Thankful Again

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Most Thanksgivings since we launched our little corner of the Internets I take this opportunity to give thanks for Trail Mixers. Sure, our ranks and pace might be fewer, slower than some times in the past, but hey, we’re still here. And the quality, civility, serendipity of our conversations remain high, more organism than organization, just as I hoped for from day one 13 1/2 years ago.

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60 thoughts on “Thankful Again”

  1. This morning on a superficial level I’m thankful for the AA flight status app and our coffee maker having coffee made when I walked downstairs. A bit beyond that I’m thankful that LP will be home this weekend with us and Mrs. P’s mom. Mostly though I’m thankful that my nephew is Back home from the ME sandbox and no one in my family is suffering from anything beyond annoying aches and pains associated with our respective ages.

    And XR, I’m thankful that my mom passed her sweet potato casserole recipe along before she passed on. (But one thing it is is sweetened – think mashed sweet potatoes crowned with a brown sugar and pecan crust topping and you get the idea.

  3. I’m thankful for friends and family and everyone on this here blog.  Going over to Rick’s brother’s house a little later…   he’s a fabulous cook.

    Craig…  so glad you kept that picture.  Say Hi to Dale for Rick and I.

    Everyone have a great Thanksgiving…. eat lots… drink lots…  and do whatever you do (for us it’s football).

  5. Happy Thanksgiving to all the Mixers. While I’ve not been on the Trail for awhile, I remain very fond of y’all. CJ

  6. Happy Thanksgiving to all even our Canadian contingent who celebrate a different date.  You all make life more interesting.  I am thankful for family and friends who have enough of a sense of humor to love me anyway.

    This year I am thankful for Johnnys Dock in Tacoma which means I will not be cooking.

    Hope all under the weather are feeling much better going in to the holidays.

     

  7. sjwny and cayjoe, likewise.

    very thankful today also

    for the 3rd branch of government finally telling the turkey-in-chief to stuff it.

  9. I echo thanks for all you folks making me a little happier each week than I’d be if I had to limit myself to mainstream media for news and comment. And right now I’m thankful LP’s flight is on time and the PGH airport gendarmes haven’t made me move my car.

  13. Happy Thanksgiving to all you trail mixers! Am thankful for this special place and the special folks who come here. You make my day.?

  14. I was out in the rain with our dog last night in Los Angeles and felt thankful for the dousing. The fire is 100% under control. The Camp fire up north is about 80%.  Happy Thanksgiving to all of us. Hoping for better days ahead.

  15. I’m very thankful that California got rain and helped contain the fires. Time to donate to the Red Cross.

  18. But right now….today….since I worked all day…..I’m thankful for all those stalwart souls who invented tools out of rocks, which led to POWER tools.

  22. Happy Thanksgiving to all trail hands. This is the only politics I read because it gives a sane perspective in an insane world. This year my main gratitude and thanks are just for being alive. As I continue to muddle through I’m wishing the other infirmed members much improved health throughout the holiday season.

  25. Major invite to all lurkers and any among the long lost and missed, please drop in.  The natives are semi friendly and definitely not carnivorous.

  26. Hope you all had a wonderful day filled with all the people and traditions you love.

    We got to spend the day with the folks without having a whole travel production. I’m definitely digging that little perk to being in Arizona.

    We put the tree up last weekend. Tomorrow it’s full speed ahead with the rest of the decorations.

  27. Thanksgiving means a lot more now that my family is aging.  My youngest son and his wife joined us for the holiday, with the odd sensation that he was no longer a young child or young adult.  He is now middle aged, and my siblings are old.  My brother-in-law and I are the oldest but at least he is looking healthy after a long illness during his forties and fifties.  Our mother was our center of attention as she is in her nineties and still sharp (for the most part).  The football games were on to entertain a few of the guests, but most of us caught up of the last year’s happenings.  The sad thing is saying goodbye to all because they were only in for a day or two.

    This year’s hot topic was DNA and how Ancestry has become an outlier in results.  Most of the family is now on board with testing and comparing.  Mom has issues understanding that we never have a fifty-fifty split of genes and so my siblings and I are all different percentages of ancestors.  But, for the scientist, we are living proof of how it all works.

  28. “Our mother was our center of attention as she is in her nineties and still sharp (for the most part).”

    bbronc, do I detect here a hint of friendly family argument over politics re that “for the most part”?

     

    not that it’s relevant to your mom,  but thinking of generational acuity I was reminded of the Twain quote:

    “When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished by how much he’d learned in seven years.”

  29. jack, my heart goes out to mrs jack getting through her first thanksgiving since the surgery as well as the challenge you faced making it as enjoyable for her as possible.

  30. am posting this belatedly. meant for yesterday when families celebrate getting together each in their own way.

    from the guardian: A Thanksgiving bonfire at dawn…
    At 4.30am on Thanksgiving morning, the sun had yet to rise over Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. Yet more than 5,000 people were gathered in a hushed circle around a burning pyre, as Native American dancers moved and swayed in the flickering light.
     
    Welcome to the Indigenous People’s Thanksgiving Day, formerly known as Unthanksgiving Day. While most Americans are still asleep, this annual tradition commemorates the 19-month occupation of Alcatraz – famed for its now disused prison – by Native American activists from 1969-1971.
    The ceremony began before dawn in the prison’s main courtyard. “We give thanks everyday and today. We have ceremonies to the sun to give thanks for our lives, for the beatings of our heart,” said Andrea Carmen, the director of the International Indian Treaty Council, who joined fellow Native Americans, other indigenous tribes and “citizen allies”.
     
    Dancing, prayers and speeches celebrated the occupation’s history alongside modern political battles: Standing Rock, family separation at the US-Mexico border, and the need to protect the Earth from climate change.
    […]
    The occupation changed the course of Native American rights in America.

    “It shifted public opinion on the consequences of native displacement,” said Gregory Ablavsky, a Stanford Law professor. “People started to think about Native American issues as an ongoing injustice and changed hearts and minds.”
    In the San Francisco Bay Area, the occupation continues to have an impact. Lillawa Willie, for example, said she grew up hearing about her family living in Alcatraz. For years before the occupation, the Willie family of six, led by her grandmother, Rosalie, lived in hardship. Food, shelter, and access to education weren’t always available. But Alcatraz changed that.
    The family liked being part of a forward looking community, using tribal education as a tool to redefine their place in the world. One of the themes of the occupation, besides sovereignty, was the huge educational need of Native Americans. On the island, Berkeley students convinced Rosalie that she could attend the university, which in turn inspired others in her family to follow in her footsteps.
     

    What was once an intimate ceremony has since grown into a major event that sees thousands travel from across California to attend. Colin Kaepernick, the NFL player and activist, even made a surprise appearance last year, speaking to the crowd about the power of resistance.
     
    Those attending today’s ceremony for the first time mentioned being mesmerized by the pageantry of the dancing and the power of the speeches. Small children joined their parents around the fire, with chests and feet bare, feathers flying in the open air, knowing and proud of their traditions.
    Among the giant circle of people watching was Fawn Oakes, the daughter of Richard Oakes. Fawn has devoted her life to reminding people of the bravery of her father and his friends. Today she also recalled her mother Annie’s struggle. The first day they all came back to the island for a reunion like this, a decade ago, had been full of anxiety. Her mom did not speak that day. But they got through with it, she says, because they remembered the great sacrifices of their family. Now, as then, they were present when needed.
     
    “We’re happy to be here. Happy to see everyone,” she said as she looked at the crowd.

  32. patd – No politics allowed around my brother by dictate of my sister-in-law.  Mom is starting to blur time periods and who was where.  An example is sometime after I left home in June 1968 the family and others went to Myrtle Beach on vacation.  She is positive I was there.  I was not.  Yesterday she decided there is no way to determine the ancestry of her father, my grandfather.  He was born in the U.S., his parents were U.S. citizens, as were all our ancestors going back to the early to mid-sixteenhundreds and all of the surnames, save for John “The Indian”, are English colonists.  There was no convincing her that all is well and that he really is who he said he is.  I’ll live with it.

  33. Re DNA results. I haven’t done mine yet, simply because I haven’t made the time to order the kit and get it done. It’s on the list.

    My mom did hers last year and was delighted to learn that her results matched the research we’ve done on our history going back into the 1600s. My uncle sent his results for the paternal side of the family. Now I just need to get organized and do mine. Also on the list is to order a bunch of documents. My niece is just starting to take an interest. I’m glad that at some point I’ll be able to pass it all to her.

    On the health side of the coin, I’m meeting with a geneticist on Monday at the behest of my new oncologist. Those results will probably tell me I have genetic markers for cancer. Well, since I’m a 2-time survivor I won’t be surprised by those results. I am curious to see what else might be cooking in there though.

    Happy day after turkey to all! Pam and I are getting coffee’d up for decorating. To all those venturing out to shop, may you return safe and sound.

  34. looking forward today, tomorrow and seemingly forever to some leftover turkey in various forms (ignoring carbs, calories and criticism by  the locavore crowd) one of which is this from good folks at campbells:

    Turkey Broccoli Divan
    Our quick and easy recipe, featuring turkey, broccoli and just the right amount of Cheddar cheese makes for a divine Turkey Divan.
     

  35. Patd – Giving that turkey and broccoli dish a score of 5 yum-oh on a scale of 5.

    We sometimes do a similar dish with chicken. A nice way to switch it up is to periodically change the soup used for the gravy/sauce. We’ll use cream of broccoli, or mushroom, or asparagus, or sometimes cheddar cheese soup. Definitely scores well on the yum-oh scale.

  36. Both my son and I did our DNA and got absolutely no matches to any of our known surnames.  We know his surname is rare and the majority are still in the UK, but my mom’s family has been here since the first settlers arrived so don’t have a clue why no one in the maternal line has turned up.

     

  37. Jamie – the family tree names v the genetic family tree names.  I am astounded by the few DNA matches of close cousins with family names I recognize.  I am sure some of it will clear out over time though.  Something I am seeing in my Finnish cousins is how many names are phonetic and if pronounced in Finn or Swedish sound simliar if not the same.  That is why I think time will clean up  some, and the DNA tree will be more accurate than the family bible version.

  42. travis, for want of food adventure when tired of the old divan route, I concocted a shepardpie-ish dish from turkey dinner leftovers: layer in a casserole pan the dressing, green beans, turkey, giblet gravy topping all with mashed potatoes and bake.  would have thrown in the cranberry-orange-pecan relish but didn’t have the courage so served it as a side (or since it’s so sweet, it can be the dessert when not a sliver of pumpkin pie is left).
    great way to clean out the fridge.

  43. At our house we call it Chicken devine

    We were not the hosts and declined leftovers due to the increasingly large size of someone’s ass

  44. this one might just outsell all those other tell-it-alls about the twit if it ever makes it past the lawsuits.

    daily beast:
    A storied former National Enquirer editor is penning a book about Donald Trump’s love life, and may even lift the lid on the controversial relationship between American Media owner David Pecker and the president, according to a report today.
    Page Six says that Barry Levine, who was part of a team that uncovered veep candidate John Edwards’ love child, is writing the book for publishers Hachette.
    Levine left the Enquirer two years ago, after 17 years at the publication, and is well known in New York media circles.
    The Enquirer has been accused of using its financial muscle to buy up the stories of women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump and then burying them.
    [….continues…]

  45. My cousin’s husband just passed away from cancer.  This January would have been their 50th anniversary.  Really not sure what you can say or do for anyone as devastated as she is other than lend an ear and shoulder.

  46. I was assigned gravey,cranberries and corn pudding.The rest of the meal was done by the three children. It was amazing watching them work together. Many a laugh was had. The two girls handeled the side dishes and pies and my son cooked the turkey on the grill. All in all a great day with plenty of leftovers for today.

    Am sitting here in candle light and calm and not missing Black Friday in the least.

  47. Jamie,

    You can’t do much other than to lend an ear and a shoulder, but doing so is ever so important and means so much.

  48. I expect this Black Friday to set records and I expect Trump to take credit for it.

    The Obama economic expansion just keeps rolling along!

  49. This year I was able to escape without leftovers!  For someone like me, I do not need two pounds of turduchin laying in the refrigerator for a week before I throw it out because I did not take lunch to work during the week and got home too late at night to bother eating at home.

     

  51. in the continuing saga of  soap opera “as the thumbscrew turns”

    from the guardian:

    The rightwing author and conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi, an associate of Donald Trump’s ally Roger Stone, has confirmed he is in plea negotiations with Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russian election interference and links between Trump aides and Moscow.
    Corsi told the Guardian on Friday: “I can confirm that we have entered plea negotiations.”
     
    He declined to elaborate on the nature of the discussions, which were first reported by the Washington Post. The Post said a spokesman for Mueller declined to comment, as had Stone and attorneys for Corsi and Trump.
     
    Corsi, 72, is a former Washington bureau chief for the conspiracist website InfoWars.com and a leading proponent of the theory that Barack Obama was not born in the US and was thus not eligible to be president. Stone has said that belief led Corsi to know Trump, who built a political presence prior to his presidential run by propounding the theory.
    […]
    Stone, 66, is a political operative and self-proclaimed “dirty trickster” who worked for Richard Nixon and has long been close to Trump. He has said he expects to be indicted by Mueller and sought donations to fund his defense.
     
    In August he told the Guardian in a text message he believed Mueller “may frame me for some bogus charge in order to silence me or induce me to testify against the president”.
    Stone’s links to and statements about WikiLeaks, which disseminated stolen Democratic party emails, have attracted scrutiny. He has confirmed he exchanged messages with one of the Russian hackers responsible for the breach.
     
    In October, NBC News reported that Mueller’s team believed Corsi might have had advanced notice that WikiLeaks had the emails, and might have informed Stone.
     
    This month, Corsi told the Guardian: “The issue they went to over and over and over again was: who was my source with [the WikiLeaks founder Julian] Assange?”
    Corsi subsequently told the Guardian Mueller’s team also asked him for information about Nigel Farage, the former leader of the UK Independence party who was a leading voice in the successful campaign for Britain to leave the European Union.
     
    Asked if the questions related to Trump’s 2016 campaign or that year’s Brexit vote, Corsi said: “Predominantly US politics, but of course Brexit was in the background.”
     
    A spokesman for Farage said Corsi’s claim was “ill-informed, intentionally malicious gossip and wholly untrue”.
    [….continues…]

  53. If anyone is willing to defend & possibly be severely injured or die for our country, they should be supported wholeheartedly. Courage, intelligence & heart matter in fighting the bad guys, not what’s in your underwear. Isn’t who you are more how you act & treat others? Live & let live – life’s too short.

  54. Sj, having never experienced being willing to face injury or death for his country, and having never had family members with any such inclination, he has no appreciation for such patriotism and his bigotry becomes the basis for his views about the”others” in the armed services. They are not welcome. He’s an asshole unfit to carry the title Commander in Chief.

  55. Pogo,

    “Commander In Chief.”

    If I were the Grand Poobah of anything I would gladly welcome all who wanted to help in my country’s defense. This President plays the role of Commander In Chief, intentionally, as everything’s a reality show rather than reality. Also if playing a role you aren’t really that person so easier to dismiss responsibility. For a man who keeps reminding us that he has done more for the military than anyone ever he has no problem exploiting it to use as fresh meat to play to the lower hanging fruit in his constituency.

  57. the guardian

    […]
    Mueller has spoken only once in public since taking on his role heading the Russia investigation. In May 2017, 12 days after accepting the special counsel role, he gave the commencement address at Tabor Academy, where his granddaughter was one of the students graduating.
     
    He spoke of the lessons of service, which he said he had learned from his family, his marine corps family, and his FBI family.
     
    Setting himself, perhaps unwittingly, as the polar opposite of Donald Trump, Mueller urged the students to act with integrity and honesty.
     
    “You can be smart, aggressive, articulate, indeed persuasive, but if you are not honest, your reputation will suffer, and once lost, a good reputation can never, ever be regained.”
    […continues…]

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