind of have the same sensibilities that we Americans had in the 50's and 60's. I consider that a very good thing.)

Anyway, she has posted one of my all-time favorite cartoons about Thanksgiving, and she has written about us with pity...

(I can read the love underneath the gentle cynicism, you crazy Canuck.)

The Fifty Factor has not only written a nice piece, but has also posted the artwork on the sidebar, with a link, and some words, and... and... well, I run out of nice things to say about all of you, but this is all nice. Yes, very nice. Thank You!

Messy Mimi, at (where else?) Messy Mimi's Meanderings has gone all Thanksgiving militant! In a nice way, of course, and that's how it should be. Thanks, Mimi!

Mari, at My Little Corner Of The World, has joined the cause. Thank you, Mari, and God bless.

Gran Speaks! And this time, Gran is speaking about Thanksgiving coming first. Thanks, Gran!

Last, but certainly not least by any means, is my good buddy, Lime. She always writes something worth reading, and her thoughts on this matter are no exception. Please go have an indignant chuckle at House Of Lime. There is also a link to another Thanksgiving story, and that's worth a read, too.

And that's that, for now.

I had promised to publish this list of links on Friday the 5th, but I just couldn't wait. I am entirely too full of thanks to wait another four days. Fear not, though, if you were planning a post but haven't done one yet. I'll still be doing a post of links on Friday, too. Just let me know when you post something, please. I want to be sure to send folks your way. Likewise, if I've somehow done the unforgivable here by missing what you've already published, LET ME KNOW ABOUT MY OMISSION. Write to me at suldog@aol.com, or leave a comment, or something. I truly want to see all of your stuff, and give credit where credit is due.

Again, thank you. Please keep 'em coming.

Soon, with more of your stuff.