It's been a wordy month. Kate and I my Mom and Pat all went out to dinner which is such a good idea, I'd like to remember to do it more often on Thanksgiving. Today I am doing my usual routine which is clicking back through my past Thanksgiving posts (nine years of them now) and spending Buy Nothing Day in quiet reflection, not shopping. Vermont is doing a new thing this year where they split the holiday into two days calling the Thursday "thanks day" and the Friday "giving day" the day where we should help out those less fortunate. As the Governor said last year -- there seems to be no official release up on the website this year -- "as we congregate on this Thanksgiving to express our thanks, we must not forget those who are hungry, suffering, frightened, oppressed or exploited and we must extend to them a helping hand." I really like the idea of freedom from fear as something that is important to work towards. It's interesting to compare FDR's definition of freedom from fear from 1941.

...translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor--anywhere in the world.

with the UN Secretary General's current definition which is a lot more about terrorism and international power struggles than it is about peace. Interesting times.

The Governor is thankful to still have his job and Vermonters are thankful that they will get a minimum wage increase starting January first. I'm at my sister's place while she is at work with a skeleton crew at the crime lab. I'll be spending some time getting her fridge in order. You know how you hit that wall sometimes where you know the fridge has some scary stuff in it but you just can't deal with it? I can fix that problem, among others. I'm also calling around to see if we can donate the grannymobile someplace, maybe get it out of the driveway.

I'm thankful for the usual things, from being bipedal with opposable thumbs right on down to this new haircut. I have a hard time making lists of things to be thankful for because I always feel like I'm gloating. I'm not sure how you can be thankful for not being born poor, or having decent access to health care and clean water, without wanting to go leave the house right now to help other people who didn't or don't have those advantages. This time of the year is always a bit of a bumpy ride for me because the notion of "doing the right thing" is even more convoluted than usual.

jessamyn, abada abada, thanksgiving