Don't Underestimate Thanksgiving

Really. Please. Don't underestimate Thanksgiving. I know it doesn't come with as many decorations as some other winter holidays, and no catchy tunes that I can think of, but why, oh why must the Christmas carols be playing and the trees go up even before the turkey is bought?

I actually love Thanksgiving, it's all about hanging out with your family, watching the parade, playing games and doing puzzles, cooking and eating yummy food (snapping the wishbone!) and let's not forget - giving thanks.


Maybe it's because I am interior-decorating-challenged, but I just cannot get geared up for Christmas until Thanksgiving is done. The next day, if you all want to start the madness, that's OK with me, but it makes me feel sad, every year, that people are so eager to get to Christmas that they must "jump in line" as it were and push poor Thanksgiving aside.


So in my salute to Thanksgiving here are some links for you!


High Heeled Mama's 30 days of thanks

Thanksgiving trivia

The Butterball website

How to make your own pumpkin puree ~ You can make pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin!

Thanksgiving Crafts

Thanksgiving story


Got any more to add?

Don't underestimate the Court Jester

The kid has been having some trouble going to sleep. Since turning three, he has developed fears at night, seemingly of rectangles and circles (no, not kidding, and I don't get it either).

Last night, I decided to try to read him to sleep. Normally, this would have the opposite effect since he loves books and most of them are chock full of pictures and words he wants to "follow along with" (meaning I have to point to the words as I read them). But the husband has a series of books from his childhood that are full of stories, but very few pictures. I made the kid a deal - he stays (mostly) still on the bed and I will read, carefully noting that this is a *listening* story, not an interactive one.

The first story in the volume I picked up was Many Moons by James Thurber. The kid was asleep 2 pages in, but I read the entire thing anyway.

Now, about the Court Jester. The idea of the story is that the Princess Lenore is ill and she thinks she will get better if she has the moon. The King calls in all his wisest advisers, but each one tells him the task is impossible. The Court Jester comes in to cheer him up, hears the tale, and fixes the problem. I'll leave out the details, this little story really is worth reading (for all ages) and I don't want to spoil it.

Here's the thing. The wisest men in the land, who had obtained countless things for the King from every corner of the earth, could not (or would not?) get the moon for the Princess. The Court Jester did. Just because someone tells you something can't be done, doesn't mean it can't. Not everything has to be hard, get out of your wise-man brain and put a little Jester into your thoughts - you might be surprised.