Eva Pasco's Blog - Posts Tagged "thanksgiving"
In Gratitude for “Enough”
One who knows firsthand how life can turn on a dime so things are no longer quite the same, I’ve learned to pivot from the notion “this is as good as it gets”.
A pragmatist, cynic, and skeptic rolled into one, I’m grounded in gratitude for the blessings of having “enough”.
Since money is the great enabler, having enough enables me to take care of the bare necessities: paying bills, putting food on the table, filling up the gas tank and maintaining my vehicle.
Without going off the deep end, having enough allows me to indulge in superfluous, simple pleasures I never take for granted: going to breakfast or lunch; having fresh flowers in a vase on my dining room table at all times; getting my hair styled at the salon.
An Indie author who dreams of becoming a best-seller, it’s enough for me to sell a book every now and then. I’m filled with pride and gratitude for each merit badge my books have earned for their literary merit.
Retired, I’m grateful for having enough time to ply my creativity to white space for my work in progress to grow in spurts. As for my imagination—I’ve more than enough to further this novel in the genre of Contemporary to the end.
Eva’s Byte #291 – Thanksgiving: Then and Now
A former third-grade teacher for sixteen out of those twenty-nine years spent in the trenches of elementary education, the theme of “Native Americans and Pilgrims” loomed large in our social studies curriculum. Striving to steer away from teaching the subject in a boring and dry-as-hardtack manner, we brought that period in history to the forefront with meaning and relevance for 8 and 9-year-olds, by relying on the book, If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 by Ann McGovern.
Certainly, major relevance gleaned from the Pilgrim settlement at Plimoth Plantation was the realization that diverse cultures of a community could live in peace and harmony. This is a history lesson worth repeating today.
Then – October of 1621:
The Pilgrims celebrated the "First Thanksgiving" after their first harvest in the New World. The celebration entailed an outdoor feast lasting three days. In attendance—90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims.
*During the Mayflower voyage, a steady sea-diet high in salt weakened their bodies. Malnutrition, disease, and the harsh weather claimed as many as 2-3 colonists per day during their first two months on land, diminishing their original fold of 102 by half.
Now – November 26, 2020:
Due to the widespread surge in the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC has urged Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving virtually, or to assemble in gatherings limited to members of the same household.
Similar to the Pilgrim voyage which gave rise to a Thanksgiving feast, this same holiday is considered the busiest travel juncture of the year in order for family and friends from afar to be together at the dinner table.
*Recent statistics cite that at least 250,000 people in the United States have died from the virus since the pandemic erupted less than a year ago, last February.
Like our Pilgrim forebears, families and friends will need to come to an agreement as to the logistics for giving thanks and counting our blessings.
More importantly, we need to pay the holiday forward by harvesting peace and harmony in our community as the Wampanoags and Pilgrims did during the First Thanksgiving.
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Certainly, major relevance gleaned from the Pilgrim settlement at Plimoth Plantation was the realization that diverse cultures of a community could live in peace and harmony. This is a history lesson worth repeating today.
Then – October of 1621:
The Pilgrims celebrated the "First Thanksgiving" after their first harvest in the New World. The celebration entailed an outdoor feast lasting three days. In attendance—90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims.
*During the Mayflower voyage, a steady sea-diet high in salt weakened their bodies. Malnutrition, disease, and the harsh weather claimed as many as 2-3 colonists per day during their first two months on land, diminishing their original fold of 102 by half.
Now – November 26, 2020:
Due to the widespread surge in the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC has urged Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving virtually, or to assemble in gatherings limited to members of the same household.
Similar to the Pilgrim voyage which gave rise to a Thanksgiving feast, this same holiday is considered the busiest travel juncture of the year in order for family and friends from afar to be together at the dinner table.
*Recent statistics cite that at least 250,000 people in the United States have died from the virus since the pandemic erupted less than a year ago, last February.
Like our Pilgrim forebears, families and friends will need to come to an agreement as to the logistics for giving thanks and counting our blessings.
More importantly, we need to pay the holiday forward by harvesting peace and harmony in our community as the Wampanoags and Pilgrims did during the First Thanksgiving.
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Eva’s Byte #342 – If the Song Fits
When James Pierpont composed “Jingle Bells” in 1857, titled “One Horse Open Sleigh,” he intended it to be a Thanksgiving song. Its popularity around Christmas time influenced a title change to “Jingle Bells” in 1859.
Then, there’s “Alice’s Restaurant,” Arlo Guthrie’s Vietnam War protest song based on how the draft board rejected him for having a criminal record from illegally dumping trash on Thanksgiving. Supposedly, some radio stations make it their business to play the song on Thanksgiving.
During my elementary school days, “Over the River and through the Woods” catapulted me to the forefront of Thanksgiving.
The point is, the lyrics of many songs are generic enough to strike a chord with our own perspective and unique set of circumstances.
Given the various connotations of the word “home,” Kenny Loggins’ “Celebrate Me Home” fits into my upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
*Whatever song fits your holiday mood, embrace the lyrics as your own.
My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Then, there’s “Alice’s Restaurant,” Arlo Guthrie’s Vietnam War protest song based on how the draft board rejected him for having a criminal record from illegally dumping trash on Thanksgiving. Supposedly, some radio stations make it their business to play the song on Thanksgiving.
During my elementary school days, “Over the River and through the Woods” catapulted me to the forefront of Thanksgiving.
The point is, the lyrics of many songs are generic enough to strike a chord with our own perspective and unique set of circumstances.
Given the various connotations of the word “home,” Kenny Loggins’ “Celebrate Me Home” fits into my upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
*Whatever song fits your holiday mood, embrace the lyrics as your own.
My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Eva’s Byte #343 – Home Sweet Home
Those who celebrate Thanksgiving are either homeward bound, or homebound in preparation for hosting a holiday dinner. For many, Thanksgiving affords us a rare opportunity to rub elbows with those we hardly see during the year. It also might not be a bad idea to reconcile differences if we have any.
The First Thanksgiving in 1621 was basically a three-day celebration of a successful harvest. This year, in 2021, with all the hype about a turkey shortage, and price hikes for stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and just about anything else that’s edible, we’d do well to focus on giving thanks for the food on our table. And, home, wherever that may be. So many do not have the luxury of a roof over their head.
Essentially, home is where the heart is—our happy place where love and warmth reside.
As the passage of time brings about changes in the dynamics at the dinner table, my heart has become home for hosting Thanksgiving memories of yesteryear.
I’m grateful for the wisdom that comes with aging. It has empowered me to overlook minor inconveniences, seek new adventures, and delight in fresh discoveries.
*As we reflect on things to be grateful for, may health and happiness abound within the comfort of home sweet home.
My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
The First Thanksgiving in 1621 was basically a three-day celebration of a successful harvest. This year, in 2021, with all the hype about a turkey shortage, and price hikes for stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and just about anything else that’s edible, we’d do well to focus on giving thanks for the food on our table. And, home, wherever that may be. So many do not have the luxury of a roof over their head.
Essentially, home is where the heart is—our happy place where love and warmth reside.
As the passage of time brings about changes in the dynamics at the dinner table, my heart has become home for hosting Thanksgiving memories of yesteryear.
I’m grateful for the wisdom that comes with aging. It has empowered me to overlook minor inconveniences, seek new adventures, and delight in fresh discoveries.
*As we reflect on things to be grateful for, may health and happiness abound within the comfort of home sweet home.
My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Eva’s Byte #394 – Bringing it to the Table
I’d recently revisited the original 1940 film based on John Steinbeck’s 1939 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath. Set during the Great Depression, the film details the arduous journey of the Joad family. Dust-bowl sharecroppers, they migrate from Oklahoma to California in search of fruit-picking opportunities.
Purportedly, mechanization and migration had put an end to the sharecropping system by the 1960s, even though some forms of tenant farming still exist. As of November 5, 2022, the average annual pay for a migrant worker in the United States is $43,036 a year.
With Thanksgiving cropping up, my eyes have opened wider to better appreciate what cannot be seen to be grateful for. Just as food brings folks to the table on any given holiday, there are plenty of folks who bring food to that table in addition to farmers and cattle ranchers:
Seasonal fruit pickers, distributors, retailers, truckers, produce managers, stock clerks, cashiers/baggers. And, the list goes on.
Despite rising prices and scarcity of staples, I’m grateful for anticipating a turkey dinner with plenty of trimmings and pies, thanks to the countless number of folks who bring food to the table.
In my capacity of a writer, I’m in plot-wise sync with the upcoming holidays as I continue to draft my Contemporary work in progress. Over the river and through the woods I go, wending along Chapter 23 (686 words thus far).
*Wishing everyone a bountiful Thanksgiving at the table and away from it.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Purportedly, mechanization and migration had put an end to the sharecropping system by the 1960s, even though some forms of tenant farming still exist. As of November 5, 2022, the average annual pay for a migrant worker in the United States is $43,036 a year.
With Thanksgiving cropping up, my eyes have opened wider to better appreciate what cannot be seen to be grateful for. Just as food brings folks to the table on any given holiday, there are plenty of folks who bring food to that table in addition to farmers and cattle ranchers:
Seasonal fruit pickers, distributors, retailers, truckers, produce managers, stock clerks, cashiers/baggers. And, the list goes on.
Despite rising prices and scarcity of staples, I’m grateful for anticipating a turkey dinner with plenty of trimmings and pies, thanks to the countless number of folks who bring food to the table.
In my capacity of a writer, I’m in plot-wise sync with the upcoming holidays as I continue to draft my Contemporary work in progress. Over the river and through the woods I go, wending along Chapter 23 (686 words thus far).
*Wishing everyone a bountiful Thanksgiving at the table and away from it.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Eva’s Byte #497 – A Gratitude Platitude
Mindful of the chasm between the haves and have-nots, be it feast or famine, my foundation of gratitude is built on appreciation for food, clothing, shelter, health and well-being.
With all the hard knocks from recent Hurricanes Helene and Milton, I’ve adopted this gratitude platitude in celebration of this year’s Thanksgiving:
“Thanksgiving reminds us that no matter what befalls us in life, we can take the charred remnants, and we can reconstruct a life unimaginably richer than that from which the shards and pieces fell.” (Craig D. Lounsbrough)
In the capacity of a writer, I’m grateful for my characters who are steering me along the journey of a Contemporary work in progress. The draft of chapter 6 is progressing from 601 words.
*May each of us celebrate a Thanksgiving robust in strength and resilience.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
With all the hard knocks from recent Hurricanes Helene and Milton, I’ve adopted this gratitude platitude in celebration of this year’s Thanksgiving:
“Thanksgiving reminds us that no matter what befalls us in life, we can take the charred remnants, and we can reconstruct a life unimaginably richer than that from which the shards and pieces fell.” (Craig D. Lounsbrough)
In the capacity of a writer, I’m grateful for my characters who are steering me along the journey of a Contemporary work in progress. The draft of chapter 6 is progressing from 601 words.
*May each of us celebrate a Thanksgiving robust in strength and resilience.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Eva’s Byte #551 – Over the Top!
In general, a typical American Thanksgiving meal centers around roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, and cranberry sauce. Common sides might include, but are not limited to: glazed carrots, gelatin fruit salads, sweet potato casserole, and green bean casserole. Popular desserts tap into pumpkin and pecan pie.
Typical and plentiful!
Thinking back to my family’s atypical Thanksgiving feast for a family of four during my childhood and adolescence—it was over the top! No complaints whatsoever.
Appetizer: celery stuffed with cream cheese
Followed by an antipasto in full regalia
Followed by hearty escarole soup, a meal in itself
Followed by lasagna, comfort food
We’d take leave of the table for a breather. I’d help my mother wash dishes and prepare the setting for our turkey dinner which also entailed stuffing, mashed potatoes with giblet gravy, and corn.
In the evening, my mother would roast chestnuts in the oven. We’d snack on those, and indulge her homemade chocolate cream pie, my favorite.
Besides feasting my eyes on an abundance of food on the table, I’m feeling the abundance of love my mother and father lavished on our family.
In the capacity of a writer drafting a Contemporary, I’m wending my way toward the end of chapter 24 (2172 words thus far).
May a bountiful harvest of love, laughter, and good food bless everyone’s Thanksgiving gathering.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Typical and plentiful!
Thinking back to my family’s atypical Thanksgiving feast for a family of four during my childhood and adolescence—it was over the top! No complaints whatsoever.
Appetizer: celery stuffed with cream cheese
Followed by an antipasto in full regalia
Followed by hearty escarole soup, a meal in itself
Followed by lasagna, comfort food
We’d take leave of the table for a breather. I’d help my mother wash dishes and prepare the setting for our turkey dinner which also entailed stuffing, mashed potatoes with giblet gravy, and corn.
In the evening, my mother would roast chestnuts in the oven. We’d snack on those, and indulge her homemade chocolate cream pie, my favorite.
Besides feasting my eyes on an abundance of food on the table, I’m feeling the abundance of love my mother and father lavished on our family.
In the capacity of a writer drafting a Contemporary, I’m wending my way toward the end of chapter 24 (2172 words thus far).
May a bountiful harvest of love, laughter, and good food bless everyone’s Thanksgiving gathering.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
