Thursday, November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving


Today is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.A., and it is the only U.S. holiday I still celebrate. Our extended family will gather here at la Rectoría, folks whom you have seen throughout the year on this blog. I'm roasting the turkey and making the stuffing, the Lovely Mona will prepare the mashed potatoes and her amazing cashew gravy and a big honking salad, and the rest of the crew will be bringing everything else, including themselves, to make this a wonderful day. I hope that I can remember to take photos this year! While I miss celebrating Thanksgiving with some members of my biological family, a extended family tends to be self-selecting, so the chance of a crazed, right-wing Christian spouting nutty talk about Cheesus and God Bless the Preznit is practically nil. Actually, at this house, the chance IS nil! Ha ha, too bad for some of you!

The painting above is a highly idealized version of that First Thanksgiving; well, maybe not too idealized: I noticed that the indians aren't allowed at the table! All part of the origin myths of the U.S. I read a column yesterday which claimed that Thanksgiving was not really about sharing, since the colony was failing when the Puritans tried to hold things in common. Well, what do you expect from Puritans? They don't believe in holding things in common nowadays, either!

As always, I have so much for which I am thankful: friends, family, our church, and the joy of serving God's people in Panamá. I am also thankful for our virtual extended family who gather here at Padre Mickey's Dance Party.
Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Blessings to you and yours and thanks be to God for a Cheesus and Shrub free celebration.

I'll not get any Cheesus...but Shrub is a possibility.

I'm busily roasting some squash to make a roasted squash velvet soup to bring to my mom's...And I got church soon.

Caminante said...

Have a great day at the rectoria today. And saludos a todos/as.

Actually, to be a grinch, Thanksgiving is one of my least favourite holidays for many reasons so I don't make a big deal about it. I celebrate a Holy Eucharist in half an hour and that's what makes the day for me.

Anyway, have a great day and many blessings.

June Butler said...

Beautiful, Padre.

I noticed that the indians aren't allowed at the table!

Sadly, it seems a theme that runs throughout history that some are not allowed at the table.

A Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Dennis said...

Happy Thanksgiving, Padre!

David's mom is here so we get a little Cheesus and Shrub for our celebration - but I have plenty of champagne to make it through the day.

Our friends who are coming over have been warned not to talk about religion or politics so hopefully it will be ok.

As a back up plan, I'm keeping the tv remote with me and if the conversation bends a little to the right I'm going to have a sudden need to turn on the tv, loudly, to see how the football games are going.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Anonymous said...

Happy Thanksgiving Padre! Now, now, though, God surely needs to bless the President with a healthy dose of common sense and compassion for his fellow human beings, since the Prez ain't been blessed with it afore now.

Jane R said...

Happy Thanksgiving, Padre Mickey and Lovely Mona! Sweet Miss Maya Pavlova (asleep all curled up and cute with one front paw tucked in and one in the air) and Auntie Jane wish you joy and happy tummies.

Anonymous said...

Hi Mickey and Mona!
Mona, I haven't been in touch in quite awhile, and I just wanted to say 'Happy Thanksgiving' to both of you! Jonathan and I had a quiet Thanksgiving dinner and went to the public gardens today to see what stage the trees were at in terms of de-leafing. (They're still hangin' on!) Hope to talk to you soon. I just got a WordPress blog and will start blogging again, probably this weekend. In the meantime, you can e-mail me at: sharrhan@verizon.net.
Warm regards--
Sharrhan and Jonathan
Cambridge, MA

Paul said...

I did church the night before and Cheesus had the good sense to avoid us yesterday. The Shrub-loving inlaws and their Shrub-loving friends were present but they judiciously avoided politics, to the relief of my Shrub-loathing ex-daddy-in-law, my progressive ex, and me. All in all, I suspect some of us would rather have been in Panama with y'all.

Still and all, so much to be grateful for, including a vision into which we may continue growing, a vision where everyone has a place at the table. Love to all the dancers at this party.

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