Thanksgiving Homework

I am a big believer in never asking others to do something you won't do yourself. And yes, I am a mean speech therapist and give homework over school breaks. This week's ended with “Would you like to have attended the 1621 Thanksgiving feast? Why or why not?”

I'm going to have to go with NO, I would not like to have been at the first Thanksgiving in 1621. I'm sure they enjoyed their food all the more for having starved the year before, but I would rather just skip lunch and dig into dinner. Their food choices hold appeal in any era: pumpkin pie, turkey, and their new-fangled vegetable-corn. But since I am too lazy to roll pie crust, I would probably have little success with cooking over a fire.  Plus, I don't think they had perfected the art of chocolate cheesecake yet, and I would be sad to miss that.

The Pilgrims also had the right idea of gathering friends and family in Thankfulness. This year, the family was moving around a lot, but we managed to see most of them. Lindsey and fam came to CA from AZ, Rob and Mark's families traveled to Utah, Alan came up from Provo to hang out in Ogden.  I never manage to be thankful for the long drive through Nevada, but I am always glad to see my family and extended family!  And though it was a bit chilly, it was not the bitter, killing cold of an unsheltered 1620 winter.  I am grateful for warm houses and a California climate.

The pilgrims and Wampanoag celebrated for 3 days.  Well, THAT I can appreciate.  I celebrated on day 1 with food and family, day 2 with food and shopping, and day 3 with two temples, food, and 100s of crazy running Santas!  It was such a funny sight to see Ogden's Washington Avenue completely filled with a sea of bobbing Santa hats!

So, I'm glad I wasn't at that first Thanksgiving.  But I sure am glad they had it, so I have something to be grateful for now!