Happy Thanksgiving

 

November is best known for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Many people think of this as a simple eating marathon, but of course that isn't what it was meant to be. The first Thanksgiving was in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and was held to celebrate a successful harvest. It was based on English fall festivals, with a Pilgrim twist. This was the one we all learned about as gradeschoolers. I had never heard of the previous celebration in Jamestown in 1619. It was actually a prayer meeting, not a feast. The next official time was called "Solemn Thanksgiving" and was celebrated in June. A solemn Thanksgiving was known as a day of "fasting and humiliation." I am thinking it was a reminder to be humble and grateful for survival. It didn't really catch on. Most of us would rather feast than fast!

President George Washington declared a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789. Other early presidents kept it as a holiday, except for Thomas Jefferson, and John Quincy Adams because of their beliefs about the separation of church and state. It didn't become an official holiday until 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation calling on the American people to unite and observe a special day of thankfulness. Since that time, it has been celebrated every year, and since 1941, has always been on the fourth Thursday of November.

Sarah Josepha Hale was the woman responsible for making this a national holiday. She was the editor of Godey's Lady's Book, which was a very popular nineteenth century lady's magazine. She wrote a novel called "Northwood" in 1827. In it she described a Thanksgiving dinner with our traditional foods. Her characters discussed why it should be a national holiday. Mrs. Hale sent letters to governors and Presidents for over thirty years (!) to actively promote a single, consistent date for Thanksgiving. Finally, in 1863, President Lincoln listened to her and reminded the war-torn nation to be grateful for the "blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies" in an official Proclamation.

Franklin Roosevelt changed the date to the third Thursday in November in 1939. He said that a longer Christmas shopping season would be better for economic recovery of the country. I'm pretty sure he was influenced by the retailers. Only 32 states accepted the new date, and finally in 1941, Congress set a fixed date of the fourth Thursday in November. I would prefer it to be the third.

Wishing everyone a happy day of peace and plenty with a reminder to us all to give thanks and be grateful. 

Sweet November

No morn-no noon-

No dawn-no dusk-no proper time of day...

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,

No comfortable feel in any member-

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,

No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds,-

November!

                                               -Thomas Hood, English poet

                                          1799-1845

Yes, it is true that November can seem like the grayest and most dismal month of the year. We get up in the dark and come home in the dark, and for many of us it is just too early to start our holiday decorating.

This year I have noticed that more and more houses already have their trees up and the outside decorated. I'm not sure if that's because the holiday is so late or that people just need a little more cheer than usual! Even the style this year has gone back to old fashioned and traditional. I keep seeing and hearing Ralph Lauren and Little Women or Little House on the Prairie decorating. Buntings, paper chains, and orange and apple slices are now the popular way again to accent your house!

Even though that's been my way to decorate for years, this is still too early for me. I did manage to make Halloween disappear, but I still have some fabric pumpkins, and a couple of Thanksgiving banners hanging up. And they will stay until that holiday is over. I don't really decorate a lot for Turkey Day. I love Halloween and I adore Christmas, but for me Thanksgiving is just stuck there in the middle. 

I've had lots of big family traditional dinners but have never really cooked one. When I was growing up, and then when my children were young, we always went to "The Farm." It was the kind of Thanksgiving dinner that everyone should have. My favorite aunt and uncle hosted and everyone ate a lot. My dad had six brothers and sisters, so there was always a crowd, with lots of cousins. The table was set with the good china, and the younger ones had a table of their own. Most of the family weren't active church goers so there was always an awkward moment while somebody cobbled together a thankful prayer of grace. Afterwards, the men napped or went pheasant hunting while the women gossiped in the kitchen and the kids explored the rambling old house. Then the eating began all over again. It wasn't exactly a Norman Rockwell scene, but just about as close as my family got.

Of course, we've had lots of other Thanksgiving dinners since then. All were special in their own ways. And some of them came with tears along with the turkey. We'll never forget the one where the tablecloth caught fire. Or the one where I invited all the family and some friends to the fraternity house and my son-in-law cooked dinner in the fancy new kitchen. Now we divide our time with two families and different traditions. Our California Thanksgiving was beautiful, but we are glad not to be traveling during the holidays this year. 

Isn't it curious that this dark, damp and dreary time of the year is the time we are most reminded to be thankful? Perhaps it is good to remember this is just a little respite, a time between the October harvest, and the lights and sparkle of the December holidays.

Don't forget to count your Blessings!

VETERANS DAY, REMEMBRANCE DAY

Tuesday, November 11 is our Veterans Day, known as Remembrance Day in other parts of the world. It marks the signing of the Armistice of World War I, which officially took effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

When I was in junior high, our history teacher required each of us to learn the poem "In Flanders Fields". One by one, we all had to recite it to him in the back of the room. I loved that poem. It still makes me cry. I remember every word and have been known to quote it at odd moments.

The poem was written by a Canadian soldier, John McCrea, after his friend was killed in the battle in 1915. A few years later, in November of 1918, Moina Michael wrote a reply to the poem and vowed to wear a red poppy every day as a symbol of remembrance. She sold poppy flower corsages to raise money for veterans and their families and became known as "The Poppy Lady"

Although the First World War was proclaimed to be the War to End all Wars, unfortunately, it was not. 

We went to the movie "Nuremberg" on Tuesday. I didn't think I would like it, but I did. It is a movie that stays with you. It was first released at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7. It got a four minute standing ovation, which was the first time that happened.

It is based on the true story of the trials of German Nazis after the end of World War II. The main story line is about the psychiatrist who interviewed them to keep track of their psychological states. He was to evaluate whether they were able to stand trial. The focus is on  his relationship with Herman Goering. 

Although Dr. Douglas Kelly wrote a book after the trial, it was never well received. It's out of print, but I might try to find it. The book that the movie is based on was written in 2013 by Jack El-Hai. It's called "The Nazi and the Psychiatrist". I've ordered it.

I read several reviews of the movie and they were not always good. I think it was definitely worth seeing.

          "The only clue to what man can do is what man has done."                                                               R.G. Collingwood       

 When John and I combined households six years ago, we realized right away that we had more things than we had room to keep. I had already downsized several times, but I don't think he and his first wife had ever let anything go. We realized right away that many, many items needed to move on to family, or friends, thrift shop donations, the end of the driveway, or the dumpster. I rented a small booth at a local antique mall and started pricing our "treasures". My booth has never had a theme or been truly staged. But now, finally, I am running low on inventory. Except for some handcrafted items that I've made, (and a few storage pieces) I have never bought something just to put in the booth. My dilemma is this--is it time to get serious and put more money and personality into this space or is it time to let it go?

 

I'm really not much of a shopper. I lose interest pretty quickly in department stores. Clothes shopping doesn't excite me at all.  I do love to look at everything in big box stores. I want to see all the books, the toys, the holiday decorations and the housewares. I enjoy craft and fabric stores even though there are getting to be fewer and fewer of them. Cute little boutiques and garage sales make me nervous because I always feel obligated to buy something even if I don't want anything. But thrift stores are different.

 

 I am afraid that I may have been bitten by the dangerous insect called the "Thrift Store Bug". Twice a week I attend a Pilates class unless I talk myself out of it. I have just discovered that there are at least six thrift stores between my class and my home. My initial plan was to buy items to resell at a profit. So, I have been cruising the aisles the past few days. I found a vintage nativity set from Italy. FOR ME. Two old tin containers jumped into my cart. FOR ME. A tiny suitcase FOR ME. Three white baby dresses FOR ME. I may have to rethink this plan.