Let me start out by saying Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians. This weekend is our annual three day weekend to give thanks for things past, present and future. My thoughts on Thanksgiving could go in many different directions... I will try not to offend anyone =0)
My grandparents used to be turkey farmers. I'm not sure for how long, or how many they farmed... But I do have a brief recollection of it from my early years... Talking to my Nana years later, she confirmed what I mildly remembered. I giggle as I remember her telling me how stupid the birds were... You'd have to put tin foil in their feed so they didn't starve to death... "Oooh shiny!".... In colder weather, they were known to huddle together to keep warm... In some unfortunate cases a few were suffocated to death due to them piling on one another in a corner for some body heat... They could be vicious and man, they are one ugly bird, not the ugliest by far though... This is one staple of a Thanksgiving dinner though... They did something right!
I don't remember Thanksgiving really being a big deal around my house. I mean yeah we'd get together for a Turkey dinner, but don't expect the whole family to attend. (Some Christmases we can't even depend on a full family roster, let alone a three day weekend.) I remember one year, it was just my family at Grandma's, though Mum has two younger sisters and a younger brother. (Between the 4 of them, 10 grand kids appeared.) In the younger days I seemed to remember more of a Thanksgiving Day feel, but as the grand kids grew up and scattered, that became less and less.
In the years I've been in Edmonton - 7 1/2 or so - I've had two Thanksgivings with friends. The first was about four or five years ago, and my friend pulled it together for her family because her parents didn't observe the holiday. She worked pretty hard and was determined to have a turkey. The dinner was really good and I was pretty impressed with my pal. The second, I would rather not remember so I will spare you the details.
Thanksgiving isn't a big thing to me. I am thankful for the three day weekend it brings however, and I won't turn that down. I figure Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that fall into the same category as Valentine's Day. While we don't get an extra day off for Valentine's, same sentiment here. I don't need a day to remind me to tell people that I love them. I shouldn't need a day, or a near death experience, to show how thankful I am. Every day I think of what I have to be thankful for. I am thankful for my family and friends. I am thankful for my health and education. I am thankful to be Canadian. I am thankful to have food on my plate and a roof over my head. I am thankful to be gainfully employed and to be supporting myself. I am thankful for this and much more.
Thanksgiving means different things to different people. Some celebrate it, some don't. Some have a gigantic turkey dinner and veg in front of a football game, others spend it volunteering to help feed the homeless in a soup kitchen, some don't feel the need to observe it at all. What ever your prerogative, it's your right.
So however you spend this weekend, be safe and enjoy!
It's not always about me, HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA!!!!!
was this thankgiving story about going to your pal me? HAHHAHA jokez
ReplyDeleteJust going back and thinking about that Thanksgiving...brings back a lot of bad memories not of that day but being with the ex boyfriend, and that holiday just..wasnt right...i wasnt happy, i worked way too hard, i spent a lot of money, and just felt under appreciated it sucked ass!!
but i had a friend there to back me up lol...remember when i had to go pick up the ex and his friend and his friends gf got in the car and the ex wanted to sit in the front seat and you told him to high tail it out there and sit in the back and he got pissed? lol good times!
Happy Thanksgiving! i didnt get to ask you did you have a good time? Make sure to come next year