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11/23/2006 Archived Entry: "Thanksgiving gratitude without opposable thumbs"

TODAY'S THANKSGIVING DINNER PREPS are somewhat hindered by a shortage of opposable thumbs here at the Wolfe household. Previously, between six residents, we had two of those useful items. Now, owing to an accident yesterday involving an overeager dog, a under-vigilant dog-mom, and two hours in the emergency room, my formerly dominant thumb is performing roughly the same function as a dog's dew claw. Which is to say, none.

One thumb. Seven Thanksgiving dishes to prepare. It's a challenge.

Nevertheless, my temporary descent of the evolutionary ladder hasn't stopped me from making my favorite Decadent Potato Casserole or any other Thanksgiving delights. I love Thanksgiving. It's my favorite of all holidays. No artificial good cheer. No Christian facades pasted over pagan revels. No endless shopping. Just being with those you love and spending time in peaceful gratitude. Oh yeah, and shoveling down some of the year's best food.

I was going to try to list all the specific friends (and friendly strangers) to whom I feel special gratitude -- all those who've gifted me with beautiful music, health & pleasure, knives & knifemaking experiences, adventures, artworks, books, apricots!!!, generous donations of money, and even one especially cool gun-nut tee-shirt. I was going to include those who've brought friendship, inspiration, knowledge, artistic collaboration, good work, and loving support into my life. Then I realized if I tried to list everyone, I'd risk slighting someone. So let me just say that you know who you are and I know who you are and you have brought blessings to my life. I hope in some little way I've also brought something good to yours.

Even as America's days get darker, there's still a lot to be grateful for. If you need some help picking your mood up today, here are just a few random cheerups for ya:

• Be glad the torturing, freedom-stealing, lying, corrupt, warmaking, welfare-statist Republicans got smacked hard -- even if it was by the gun-banning, freedom-stealing, lying, corrupt, warmaking, welfare-statist Democrats.
  
• Be glad there are hidden little freedom gulches going up all around the country.
  
• Be glad that even the most loathsome politicians will eventually die.
  
• Be glad "V for Vendetta" made it into theaters this year. And was successful.
  
• Be glad for The Claire Files forums; I sure am. What a great reminder that we're not alone.
  
• Be glad you can still enjoy [insert comfort food of your choice].
  
• Be glad that Our Beloved Leader can't pronounce "nuclear." It's a convenient reminder that a man isn't anything special merely because he managed to crawl to the top of a stinking political heap.
  
• Be glad for full-moon rises on Autumn evenings.
  
• Be glad for Ghosts, Agitators, and Moles -- and for the fact that the best laid-databases of government are subject to monkeywrenching.
  
• Be glad Johnny Depp lives. (Okay, that one was just for me. You can [insert fabulous actor/actress of your choice].)
  
• Be glad puppies have breath like freshly ground coffee.
  
• Be glad George Potter writes stories. And that Plinker-MS and Bill St. Clair took time to collect them and that Pagan hopes to produce a book of them.
  
• Be glad you still own your thoughts, even if everything else is subject to confiscation.
  
• Be glad Rich Lucibella, Dave Duffy, Aaron Zelman, and the folks at Paladin Press (and the late, great Loompanics) have all been willing to publish my scribbles. (I sure am.)
  
• Be glad for DVD players, laptop computers, Google, and Project Gutenberg.
  
• Be glad for vitamin supplements, refrigeration, air conditioning, central heating, indoor plumbing, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine bleach, and other wonders of civilization.
  
• Be glad for good doctors, nurses, electricians, plumbers, rocket scientists, grocers, bakers, dog trainers, confectioners, chiropractors, massage therapists, and others who honestly make life more endurable.
  
• Be glad you have opposable thumbs.
  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by Claire @ 01:17 PM CST
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