To Thanksgiving
This holiday is often overlooked
One feels, because it doesn’t generate
The flow of cash, the airlines overbooked,
Hysteria at fear of being late.
A humble, homey, family-style affair,
No supernatural glamour European
Kicks Concupiscence awake to dare
Sobriety to drink and make a scene.
Giving thanks for what one has is not
In fashion in this Age of Gimmemore.
Virtue, quaintly comical, has got
Inhibited. It fears to be a bore.
Nothing satisfies, however wild, like
Giving thanks for home in manner childlike.
~ FreeThinke, The Sandpiper, Autumn, 1996
__________ i thank You God __________
ReplyDeletei thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any–lifted from the no
of all nothing–human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
~ e.e. cummings (1894-1962)
Gretchen Weisshexenschaft said
ReplyDeleteCount your blessings and act grateful
It's more fun than being hateful.
Good advice, Gretchen.
DeleteThat you for stopping by
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving FT!
ReplyDeleteI'll be cooking my first turkey! :)
Oh BOY! Baste it frequently –– every half hour till the hiuces start collecting, then every 20 minutes in the last hour. Also be sure to keep it covered either with cheesecloth or an aluminum foil tent between tastings.
DeleteHope you have a meat thermometer, or one of those birds with a little plastic tube inserted that pops up when the bird is done.
Timing is very important. Consult a reliable cook book for the number of minutes per pound.
An UNDERINE turkey is the PITS. An OVERDONE turkey can be like biting into chunks of WOOD. (:-x
I always stuffed the bird because it adds flavor to the meat, but also made enough stuffing to bake in a casserole.
Hope your Mrs. will be well enough to enjoy the feast. Are you having family come over or will the two of you be alone?
No matter what happens, have a wonderful day, FJ. There's great humor to enjoy, even if you have to cope with a culinary disaster –– not that I'm projecting failure, mind you. };^)>.
It's just the Mrs & me this year. I'll keep your tips in mind! I've also got frozen burritos, just in case! ;)
DeleteI'm by myself his year, FJ, so a big turkey dinner is definitely O-U-T for me. And frankly, I don't mind it one litle bit.
DeleteI’m making a casserole of farfalle laced with Cottage Cheese, Swiss cheese, Romano cheese, and Surimi moistened with in Prego Marinara sauce –– definitely NOT turkey. ;-) This will be a real indulgence for me since mirabile dictu I haven’t eaten a pasta dish in well over a year. I developed Type 2 diabetes after i reached seventy, and usually mke a practice of avoiding starch like the plague, but ...
I know your turkey will be a great success.
I hope to hear a glowing report about it later today or, perhaps, tomorrow.
:)
DeleteYou ought to meet one of my favorite imaginary characters La Contessa Vendetta Sanguini sometime –– an enchanting termagant if ever there was one!
DeleteI could never be lonely or bored with all my eccentric brainchildren surrounding me all the time.
¶;^D=
Gertrude Gesundheitmachener said
ReplyDeleteDon't be angry, don't be sad
Don't be mad, just act glad,
And Good will surely come your way
On this blest Thanksgivong Day!
A salubrious sentiment, Gertrude, and very nicely put.
DeleteThak you for visting us this fine Thanksgiving day.
I’m thankful that I’m not spending Thanksgiving with Liberals and, or Progressives!
ReplyDeleteVery Thankful!
Oh, c'mon! Some of my very best friends are leftists. They make charming company –– as long as we avid talkng politics.
DeleteDitto for me, I’m thankful that I’m not spending MY. Thanksgiving with Liberals and, or Progressives!
ReplyDeleteVery Thankful!
I am MOST grateful this Thanksgiving that Donald J. Trump now occupies the Oval Office, and that putrid Hillary Clinton will NEVER be president.
DeleteHer Heinous reached for the brass ring, and FELL OFF the MERRY-GO-ROUND.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Happy Thanksgiving FreeThinke, and, to all your merry travelers as well!
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful my entire, and far flung family is healthy and well. As well as doing well.
We lost the patriarch of our family (my father) last November. His presence will be greatly missed again this year.
Especially thankful for my classy and intelligent conservative better half.
Blessings are plentiful and often right in front of us when we look.
Hope the day goes exceedingly well for you and yours, Les.
DeleteThanksgiving is one of my favorite holiday of the year because it reminds us to give thanks, and appreciation, and to count our blessings. So Happy Thanksgiving wishes from near to far, across the miles from my house to yours. May your home be filled with Good Health, laughter and happiness!
ReplyDeleteThank you, DD, and the same to you for many more years to come.
DeleteENCOURAGING NEWS FOR WIDOWS, WIDOWERS and OLD BACHELORS
ReplyDeleteStudy: Being Alone Can Be Good For Your Mental Health, Sparks Creativity
November 22, 2017
by Daniel Steingold
BUFFALO — When it comes to seeking solitude, many people often blame mental health issues as an underlying cause. But a new study finds that being alone has its benefits too, particularly when it comes to people looking for a surge of creativity.
Researchers at the University of Buffalo interviewed 295 privacy-valuing individuals who reported a variety of reasons for their tendency to spend a lot of time alone, ranging from feeling fear or anxiety around others to preferring to use spare time working on a craft.
Just because you prefer to be alone doesn’t mean you’re depressed. A new study finds that being anti-social from time to time is linked to creativity.
Although research has traditionally suggested that excessive time alone can be unhealthy, some seclusive pursuits, such as trying to connect to nature or get a better sense of self, can be constructive, the researchers found.
“We have to understand why someone is withdrawing to understand the associated risks and benefits,” says Julie Bowker, the study’s lead author, in a university release.
“When people think about the costs associated with social withdrawal, oftentimes they adopt a developmental perspective,” she continues. “During childhood and adolescence, the idea is that if you’re removing yourself too much from your peers, then you’re missing out on positive interactions like receiving social support, developing social skills and other benefits of interacting with your peers.”
Bowker believes that the presumed downsides of being alone and withdrawing have lent such a preference a hard-to-erase stigma.
More recent research, including this latest study, has begun to recognize the potential benefits of alone time — provided it’s an intentional choice prompted by positive emotions.
Deeming individuals who follow such guidelines “unsociable,” Bowker explains that they may enjoy reading, working on the computer, or otherwise spending precious time alone.
Importantly, unsociable individuals, whether young and old, are not at increased risk of experiencing negative health outcomes. In fact, the researchers found that they may enjoy a special benefit: improved creativity.
“Although unsociable youth spend more time alone than with others, we know that they spend some time with peers. They are not antisocial,” Bowker emphasizes. “They don’t initiate interaction, but also don’t appear to turn down social invitations from peers. Therefore, they may get just enough peer interaction so that when they are alone, they are able to enjoy that solitude. They’re able to think creatively and develop new ideas — like an artist in a studio or the academic in his or her office.”
Other, less healthy forms of isolation include social avoidance (i.e., choosing to withdraw due to fear), and social withdrawal (i.e., shyness), she notes.
While these two forms may overlap with unsociability, neither would appear to confer the benefits of the latter.
“Over the years, unsociability has been characterized as a relatively benign form of social withdrawal,” Bowker concludes. “But, with the new findings linking it to creativity, we think unsociability may be better characterized as a potentially beneficial form of social withdrawal.”
FT,
ReplyDeleteOh! The first graphic in your blog post! I have borrowed it. **smile**
I'm in a rush today -- no surprise there. But I want to say this...
GOD BLESS YOU ON THIS DAY OF THANKS!
PS: Love the verse you have in this blog post.
Thank you, AOW! FYI: Loved Jacqiue Lawson's Pots and Pans Symphony! .
DeletePS: Hope you have put the whiffle ball safely out of Minxy's real?
Happy Thanksgiving, dear friend.
ReplyDeleteWe are mourning the recent loss of our sweet Mabel kitty. This post resonates in so many ways.
xo
Andie and Company.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteToday is a day set aside for Affirmation and Gratitude not Denigration and Dissatisfaction.
DeleteIt is only right that we honor that requirement.
Pamona Rinktumspeier said
ReplyDeleteWhen you know you´re in serious trouble and there is someone willing to make unpopular decisions that will put you back on the right course, the decision isn´t hard at all. Americans had been so beaten down by the political class and their globalist agenda that Donald Trump was a breath of fresh air. He was someone who actually believed in the country and its citizens and was willing to fight the good fight for the soul of this nation. He never backed down, he never apologized for his love of country, and he was willing to take the slings and arrows that came at him daily. He is the John Wayne of qpolitics; rough around the edges but determined to fight for what is good and right. He is the elites´ worst nightmare and the country´s best hope. I am so thankful he persevered when most would have cut and run. God bless him, keep him safe, and continue to defeat the enemies of this country both foreign and especially domestic. MAGA!
Fannie Pinscher said
ReplyDeleteThose kittens ogling the Turkey feast are adorable.
Have a great one FT even if alone. If I were it would also be minimalist.
ReplyDelete