Happy Thanksgiving Day to all my American friends!
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to stop and consider the many blessings we enjoy. No matter our economic status, our health or family situation, I suspect most of us in Canada found at least one good thing on October 11th for which we were thankful. But I must say I envy my American friends for the timing of their Thanksgiving Day.
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Oh, I know the origins of the event… appreciation for a bountiful harvest, arrival of the English at the Virginia colony, celebration by the pilgrims at the Plymouth Plantation.
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The current American celebration, however, give or take a few days, also coincides with the arrival of Advent, when we begin looking ahead to Christmas and the celebration of the most wondrous occurrence of all time. The two aren’t really linked at all, and yet frequently Christmas decorations come out for this day and it becomes the official beginning of the Christmas season.
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I’m a little like my new granddaughter-in-law who, before mid-November proclaimed, “It’s official; I’m obsessed with Christmas,” and put up her tree. I find Christmas slips away faster every year so I want to start celebrating it earlier and earlier!
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May I be allowed to celebrate both Thanksgivings and thus move right on into Christmas things now, too? Pleeease?
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MUSINGS 
I’m not alone. Because I’m celebrating earlier and earlier too. I’ve been bugging my DH about taking grandma out to find a tree. He says it’s too early. Usually we just stick up our artificial tree. This year is special; who knows how many more grandma will see. Oh, I’m finished shopping for the grandchildren as of Tuesday.
As always, I really enjoyed your post, Carol.
My DH, dear, sweet, wonderful, obliging man that he is, actually finished putting up the outdoor lights this afternoon. Although we never turn them on until the first Sunday in Advent, just a few moments ago I was surprised to find them click on! He said while he was setting the timers he decided it was close enough! But a tree? I think I’ll still have to wait until at least the first weekend in December for that. I’m still NaNo’ing, so no Christmas shopping yet either.
Carol, your my sister—so of course you should celebrate Thanksgiving with me. And now Christmas. I hung two wreath’s this afternoon. I went to the Church this morning to decorate the fellowship hall for our Christmas party on Tuesday.
One year I had all my Christmas shopping done by Oct. I was so proud of myself–no last minute shopping for me that year. However, while I was out with girlfriends, I continued to find “special” things I knew my kids would like—I spent more that year than any other year!!!!
Blessings to you my friend.
Love you
Katt
As I just said to Joy, I now have outdoor lights (which include a lighted garland around the front door) so that’s a start. Our church had its Christmas Bazaar last Saturday. And my DH is also doing interim ministry in another church that had its annual Christmas Dinner on Friday, so things are definitely supporting my impatient belief that it’s *that* time! 🙂
I think now that Thanksgiving’s out of the way, I’m ready to embrace Christmas. 🙂
Carol, I recognize your blog but am unsure if I’ve commented before. I had to at least come and thank you for today’s comment on my own blog, Something She Wrote. I appreciated your words.
Have a great weekend!
Thanks, Janna. I pop over to your blog quite often, although don’t leave many comments. Your discussion of the separate but overlapping facets of your life — life in the flesh, virtual life and life through fiction — caught my attention as an interesting concept. Thanks for returning the visit.
Go ahead Carol…embrace the fun and joy that is Christmas.
I look at it this way…with more and more trying to remove Christmas and its traditions, the more reason I have to start celebrating it earlier 🙂 really not that serious just havin some fun here.
Happy US Thanksgiving and belated Canadian Thanksgiving…
Thanks, Joseph. 🙂 Kidding or not, there’s something to be said for getting our true Christmas spirit out there on display a.s.a.p. The world needs Christmas!
Carol, Thanksgiving is to be shared with family and friends, so you certainly should enjoy the holiday with the rest of us each year.
We put our Christmas tree up today, but we haven’t put the lights and decorations on it yet. My daughter brought home a kitten and it won’t stay out of the branches, so I’m going to have to go buy some plastic ornaments or leave it bare.
We took advantage of several online sales yesterday, so we have a great start on our shopping. Tomorrow we’ll drive up to the mall and spend some time admiring the decorations and looking for more bargains. My kids have to leave for school Sunday evening, so I’m trying to get in as much family time as possible.
Good luck with your NaNo goal.
Thanks, Carol. I decided I was very Thankful for a lot of things, so Thursday was a good day to enumerate them. Now I can move on to thoughts of Christmas guilt-free. 😉
Kittens and puppies add a risk factor to the decorating, for sure. I know of someone who set their tree inside a wooden playpen just to keep a new pup away from it. Worked well, too. But it wouldn’t deter a cat. Good luck with that!
I’m making good writing progress with not much more than 3000 words to go over the weekend so hopefully….
The American Thanks giving is always a reminder to me that Christmas is getting very handy. Scarily handy. I work in the Christmas tree industry for a good portion of the year so Christmas is constantly on my mind in one form or another.
First Sunday in Advent tomorrow… so I can legitimately ‘think Christmas’ from here on. I can understand how being involved in the Christmas tree industry would keep the season before you far longer than just at Christmas. That would be a different perspective altogether.
Hopefully will be home in time this year. Had Thanksgiving here at the house (just 2 of us) for 1st time in 3 years, that was an awesome plus. Last year arrived home 4PM Christmas Eve – no tree etc. (Barely time to get to a store for groceries!) Our ‘Tree’ is a palm decorated with lights, shells, & sand dollars (Deb’s doin’). It’s pretty cool. We don’t decorate outside anymore & keep things to a minimum inside as well – just never have the time or we’re on the road. Glad NaNo is going so well for you.
Well, back to editing. DE
You’re obviously on the road a lot so just being able to come home in time to relax and take in the joy of the season without fussing over too many of the trappings would be a good thing. Your ‘tree’ sounds delightful! Very appropriate for where you live.
I forget… didn’t you build yourself a special writing place there last year? Do you use it much?
The writing out-building is stalled out in the planning stage. I’ve been away too much to pursue it & the way the real estate market is going around here – you tend to think twice about costly projects. Our home “value” dropped about $300K in the past 14 months (according to the county tax office anyway – woo hoo, I’ll save on property taxes this year) Blech!
I’ll post pics of Deb’s tree on FaceBook in the next day or so.
Really hping to be home for at least a month or so. Need a break.
Sorry about the writing outbuilding, but maybe someday. Our economy is back on the upswing… never was quite as bad as yours. Our home value dropped a chunk, too, but has recovered a fair bit. As long as you don’t need to sell you can wait it out and hope for better days ahead.
Take care. Self-preservation is a good thing. 🙂