Happy Turkey Day!

I, personally, find it to be a silly holiday…people traveling from all corners of the country to do what? EAT! Sure, I love the turkey & stuffing & cranberries, don’t get me wrong, but that’s all the holiday really is. I hate football passionately, so forget that part of the day…it’s just an annoyance to me to have the TV on. I do enjoy the parades, though the coverage isn’t as good as it used to be. All in all, I find it a misrepresented holiday. And don’t even get me started on “Black Friday”. Shudder You couldn’t pay me to get anywhere near a mall this weekend.
That said, I AM thankful for many things...my friends, my family, anyone who actually reads this blog, my home, heat, food, etc.

But…because I always enjoy knowing the “real” story, here are a few myths about Thanksgiving in the United States.

1. The Pilgrims Held the First Thanksgiving
Uh…technically no. That claims actually goes to San Elizario, Texas, who had their own little celebration in 1598…23 years before the pilgrims…by a Spanish explorer after leading a group of settlers 350 miles. But if you really want to go with that whole east coast Virginia Thanksgiving, it was really the Berkeley Plantation on Dec. 4, 1619…2 years before the pilgrims. The Margaret, not the Mayflower, had brought 38 English settlers to the plantation and had been ordered by the London company that sponsored them to give thanks every year. It was officially recognized by President Kennedy in 1963.

2. Pilgrims ate turkey
Well, no one technically know for sure, we do know they had venison. But no apples, pears or cranberries though. Our idea of Thanksgiving dinner comes from the Victorians, actually. They made it a national holiday in 1863 when Abraham Lincoln issued two Thanksgiving proclamations that we were to have two…one in August, one in November.

3. The First Thanksgiving was because of the great harvest
Actually, the harvest of 1621, wasn't great at all. The barley, wheat, and peas the Pilgrims brought with them from England had failed. Fortunately, the corn did well enough that they were able to double their weekly food rations. The Pilgrims were happy to be alive: The previous winter had wiped out 47 people--almost half their community.

4. The USA invented Thanksgiving
No country does gluttony quite like the United States. The Calorie Control Council, an industry group, says that Americans consume as much as 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving,. That said, humans have been holding harvest festivals for ages. We may wish we invented Thanksgiving, but we didn't. In ancient times, Middle Eastern peoples offered wheat to "The Great Mother" or "Mother of the Wheat." In medieval times, central Europeans celebrated their harvests at Feast of Saint Martin on November 11th. And we can all be thankful our celebrations aren't like those of the Aztecs, who each year would behead a young girl representing Xilonen, the corn goddess.

Well…please enjoy your pumpkin pie & be thankful there will not be any beheadings at your Thanksgiving (hopefully!)

Captain Jack...Kookaburra?

"Kookaburra drinks rum in the old red tree, Marry Marry me says he, Laugh Kookaburra, laugh Kookaburra or else you'll turn out gay..."
"What are you singing to the baby?"
"That Kookaburra song."
"You do know those aren't the lyrics right?"
"uh...no...?"

Yeah, my husband isn't the most musically inclined.

Riddle Me This, Batman...

Ok, so I have a few questions I'd REALLY like answered:

1. What happened to Thanksgiving? I mean, I realize that the holiday serves little purpose other than to gorge oneself on turkey & then let me "menfolk" lie around and watch football for hours on end, but it IS supposedly this big family holiday in American, people. So how come the moment the kids came in from trick-or-treating did I instantly start hearing carols on the radio (24-7, I might add...on 2 different stations) and the mad rush for Christmas began?

2. Someone please explain to me why so many "Christians" call themselves only that, as if it's a badge of honour only they get to wear? Yes, you're Christian, but what are you? Presbyterian? Catholic? Baptist? Lutheran? WHAT? Choose already! I've heard many people say "No, I'm Christian!" Uh...yeah. Let's break that down, shall we? By virtue of the word it means you aren't Jewish or Pagan. You believe in Jesus Christ. So do all of those other religions I just mentioned. So which one are you, already? (And don't even get me started on the pagans who use that word in exactly the same way! ugh...why must I know more about your so-called religious beliefs than you do?)

3. And why do these sort of Christians not allow their children to celebrate Halloween or Santa Claus traditions with the rest of the world? Do they really think that dressing up like a frog for candy or getting a stocking full of toys is really going to lead to their damnation?

4. Why aren't there any Hannukah carols?

5. And since so many people will be getting them as gifts (mostly to themselves) this holiday season, does anyone REALLY need a giant, larger than your couch television?

The Me in the Meme

So Kassi indirectly tagged me since I have nothing better to write about, so here are 7 things about me you may not know.

1. I have only broken two things...my right ankle & my left foot. Yet it is my left knee that gives me trouble.

2. I have a few wierd obsessive compulsive manners about me. One of them is that I can't lie on my left side in bed if I have any less than 2 hours until I'm supposed to wake up for the day.

3. I once contemplated running away & never contacting anyone I knew ever again. I got over it in about a week.

4. I can't stand dust. I can stand piles of books & things, but dust, forget it.

5. I wish people didn't have hairs from their neck down.

6. I have no desire to see the western portion of the USA (other than, perhaps, the coastline)

7. When I was litte I wanted to be either Darla (from the Little Rascals) or Cher when I grew up.

Consider yourself tagged, but let me know if you play along so I can learn all about you!

Yar! Avast Ye Scrubby Sea Dogs!

Yar, know ye that this hear be "international talk like a pirate day! So all ye sea dogs and villanious buccaneers had best be spaken like the pie-rats that ye be!

Lest ye be a landlubber, I suggest ye swig back a few bottles o'rum today, pull on your stripey stockings, and grab your best mates for a rousin' day of pillaging & festivities!

ARGGGGGGH!

Blood of Virgins will HAVE to keep me Young Forever

$4855.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth
Wow, and I always joked I was worth more dead. I guess I was wrong. Perhaps I will have to live forever?

Nazi Squirrels?

For anyone who has ever doubted my belief that squirrels are evil, have it in for humanity, carry the black plague and really can't be trusted...check out this news report:

BERLIN -- An unusually aggressive squirrel attacked three people in a German town before its last victim finished it off with a crutch, police said Wednesday.

The rodent jumped through a living-room window in Passau, on the Austrian border, on Tuesday and bit its first victim. With the squirrel hanging on by its teeth, the woman ran out into the street, where she managed to shake the animal off.

The animal then entered a building site and jumped on a construction worker, injuring him on the hand and arm, before he managed to fight it off with a measuring pole.
"After that, the squirrel went into the 72-year-old man's garden and massively attacked him on the arms, hand and thigh," the spokesman said. "Then he killed it with his crutch."

Told ya. Squirrels...they WILL bite you & kill you!

*UPDATE* Just in case you don't believe me...here are more news articles about these Satanic beings! Check out this little bit of squirrel hatred too!

Because it really is all about Meme...

Consider yourself tagged it you're actually reading this. I'm bored (would you believe I accidentally came to work 1 1/2 hours earlier on a Saturday morning than I needed to? If only that meant leaving early...alas, no).

What were you doing 10 years ago?
How sad is it that 10 years ago I was being mom to the kidlet, then 3. Married to the now Ex. In Michigan. And working at the renaissance faire. Things, apparently, don't evolve drastically for me.
What were you doing 1 year ago?
It is actually the one year anniversary of starting my job at the Wustum Museum.
Five snacks you enjoy
1.Ice cream
2. Tortilla chips & salsa
3. brownies
4. Slurpies (mmm...)
5. Funyuns
Five songs that you know all the lyrics to
1. Save a Prayer (Duran Duran) 2. 99 Red Balloons (Nena...english & german versions) 3. We Didn't Start the Fire (Billy Joel) 4. Defying Gravity (Wicked) 5. What do you do with a Drunken Sailor?
Five things you would do if you were a millionaire
1. Pay off ALL of our debt, including the mortgage
2. Buy myself a car
3. Take a cool trip with the family to Europe (and probably bring my best friend's family along)
4. Put money away for the children's educations
5. Buy some gas for the car!
Five bad habits
1. Talking on the cell while driving
2. Not exercising enough
3. Incessant need to check emails & favourite blogs daily
4. Drinking soda
5. Spending money rather than saving
Five things you like doing
1. Being with my family
2. Sex
3. Being with my friends
4. Travelling
5. Acting
Five things you would never wear again
1. bubble skirts
2. neon clothing
3. knickers
4. sequin bustier
5. torn off-the-shoulder sweatshirt
Five favorite toys
1. Fashion Designer
2. Legos
3. Water/pool toys
4. Board games, esp. Clue or Balderdash
5. crayons & colouring books

Photos from the weekend

Pieter, Emily, Hannah & Sebastian VanRyen...our 1860s personas.

and some of the other members of the Great Lakes Reenactors Guilde.

And a few of the Civil War generals (Lee, Grant & Custard) with my guys.

Farewell my friends...talk hard, talk fast

Today is a sad day for me. My favourite TV show is ending & I just found out this morning thanks to Christine. For several years now my family knows that Tuesday nights are mine to share with Lorelai & Rory...the Gilmore Girls. These witty women with their endless pop culture references are like old friends I've witnessed change & grow. They could easily fit in with my real-life group of friends. I've wondered what it would be like to stay at the Dragonfly Inn in Stars Hallow. My daughter had watched the show and views Rory as a bit of a role model and has often said how glad she is that she & I have as close of a relationship as the characters do. And now there are only 2 episodes left before those "friends" are gone forever...with no advance warning of their departure. I'd have a farewell party if only I knew anyone else who watched the show as faithfully as I have. In true Gilmore style I'll wear a black veiled hat on May 15th.

Literacy

In an attempt to find random moments (like in the bath) to read despite having a baby, I thought it was fun to get tagged by this. I, in turn, tag all of you who drop by, especcially since one of 1001 resolutions to myself in the next year is to ask my friends for a list of their favourite books and then add them to my reading list. So tag...you're it!

The 100 Books Meme
• bold the ones you’ve read
• italicize the ones you want to read
• cross out the ones you won’t touch with a 10 foot pole
• put a cross (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf
• asterisk (*) the ones you’ve never heard of
1. +The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. + Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. + To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. *Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. *A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11.+ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13.+ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14.* A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. + Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone (J.K. Rowling)
17. *Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. --The Stand-- (Stephen King)
19. + Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (J.K. Rowling)
20. + Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. + The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. + The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. + Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. *Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. +The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. + The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. + Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. + 1984 (Orwell)
35. +The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. *The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. *I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. --The Clan of the Cave Bear-- (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. + Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. +The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. + Bible
46. + Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. + The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. +Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. +She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. *The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. + A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. *Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. + Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. + The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. *The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. + Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. + The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. + Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. * Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. --One Hundred Years Of Solitude-- (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. +The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. + Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. + The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. +Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. +Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez) HATED IT!
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. *The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. *The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. +Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. *Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. + Of Mice And Men (John Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. *Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. + Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. * The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. * Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. * Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. * In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Ludlum)
96. + The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. +A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

Friday's Feast

Appetizer:
What sound, other than the normal ringing, would you like your telephone to make?
Well, my home phone does nothing remarkable, but my cell phone plays either the Avatar:The Last Airbender theme song or "Reach Up for the Sunrise" by Duran Duran.
Soup
Describe your usual disposition in meteorological terms (partly cloudy, sunny, stormy, etc.).
Mostly sunny with a hint of storm clouds. I'm pretty happy today, but I'm also a little worried about the upcoming delivery!
Salad
What specific subject do you feel you know better than any other subjects?
After waaaay too many years working with renaissance faires, I'd definately have to say I'm nearly an expert on the Elizabethan era, particularly regarding the way of life & clothing. Go ahead, quiz me!
Main Course
Imagine you were given the ability to remember everything you read for one entire day. Which books/magazines/newspapers would you choose to read?
Fortunately I read fairly fast, so I think I'd plow through a few classics so I could quote them at whim, maybe read the Bible, and some history books
Dessert
If a popular candy maker contacted you to create their next confection, what would it be like and what would you name it?
Since the best chocolates in the world to me are either Raisin & Biscuit Yorkie bars from England or Mozart chocolates from Austria, I'd want either of those companies to contact me. I think I'd want something chocolate - raspberry flavoured named after me, of course. Kimba is a good name for a chocolate truffle bar, don'tcha think?