Just want to wish all my S-Z friends a Healthy, Happy Thanksgiving, and safe travels ...
No matter what our position or circumstances in life, we all have SOMETHING to be thankful for, not the least of which is this wonderful S-Z community ...
Thank you, Nigel ...
God Bless,

Tony,

My neighbor, and friend, Thanksgiving wishes back to you and family as well. You're spot on with SZ being the great community it is.

As always. thoughtful and easy to admire. Same to you and yours, Tony and everyone else.

R.

I don't know where I got this drawing, but after seeing more than a dozen young girls texting while driving on a congested highway at 60 MPH this afternoon, I suspect there will be a lot of households that have this kind of Thanksgiving dinner.

Just watched an interesting PBS special on the first English speaking Thanksgiving in the Americas.

1619 Virginia. Intended to thank God for safe travel to the new world. The plan was to give thanks each year on that date henceforth....like that word henceforth.

House rule: no hats, no electronics at the dinner table ...

Just curious.....did that PBS special happen to mention THIS fact...

Slavery in America began when the first African slaves were brought to the North American colony of Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619, to aid in the production of such lucrative crops as tobacco. Slavery was practiced throughout the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries, and African-American slaves helped build the economic foundations of the new nation. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 solidified the central importance of slavery to the South’s economy. By the mid-19th century, America’s westward expansion, along with a growing abolition movement in the North, would provoke a great debate over slavery that would tear the nation apart in the bloody American Civil War (1861-65). Though the Union victory freed the nation’s 4 million slaves, the legacy of slavery continued to influence American history, from the tumultuous years of Reconstruction (1865-77) to the civil rights movement that emerged in the 1960s, a century after emancipation.

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery

Not to put a damper on Thanksgiving but you can see how some people might view that date a little differently....including the indigenous people who bought the first settlers gifts of food...and look what happened to them. Just sayin'.

chas

"The truth will set you free"

Happy Thanksgiving from Louisiana! No negatives here and I'm Native American!

I’m a bit late, sorry, but Happy Thanksgiving – may all your positive thoughts surround you.

John C.

Okay, I get your not-so-subtle message and I'm not at all surprised at your responses to my post. For the record, I have no problem with the concept of Thanksgiving or the holiday itself (in fact, I applaud it). To be perfectly honest, it was the mention of the DATE (1619) that triggered a response in me. 1619 is a date that is embedded in the brains of most African-Americans (that attended schools where history was accurately taught). When that DATE is mentioned in the Black community, Thanksgiving is not the first thing that comes to mind. As much as we may want to ignore or block out this blight on our nation's history, it IS important and significant to a large portion of our fellow AMERICAN citizens, as it should be. So, snide comments and supportive emoticons aside, I, like most of my fellow African-Americans, celebrate this holiday like everyone else, with over-eating, over-drinking, family arguments, and car accidents, while preparing for that even bigger holiday, BLACK FRIDAY. BestBuy, here I come. Happy Thanksgiving.

chas

I hope everyone’s Thanksgiving was great. Mine was kind of a bust!

Chas everyone has their opinion -- I welcome yours. It would be a bore if everyone thought like me.

I’m busy enjoying life and my wife; full time job; but oh so rewarding.
Good health to everyone, John C.

And good health to you, John. Tony started this thread with the best of intentions and I'm sorry that I allowed the mention of that DATE to trigger a 'negative' response. I had hoped to explain why. Obviously, no one cared why. We (Americans) have a history of avoiding some of the more unpleasant parts of our past, and I suppose that's understandable. But in the words of Churchill, "those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it". The ever-widening divisions that are so evident in this country at this time should be a clear warning for us to heed those words. If we truly believe in the spirit of THANKSGIVING, then we should be working full time to help bridge these divides. When that happens, I'll happily celebrate Thanksgiving 365 days a year.

Again, let me be perfectly clear; this was in NO WAY a snipe at Guitpic1, whose mention of the PBS (which I'm a fan of) special was purely innocent, I'm sure. Have a good day, folks.

chas

For once you're dead wrong, Chas. I read what you posted with much empathy and anxiety for the future, given the current political climate.

I also read and appreciate Don's response. Native Americans had it pretty rough...still do in multiple locations around the US.

We can't change history, but neither should we ignore t.

Russ

If I'm wrong then I sincerely apologize. For the record, my maternal Grandmother, whom I loved dearly and was the sweetest person I've ever known, was 100% Native American.

chas

Chas, I was indicating 100% support for you, and an acknowledgement of the shameful teatment of some of the major native American tribes at the same time.

Sorry for the misunderstanding. If I think you're off track, I'll certainly tell you.

That, absolutely was not the case here.

You are to be commended for keeping the past in proper perspective.

Russ

Actually, there were no native, North American tribes - they were migrants who crossed the land bridge that is now submerged beneath the Bearing Straits. Much of their DNA, according to all the history books I have read, is Northern Chinese and Mongolian.

And, from what I recall, Spanish explorers brought the first African slaves to the US in 1526, which had nothing to do with tobacco crops or any other crop at the time. It wasn't until 1841 when Massachusetts legalized slavery, and they were the first colony to do so - not Virginia.

My Thanksgiving Day was wonderful, my adult children arrived on time, my daughter and her roommate did all the cooking, but before dinner, we had a variety of Sushi, my son brought several bottles of great tasting wine, we sat on the deck and watched the wildlife pass by, which this time of year, consisted of American eagles, whitetail deer, wile turkeys, a pair of red foxes, and the usual assortment of small birds and squirrels.

Today, I drove up US Route 1 to the marina to finish winterizing the boat. The weather is mild, temperature in the upper 50s, but the traffic was a nightmare. I guess a lot of families are either shopping the extended Black Friday shopping days, or just heading home and trying to get a jump on the normal Sunday traffic jams after a weekend holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone,

Gary

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you Americans! Here in Canada, we celebrated it on October 9th. My condolences to the delicious turkeys!

This has to be my all time favorite Thanksgiving jokes:

BAD PARROT

A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary.

Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity.

John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to 'clean up' the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even more rude. John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer.. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed.

Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.

Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer.. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude.

As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird spoke-up, very softly,

"May I ask what the turkey did?"



HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Still reeling from 40 at our home, several kids stayed up to 10 nights! Had a great time until the Lions decided to do their thing again.

I wanted to let this whole topic pass but when I see this kind of distortion of history, I just can't. Native Americans have been scientifically documented as having been in the Americas for at least 5000 years. How long does one have to live in a place before they can be declared 'native'. It's sad, almost amusing, to see all the ways people distort facts to suit their own reality. For instance, I have found five sources, including the Library of Congress, that say, unequivocally, that the first Africans were brought to the British colony of Jamestown (Virginia) in 1619. I think I'm going to trust that more than "what you recall". According to your post, slavery would have only lasted 24 years (1841-1865, date of the Emancipation Proclamation), yet the rest of the world thinks it lasted over 200 years.

Again, my apologies to Tony (the OP), but this kind of distortion of the truth (for reasons I won't even speculate on) really bug me. As the saying goes, 'you're entitled to your own opinion but not your own facts'.

chas

OMG!!! THAT'S your source? I rest my case.

chas

https://www.freetheslaves.net/about-slav...1xoCO7AQAvD_BwE

My sources are extensive, mainly in the hundreds of books I have read about world and US history, mainly because I AM a history buff and thoroughly enjoy reading historical books. Until recently, I had more than 200 books about the US Civil War that were written by individuals that served in both the Union and Confederate armies and navies during the war. About a year ago, I donated them to the county public library so others could enjoy them as much as I did. These above are just a few of the many internet sources that confirm what I have read in the past 50 years. There are many, many more, but I really don't want to go into this, Chas. Believe what you wish, and I rest my case.

Gary

talk about going south !!

A Big ONE, TWO, Cha Cha Cha!!

Tony, so sorry for the distraction...especially involving your heartfelt original post.

Be well, all.

Russ

Thanks, chas ...

chas and Gary ... I consider both of you my friends, so I would appreciate it if you took any further discussion on this issue to the Bar ...



Thanks, Russ ... that's LIFE ...

Tony - a belated thanks for your kind sentiments on the holiday! Wishing all the talented folks on the forum the same and a great, safe, and prosperous holiday season as well!