American Thanksgiving and the Wild Turkey Blues: Thursday, November 22nd!

 Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first. -Charles de Gaulle, French president (22 Nov 1890-1970)

Hope you have a wonderful day. Hi Lady Di and Patrizzio II! Trust you are well. We enjoyed a wonderful visit with Ayn, up from LA, for last weekend, to see her grandmother, Clara, visiting us, from Winnipeg, for six weeks. Thanks for Thanksgiving wishes although we celebrate our Canadian Thanksgiving in October! Fondestos from Lady Dar to you both. She will try to give you a call in late February, early March when she will stop over in Tinsel Town on her way home after spending two months in Guyabitos, while I snowshoe here in Penticton. Stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio! 

Photo: Martha Plousos

[Trombenik or trombenick

MEANING: noun: A lazy or a boastful person. Trump blowinghisown horn!] 

Hi all Found a video of the place I bought (moving in 12/7) And LAFD posted this great pic for the holidays Alex is second from the left Love to all
Ayn Video: <https://youtu.be/U1cwypTD5ZA> Looks fabulous!!!! Congrats. Pam Thank you! Very excited and grateful to be a homeowner in LA!! Cant wait to decorate!! Hi Interior Decorator!  Great card and good overview of your new place. I do hope that you get to keep the flamingos, the skull over the bed and the glass topped dinner table! If you don't want these items, the flamingos will go quite nicely in our front yard to scare the deer; the table stand can be chopped up for firewood and Henning, I'm sure will be more than happy to take the skull! Love, Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving, Dad/Poppa/Patrizzio!

Ha! Yes the guys who renovated the place, Sean and Anthony Barnes, have very eclectic taste. They did a great job though bringing a mid-70s condo back to life and I look forward to it. You'll be 5 mins from the Lake Balboa bike circuit too! Not to mention your favorite Orange Line path! Xoxo Hi Lake Balboa Condo Owner! Extremely pleased you chose your location based on bringing an early '70's cyclist back to life! Thanks and Cheer, Dad! I felt somewhat compelled ha ha ha...one) you're my favorite financee two) it keeps you out of our hair for a few hours if we stay near bike trails! Xoxo Fine!!!

Thanksgiving Grace 2018

Truth has been humbled, Science dethroned,

Foreign friends insulted, our values disowned.

After two years of monstrous moral blight

Strong sisters led us to Hope’s dawning light.

We persevered, we refused to despair,

But America still staggers, there’s so much to repair.

Our brethren remain enchanted by the Wizard of Hate

And politics are tilted to give them extra weight.

Is there some way to re-establish trust?

To reach our brothers mired in zones of rust?

We each deserve respect, all hold our freedom dear.

Might genuine dialogue make amity appear?

If we fairly share the wealth, there’s plenty in the end.

The persecuted immigrant might become your friend.

We can all live together, believe that we must.

Let’s spread round the globe the message of TRUST.

To rescue Earth, stop these endless wars,

And Make Democracy Great like never before.

So Friends, gather round this table, share our ritual feast:

We offer copious thanks, for this our planet sweet!

Special Wisconsin coda:

If Scott Walker was your guv,

Happiness is that splendid little shove!

--David Kessler

A Happy American Thanksgiving to you and Corinne too. We are celebrating with friends in our neighborhood. hugs Gill Hi Canadian Thanksgiving Freeloaders! Trust you are both well. Funnily enough, you are in good company as I've heard back from quite a few Snow Birds who have been invited for Thanksgiving dinner by their American neighbours, one the couple we visited in Sun City before we drove to Oak Creek! Fondestos to you, Gilliana, and Phillipo, from Corinne. Stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio! 

 

Hey Patricio - Thank you "my Canadian Friend" - all the best to you and Corrine. Amos Hi Patrizzia and Amos! Had a snap, just recently, from Cactus in Berkeley and it showed a wild turkey in their yard! Fondestos to you both, from Corinne! Stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio! thanks very much. We are fortunate to be invited to share Thanksgiving dinner with our neighbours (or should I say 'neighbors) today. take care Louise and Henryk Hi Canadian American Thanksgiving Freeloaders! Trust you are both well. Funnily enough, you are in good company as I've heard back from quite a few Snow Birds who have been invited for Thanksgiving dinner by their American neighbours, [neighbors!], one the couple we visited in Oak Creek after we left you in Sun City! Fondestos to our favourite Grapefruit People, from Lady Dar! Cheers, Patrizzio!

At around 9:40 Lady Dar dropped me off on Ellis as I was to see dottore to discuss results of the bone density scan I had last week. Always something. As it turned out, my results were quite positive so am rather relieved to learn that this was the case. Still, will start taking Vitamin D as such was recommended. Back home to digitate and complete a few chores before Rosie and I headed off to see one of the PAG Kitchen Stove film series, Transit, an adaptation of Anna Seghers’ 1942 novel about a German concentration camp survivor seeking passage to North America in Nazi-occupied France, but relocated to the present day, a modern-dress Holocaust drama. From Rotten Tomatoes:

Paris, nowadays, at the end of the summer. Georg, a young man fleeing the Germans, must bring papers and mail to a writer. He discovers that he committed suicide in his hotel room. Thanks to the papers, Georg can go to Marseille. He takes the identity of the dead man and waits for the ship that will take him far away. In Marseille, he meets Marie, a young woman in desperate search for a missing person. It is the wife of the writer. She was told that her husband was in the city. She is far from suspecting herself of being in search of a ghost. And this ghost is Georg.

We both enjoyed it thoroughly although a number of other friends at the screening didn't, finding it too, too difficult to follow or understand. I thought it was extremely powerful, perceptive and wrenchingly moving. Of course, I have been immersed for last week or so in A Childhood Adrift, the story of a Holocaust Survivor, as I think I might have mentioned, work by a local author and one we are reading for our book club. Coincidentally, a few nights ago I also happened to see an episode, We'll Meet Again, of the PBS, Surviving the Holocaust series in which "Holocaust survivors search for those who gave them hope in the darkest days. One wants to find the friend he left behind when he didn’t move to Israel; the other hopes an old photo will reunite him with the girl who was his first friend." All in all, quite a cupful!

After the film we drove close to where Lady Dar and the Grandmothers for Africa had set up their Caroling for a Cause booth, part of the city's Tree Lighting event held at Nanaimo Square just off Main Street. She was able to sign up seven small choirs this year and each had donation boxes. Monies collected will be split between GFA and a local school breakfast program. Had dismantled most of the booth by the time the tree was lit and then back home to have dinner with Chloë who was working late with another strata meeting to chair. 

Lady Dar had made a delicious red sauce with ground turkey and she had gluten free noodles while the rest us ate regular pasta. I made a mixed green saladin and everyone was well fed and well watered with a 2015 bottle of Bartier Brothers Merlot!

Thanks for the Ecard Pat. I really enjoyed it even though I am a born and bred Canadian citizen. You are welcome to include me with your US friends any time you’d like to. I love the USA in spite of all terror. On another note I thought you might enjoy this shaggy dog story. Nancy Hi Naughty Nancy! Glad you enjoyed the card. I sent it to you because of all your American connections! Loved the shaggy dog story! Enjoy your visit with Lady Dar. Make sure she takes a cab! Hello to David. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!

Thanks for this lovely evocation of the best spirit of the season. We had a wonderful American Thanksgiving with a few friends -- thanks for your good wishes. Turning towards the intensive part of the holiday season, we send you in return our good wishes for that exhilarating and demanding part of the year . . . . . . and best always -- Jack and Jane