The Odd events of Thankfulness

I am not the type to want to celebrate thanksgiving. I have nothing against being thankful, believe me, I am thankful for something every day of my life. I just have no desire to sit down to a meal and over indulge myself because the Pilgrims finally had a bountiful harvest and defeated those pesky Indians. Now if you were to tell me that Roosevelt just wanted Americans to take a day out of their busy lives to remember what their lives were for then fine, I am down with Thanksgiving. Instead it is a holiday to represent how well our ancestors survived and how we should be thankful for that among all our other things.

So how are you spending your Thanksgiving? Are you really just in it for the turkey and stuffing or some other favorite side dish? Come on, I won't be mad. I personally love a few of those myself. Yet is that really a reason to have a holiday? Thanksgiving can be (despite its deplorable beginnings) something good for all. Take this day to remember why you are happy with your life. Or to find a way to make someone else happy. I am quite sure that you have a lot more to be thankful for than others. So take this time to show why/how you are thankful then by just stuffing your face.

I currently am spending Thanksgiving in the hospital. My father fell down his driveway Sunday night and broke his hip. He had to have an emergency partial hip replacement. So my family and I will be spending "turkey day" eating cafeteria food and laughing at the morphine talking through my Dad.

You know what though? I am perfectly fine with that.

Yeah sure, I would much rather my father not be hurt and in the hospital for thanksgiving. Or for any day on that matter. But my family will be acting like a family. We will not be concerned with if we are having a bigger bash than the Jones. We will not be worried if we miss that last minute ad for the 4 am sale Friday. We will just be thankful that we are all together.

Nothing more, Nothing less.

until the fates let us,

Ali

In Salute to Christmas

Hi Guys!!! So Christmas is Coming!!! Whoot! I have decided to give you a little quiz to Salute Christmas. There are 25 questions For the 25 days leading up to Christmas. So here are your rules.... I want you to answer as many as you can without searching the web. Now I know I have no way of knowing if you did or not but in the spirit of Christmas please don't cheat!!! I will reply to your comments to let you know if your answer is right or wrong then I will post the answers on December 20th. What you will win.... Whoever gets the most answers right will get a chance to post a blog here at the Ali-oop as a guest writer!!! Here We Go!!!

1. In "A Charlie Brown Christmas", what is Charlie Brown's main complaint about Christmas?
2. On what street in New York City did a Santa Claus miracle occur?
3. Counting Rudolph, how many reindeer are there?
4. In "It's a Wonderful Life", what did Clarence the angel receive for accomplishing his mission?
5. What "Saturday Evening Post" artist was known for his whimsical portraits of Santa Claus?
6. What is the Spanish translation of "merry Christmas"?
7. The baby Jesus was placed in a manger. What is a manger?
8. According to the Biblical account, how many Magi visit Jesus after his birth?
9. What carol demands "figgy pudding"?
10. What three Characters sing "The Chipmunk Song"?
11. What is Frosty's nose made of?
12. What was "the first gift my true love sent.." on the sixth day of Christmas?
13. What is the last ghost called in "A Christmas Carol"?
14. What color is the Grinch who stole Christmas?
15. what was Rudolph's punishment for his red nose?
16. How Many "Pipers Piping" did my true love give to me?
17. In "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas", what biological shortcoming made him so mean?
18. What was the original title for the movie "White Christmas". and from which later came the name of a famous hotel chain?
19. What was Scrooge's first name?
20. Who said "God bless us, every one."
21. In the song "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer", what did Grandma go to get?
22. What non-profit association sponsors Christmas Seals?
23. How many times is the name "Santa Claus" used in "The Night before Christmas?
24. What Song contains the line, "although its been said many times many ways..."
25. Who Starred as George Bailey in "Its a Wonderful Life"?

until the fates let us,

ali

Defining Thanksgiving

I work in retail so to me Thanksgiving has tended to be about sales and making goal on Black Friday. I am sick and tired of it. So today I looked up what Thanksgiving meant. This is what I got::

Thanks-givi-ing /ˌθæŋks'gɪvɪŋ/ [thangks-giv-ing]
–noun
1:the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, esp. to God.
2:an expression of thanks, esp. to God.
3:a public celebration in acknowledgment of divine favor or kindness.
4:a day set apart for giving thanks to God.

Main Entry: thanks·giv·ing
Pronunciation: \thaŋ(k)s-'gi-viŋ also 'thaŋ(k)s-ˌ\
Function: noun
Date: 1533
1: the act of giving thanks
2: a prayer expressing gratitude
3 a: a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness



Where in that is there anything about buying out the grocery store or having the biggest turkey or an early bird special? NO WHERE. That’s because that is not what’s important. What’s important is remembering all the good things in your life: be it your health, your friends, hope for a chance, your family, your pets, your job, a dream, your home, the fact you have someone who cares about you somewhere, a shoulder to cry on, you have food on the table, a laugh, you have a bed to sleep in, a future, you have heat to get through those cold nights, something to smile at, someone next to you in the bed to cuddle with, or the fact that you just lived to see the next day.
All of this is what we are to be thankful for because those things no matter how small they seem at the time, are gifts. They are divine gifts. So while you eat your dinner, think of how luck you are to have those things. And be thankful.


Also leave a wish for those that don’t. Happy Thanksgiving...


until the fates let us,

Ali