Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I got up early this morning (which was tough because I drank some pop with caffeine and had a really hard time sleeping last night!) and put in the turkey with dressing. Then I went shopping for a short time. Just now I'm watching the Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is something I like to do every year. I'm thinking I may need a nap yet today!!

The picture above is from Monday; Harrison and I went to visit Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma had surgery last Thursday and has to "lay low" for several days yet, so we're not doing Thanksgiving together. We visited so we'd see them this week and also they were able to give Harrison his birthday present. His birthday is Sunday. I think Grandma looks pretty good considering she had surgery just 4 days earlier (on her eye - an incision and vitrious fluid removal).

An Interesting Piece of Trivia

I read this and thought it was interesting:

Though the Thanksgiving Day is presently celebrated on the fourth Thursday of every November. This date was set by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 (approved by Congress in 1941). Earlier it was the last Thursday in November as was designated by the former President Abraham Lincoln. But sometimes the last Thursday would turn out to be the fifth Thursday of the month. This falls too close to the Christmas, leaving the businesses even less than a month's time to cope up with the two big festivals. Hence the change.


http://www.theholidayspot.com/thanksgiving/history.htm

Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Many moons ago (in truth, it feels like another lifetime), when I was a college student for the first time, I studied Spanish literature. I was always drawn to Pedro Calderon de la Barca, a gentleman of the 1600's. A favorite that has been running through my mind (and I had to search for it because I didn't trust the accuracy of my memory after 27 years!).

CUENTAN DE UN SABIO, QUE UN DÍA...

Cuentan de un sabio, que un día
tan pobre y mísero estaba,
que sólo se sustentaba
de unas yerbas que cogía.
«Habrá otro», entre sí decía,
«más pobre y triste que yo?»
Y cuando el rostro volvió,
halló la respuesta, viendo
que iba otro sabio cogiendo
las hojas que él arrojó.

My translating skills are very (very) rusty, but ... in general ...

They tell of an old wiseman who one day
was so poor and miserable
that the only thing sustaining him
were some herbs/leaves he gathered.
While he was gathering, he said to himself,
Could there be anyone else sadder or poorer than me?
And when he turned about
there was the answer, seeing
another old wiseman gathering
the herbs/leaves he had thrown aside.

A nice sentiment I believe, as we enjoy this Thanksgiving month.

vote-eve

This quote put me in mind of my recent musings as well as those of my friend Kelly:
To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.

This was said by Confucius.