Open Thread – Happy Thanksgiving!
Well, it’s my favorite holiday, and it seems like it just happened, yet here it is back again. This particular Thanksgiving is going to be an interesting one for me. It’ll be the first Thanksgiving in almost 20 years that will not be followed by a Black Friday in retail. I have a feeling I’m going to like it… a LOT!
But I really love Thanksgiving because it is a day just to be thankful with no expectations. It’s a day to look around at all the things you might normally take for granted, and give them a nod. It’s even a great enough holiday that nobody notices when you put vegetables in the pie.
One of my favorite Thanksgivings ever was in a little cabin down in Hope. It was the day I took the picture of the mudflats that’s now the banner on top of the blog. It got so cold that Thanksgiving that the pipes froze, and we had to use the outhouse at 17 below zero. It made me thankful for indoor plumbing, and for friends that made the whole weekend a great deal of fun… even after the power went out. I’ve thought about that Thanksgiving on every subsequent one, and try to carry that sense of gratitude not only for physical comforts, but for the good people in life.
Some of you will be surrounded by family, some with friends, some not. But all of you here are part of this community, whether you are an editor, a guest blogger, an advertiser, a Forum administrator or moderator, a frequent commenter, a supporter, or a Hushpuppy (lurker). Thank you all for your presence, your caring, your willingness to show up and be counted, your eternal optimism and your great big hearts.
Sometimes it seems like our job as progressives is a constant uphill slog. OK, that’s because it IS a constant uphill slog. But it’s who we are, and since we realize that this is our lot, the importance of having a great group of people to slog with can’t be overestimated. It’s kind of like if Sisyphus, eternally rolling his boulder up the hill, had gotten to bring along thousands of his closest friends, and take frequent pit stops to laugh, and commiserate and engage in stimulating discussion. It might have made his eternal plight a lot more fun.
And thank you to those who reach out via Twitter, Facebook, email, and the comments in the blog. I never have time to answer everyone, but I always enjoy your links, tips, hints, typo corrections and kind thoughts.
Thanks to you Outsiders who come from all corners of the globe to peek in our Alaskan window. It’s because you are our ambassadors that there are people out there who don’t define our great state by its most infamous politicians, and ex-half-politicians. There are many of you who know more about Alaska politics than those who live here. We are honored by your presence, and curiosity, and willingness to share yourselves with us, and let us share Alaska with you.
I’m sure the next Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. I can’t even imagine what the next year will bring, so I’m not going to try. But, here’s hoping that you all hae a safe, happy gratitude-filled day. I am thankful for each and every one of you.
While I have much to be thankful for this was a day we changed the traditional meal so we wouldn’t notice the empty chair. Last year we had so much fun joking and laughing. This year it was quieter with just our daughter. Today I went to the cemetery, put new flowers in, and cried. Hug your loved ones, you never know when they will be gone.
(((((bb))))))
I am thankful for Sarah Palin leading me to the Mudflats which in turn enables me to hold on to my sanity when I hear about Sarah Palin.
I have been away from the ‘flats’ for what seems like forever. So many things in our lives can overwhelm and consume our time, until we suddenly realize how much time has passed.
The Mudflats has been one of those pleasures that I have had to set aside for that ‘extra time’ we always seem to look and long for. How I have missed my daily , then weekly, then……..visits.
I am Thankful for many things; Today, one of them is being able to finally sit in front of my monitor and simply READ for a bit. Catch up on how everyone has been doing here at the Flats. Tomorrow, I actually have even more time to spend on the flats, see what’s been going on. I am really looking forward to a nice long visit tomorrow. I have really missed you all.
What a wonderful way to end my Thanksgiving Day.
Thank you AKM and all the Mudpups for still being here and still being the wonderful people that you are.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all !
My heart is full, belly too.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I, too, am thankful for such a warm and intelligent community.
Since it’s an open thread, and AKM mentioned Black Friday…
If this doesn’t get everyone into the Christmas Season spirits, nothing will. Fantastic YT!
Christmas Food Court Flash Mob
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE
Our Governor and his wife were serving turkey and potatoes at the local Salvation Army community Thanksgiving dinner hosted at a local restaurant, The Hangar. This is the third year we’ve gone – we like the food, we leave a donation and we get so see some locals we haven’t seen for awhile. Juneau is small size wise, but it’s extremely spread out (unbelievably so) and it’s very odd how you can go quite some time before bumping into someone you’ve known for years and years but haven’t seen in forever.
I don’t agree with Governor Parnell’s politics, but he and his wife are very pleasant in public. No screeching, big smiles which were real, quiet voices wishing us a Happy Thanksgiving as they wanted to know just exactly how much you wanted and what kind. They were very attentive. Thank you Governor Parnell.
What a kind thing to say – truly in the spirit of the day. Sometimes it is turn the other cheek and you get to see that it is a little bit better. (((HUGS)))
AKM – Thank you for all your hard work and love of country and state. Reading here keeps me going for all of our sakes.
Thanks for reminding me to appreciate so many others here – thank you every single pup!
I hope you all find yourselves pleasantly stuffed with the stuffing of your choice.
I am grateful for all of you, especially AKM who started this wonderful oasis of sanity.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to all new found friends here. Thanksgiving hasn’t been the same since Mother passed several years ago. Home alone today,tomorrow Granddaughters will be raising the roof. Please everyone be safe when you return to your homes.
I shared my Thanksgiving ‘thankfuls’ yesterday, but I’d like to add one more today and it has to do with a book on my shelf.
Because of the intelligence and thoughtfulness of AKM and the mudpups who comment here, I find myself continually striving to improve the quality of my writing and make (most of) my comments more expressive. For a long time, I had become a lazy writer who fell back on the same old tired style and vocabulary. Working with elementary school children, I spend most of my time surrounded by the most simplistic of reading materials and it doesn’t take a lot of effort to sound more sophisticated than “I see the cat. The cat sits on the mat.”!
However, for the first time in many years, my thesaurus is getting a daily workout and my brain cells are being pushed to raise the bar.
Thank you, AKM and the Mudpups for making me want to be a better writer and a better person!
William Blake wrote that …Gratitude is Heaven.
Or maybe, Heaven is Gratitude…
Works either way for me…because when we are grateful,
we don’t need anything. And in each moment, we really
don’t.
I too am grateful for the Mudflats community, re-orienting
the craziness.
Happy Thanksgiving all!
‘a Hushpuppy’ – Oh my Gosh, you remembered me in the list! I’m sooo touched… and thankful!
I shared ‘Happy Thanksgiving’ wishes before signing off last night, but I want to say another today.
I am truly thankful for the day during the 2008 elections when I stumbled onto this blog. The tone of the entries and the spirit of the comments have really been great, and they are what draw me back daily to see what’s going on. Hats off to AKM, her team, and to all contributors for making this such a warm community!
(You almost make me want to brave the conundrums of technology to join in the FB forum – however, that would be beyond my skills.)
Thanksgiving is a nice American holiday with somewhat ironic origins: a group of immigrants who left England to pursue religious freedom from the state church. They were woefully unprepared to survive in the new country, and the Native Americans (who didn’t question the newcomers’ religious affiliations) baled their immigrant asses out so they wouldn’t starve in that first winter.
My ancestors came to this country in the 1870’s for the religious freedoms which it offered. Nearly a century and a half later, it’s troubling to see an open resurgence of “Christians” in this country who not only have a smug, proprietary attitude of ownership to this country and its government, but a virulent bigotry against other religions. What an ironic memorial to that first “Thanksgiving” in many ways.
In 2010, I’m thankful, but saddened, for our troops……young men and women in the bloom of their lives who are fighting and dying on foreign soil for this country’s security and its freedoms….including religious freedom.
In 2010, I’m thankful for a calm, brilliant leader in the White House who has accomplished a tremendous amount in two years despite being lynched daily by those who deny his birth, faith and patriotism…..and many of them do it in the name of their brand of religion.
Here in Rochester, NY our community said its final farewells on Tuesday to 26-year-old Marine Staff Sgt. Javier Ortiz-Rivera who was killed in Afghanistan last week. He leaves behind a wife and three small children. How sad that the family must spend Thanksgiving week mourning his loss. Hundreds of people lined the streets along the route where the funeral procession passed, many of them strangers who wanted to pay their respects to the fallen Marine and his family.
I hope that by next Thanksgiving, many of our brave men and women in the military will be home with their families. I pray for the safety of those still in battle.
OK It’s about time we started a Thousands part harmony.
1-2-3-4 You can anything you want at AKM’s restaurant………
Tis a fine day indeed. Best to all.
. . . just walk right in, it’s around the back . . .
Just a half a mile from the railroad track? Can we get anything we want?
A big Thanks to AKM and all the mudpups for this wonderful place to gather. It’s great to be here and participate in this community of sanity. The sun is out and we are headed to dog park for a morning of ball chasing before heading to a major feast.
Someone asked (nswfm?) a few threads ago about our very own Alex’s documentary M*U*S*H, which will be shown at the upcoming Anchorage International Film Festival.
Here is a link for the schedule and other events at the festival:
http://www.anchoragefilmfestival.org/2010/film/festival-selections/
**Alex has put a preview of his fantastic documentary on the Forum, check it out:
https://themudflats.net/forum/index.php/topic,10779.0.html
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! The dinner is at our house this year. But it’ll be a small one – 9 of us. Some made other plans and the weather is keeping two from coming, after they were without power for three days. But the turkey is in the oven and things are almost ready.
Take care, have a wonderful time with your family and friends.
OK.OK. i am going to get ready to go hunting up some turkey and the fixins’ but first lest we forget:
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/happy-thanksgiving-from-sarah-palin/9a048918e77863a703039a048918e77863a70303-280389747417?q=thanksgiving%20politics&FROM=LKVR5>1=LKVR5&FORM=LKVR3
bubbles, I’ll leave a place at the table for you, if you wander this far! But please let us forget that video- just for today? 🙂
oh, yes….. not even mastercard but priceless!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you
Thank you AKM for all that you do. You started by sharing some local political news and have ended up bringing together an amazing, diverse community that shares, supports, cheers, cries and laughs with each other. I have ‘met’ some wonderful people here at the flats and every day I learn and grow by visiting.
Happy and healthy Thanksgiving to all who gather here at the Mudflats.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, and AKM, for all the work you do. Giving us a place to share, rant and gather anytime we want to restore our sanity. Peace to all.
I am very thankful for you, AKM, and for all the mudpuppies. I lived in Alaska for 45 years and moved to NM when I retired, but you have kept me connected to the beautiful people and places that I love, and miss every day. It’s wonderful to have you to look forward to every day and I love the rough and tumble of Alaska politics. Yes, I’m a political junky, so I really appreciate you and all the other very intellectual people who now reside in Mudflats Land. I have to give an extra shout out to That Crow Woman. I love reading this wonderful woman every day. So, the bottom line is, I love you all and hope you have a wonderful and peaceful Thanksgiving. There is much to be thankful for and AKM, you prove that to us every day.
There is no better blog community than this one, IMHO. I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you over the past couple of years and I can say with certainty, you are all treasures.
Happy Thankgiving to all of you, no matter if you are Americans or honorary Americans.
Thank-you, AKM.
Happy Thanksgiving to you as well and everybody on this site! Thank you for all your hard work and all the funny and informative content. I don’t comment very often but visit from time to time and have come to really appreciate your blog, it makes me want to visit Alaska one day : )
$P’s reckless views on obesity
“It’s clear that we can’t go 24 hours without Sarah Palin saying something so stupid that it defies logic, but leave it to the Kim Kardashian of politics to find something wrong with first lady Michelle Obama’s effort to curb obesity in America’s kids……………….
Any Republican with common sense should see that Sarah Palin poses an immediate threat to the future of this country. She proves that every time she opens her mouth.
Sarah, for the benefit of the nation, stick a fork in it.”
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/11/24/martin.michelle.obama.palin/?hpt=T2
I love you all, you know.
I truly do.
(((MonaLisa and Scout)))
((((((Bubbles & Mudpups))))))
Happy Thanksgiving, mudpups, I’m thankful, thankful, thankful!
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/209/512982934_fde3a39c09_o.gif
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am so grateful for having found my way to this wonderful community of sanity and laughter. Still the best tags ever: headbangery, eyerollery, skullduggery!
Peace, out.
Thank you, AKM. Thank you to all who post here. You have helped me learn, and that is important to me.
Today our house is brim full of children, their spouses, grandgirlies. I am allowed to be nice, and stay the heck out of the kitchen unless it is to get more coffee, or taste test a delightful morsel.
I am thankful to be alive. Whoof.
Palin University (Book Review)
http://www.slate.com/id/2275739/
“Reading this book, which has a first run of 1 million copies, it’s clear that since the wonderful experience of becoming a celebrity and the traumatic experience of losing to Obama/Biden, she hasn’t had much to say. She will have plenty of time to say it.”
i am thankful for AKM and all my mudpup friends. thank you for your part in healing and helping me. if you had seen me three years ago. weak and trembling. trying to overcome and to balance my body from devastating thyroid disease and it’s attendant symptoms. now i am doing well. my life has changed in so many ways. for my friends here who are ailing this morning and those of you who mourn loved ones i send my love. things will get easier to bear.
today i have been invited to have dinner with sis and her family; and a young couple who live a distance away in another borough. i will try to spend time with both families because they are sweet to ask me and because i so miss my daughter and SIL though i will see them soon.
thank you Crow Woman for your prayerful thoughts. love to Littlebird and Crowman.
…and for the day after:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2010/11/animation_of_the_day_1.html?wprss=comic-riffs
happy Thanksgiving Mr. President and to the first family as well….also. too.
http://theobamadiary.com/2010/11/24/hey-someone-to-look-up-to/
What great pictures! It’s at moments loke those that he just makes me so proud!
I hope that these families get copies to remember that experience by…what a wonderful memory to look back on for those kids.
Please give your darling daughter and her lovely husband a squeeze for me when you see them. And your sister today, too! XOXO
thank you Ripley. i will
(SKIP ALERT)
thatcrowwoman’s morning prayer
I give thanks for the morning, for the new day in which I can laugh and play and work and learn.
I give thanks for all the day’s goodness:
for the love of my family and friends,
for the beautiful world which has awakened with me,
for my faith and for the wisdom of my ancestors which teach me how to live.
Today I will show my love for my family, I will be kind to my friends, I will be gentle with animals.
I will do my best to be helpful, to learn, to be a good person.
For the power to grow each day, I give thanks and praise.
*shema*
Amen.
L’Shalom.
L’Chaim.
thatcrowwoman
*wrapping my wings around you all, and counting you among my many blessings*
Next year in Jerusalem! Oh wait . . .
AKM – I, too, have to thank Sarah for leading me to you! But my biggest thanks are reserved for you and all the mudpups who brighten my days when it gets so gloomy sometimes I think I can’t stand it. I come here & immediately get recharged. THANK YOU! And a Happy, happy Thanksgiving to you all.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!! Be safe and enjoy this time with family and friends.
Buff – we’ll all be thinking of you today.,,, and thankful you’re still here with us…..(Great Story !) how dem kittehs ? 🙂
Hey Ben – da kittehs are big and adorable. The two boys were adopted by Crazy George and are over at the old house , living happily. The girls are here with me. Despite their grownup bodies they still act very much like wee ones. One of these days I’ll get a picture of them posted. Only 8 months late!
Off to start the stuffing for my little biddy Tday meal !
Thanksgiving, hmmmm
“Holiday meals served and delivered to reservation residents”
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_38cedb84-f837-11df-9406-001cc4c03286.html
“Native American tribes have little to be thankful for”
http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/americas/native-american-tribes-have-little-to-be-thankful-for
As I’m still not up to doing much of anything since the hospital visit, I’ll be home alone today, though not at all feeling alone. Many thanks to AKM and Mudpups from around the globe.
Fun Thanksgiving memory : I was about 8 or so and Mom was preparing a huge meal. We had an oven down in the basement that she was using for the very big turkey, while the upstairs oven was relegated for pies and such. The five siblings were at the kitchen table in our jammies and slippers, eating breakfast while Mom was downstairs doing turkey related things. Suddenly, we hear a scream and she yells up to me to “GET THE KIDS OUT OF THE HOUSE !! THERE’S A FIRE!!!!” I’m the eldest and I gather up the sibs, youngest of which was 2. We race for our lives out the front door and in to the Buffalo snow. No coats, no shoes. We run in a panic to a neighbors house a few doors away. Firetrucks are called. 3 big ones show up. We watch from the neighbor’s window as the firemen all go racing in to save our home and our mother.
As Mom told the story later, a group of big , strappin’ firemen stood around chuckling as one lone fireman took a cup of water and tossed it on to the bird and ended the emergency. Mom was embarrassed but thankful and invited them all back for dinner. A few actually did show up.
Mom’s gone now but there’s not a year that goes by that that story isn’t retold at least once and I just know she’s laughing with us.
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all !
Hey BuffaloGal, you’re not alone today…you’ve got the whole Mudflats family celebrating Turkey Day with you!
And we’re especially joyous because you’re home and recovering. 🙂
Best wishes BG! Many are thinking of you. Relax and recouperate!
37 years ago, here in the Netherlands, you could only buy turkeys at christmas time, so we ate turkey only at christmas. In the supermarkets they only had baby turkeys ( about 5 1/2 lbs.) so I would go to a turkey farm and get a young turkey (+/- 14 lbs) anything larger would not fit in my oven. Several years later the turkey farm folks retired, disaster…My husband found a farm that had turkeys that year to sell, when he got it home and unwrapped it was skinless!!!! The young man, instead of just plucking it , took feathers and skin off…I used lots of butter and bacon to cook it, was not my best turkey dinner.LOL
Hope everyone one in the states has a super Thanksgiving, that and Christmas with the family back home is what I miss the most.
What a lovely way to start this day. I am off to stuff big bird. Thank you AKM for creating this living room and front porch for us to gather on. I couldn’t ask for better company.
Thank you for all you do AKM and i wish all Mudpupps a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving
And all us mudpups are so grateful for you, AKM. To read your Thanksgiving message was a great way to begin the holiday.
Thought I’d share my favorite Thanksgiving story with you: A friend decided one Thanksgivng that she was tired of serving turkey, and negotiated with a local farmer to slaughter a suckling pig. She spent a lot of time preparing this delicacy (?) and proudly carried it into the dining room where the family was gathered and triumphantly placed it on the table. Grace was said,and the meal began, when one of her sons, seated at the end of the table said “Mom, I know you spent a lot of time on this, but I just can’t sit through the whole meal staring at that pig with an apple in it’s mouth!”
His brother, sitting at the other end of the table quietly asked “Want to trade seats?”
Happy Turkey Day all. Gotta go start peelilng potatoes. If there’s anyone out there that doesn’t know what a lifesaver the crock pot is when it comes to mashed potatoes, you definitly look into it!!
Guffaw !!!!
now that’s funny