Cop Car's Beat

Thanksgiving Day, We Enjoyed

"....There has been a lot of blogging and commenting concerning Thanksgiving Day, and how we in the USA celebrate it.  If you missed all that, a brief recap is this:

"1)  Most people who know anything about the USA seem to believe that each family gathers all of the generations together for a huge turkey/dressing (stuffing)/gravy/sweet potato/green bean casserole/hot rolls/cranberry sauce/pumpkin pie feast.  The table groans, the people join hands and expound upon the things for which each is thankful, say a prayer of thanksgiving, and dig in while the table groans under the weight.  Then, the men stagger (under the heavy load in their stomachs) to the 69" TV to watch 4 football games, simultaneously, while the little ladies clean up and fetch beers.

"2)  My family wasn't like that.  While growing up, I do not recall ever having a huge Thanksgiving Day feast.  I do not recall ever, in those days, eating turkey at a relative's house (including ours).  No one in our family had TV, let alone cared about football (now, baseball was another thing!)  No one in our family drank beer--at least, not as long as the kids were around.  My dad washed a lot more dishes than mom did.  He said it got his hands clean--hands that got grimy in his work as a journeyman electrician.

"3)  Our elder daughter, Dudette, is the "traditionalist" in our family.  She does, indeed, put on a turkey feast--at some time during the Thanksgiving weekend.  Her menu is, generally, turkey/dressing/gravy/crescent rolls (from a recipe developed by Hunky Husband's mother and given to me as a gift) and butter/canned, jelled cranberry sauce (Hunky Husband's preference)/green bean casserole (she's way ahead of me on this one as I don't know of anyone else in the family who has made this--perhaps it comes from Wichi Dude's family?)/olives/pecan pie/chocolate mousse pie.

"Having the history out of the way, now, I can tell you that we performed 3) last Saturday.  As always, we had a grand time.  No one ate huge quantities, so there was no staggering.  The TV set wasn't turned on during the 4 or 5 hours that we were there.  Everyone took part in the conversations that wound around about 372 topics.

.... 

Except that we were able to observe Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving Day, this year, the above write-up from What's Keeping Us Busy? on 28 Nov 2006 applies to 2008, as well; although, I should insert a couple of omissions.  Dudette always has a wonderful plate of fresh veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, green pepper, carrots, grape tomatoes) and dips to keep our stomachs quiet while we inhale the fragrances of the meal acooking, and she always has black olives at table with the meal.  This year, she added snack crackers to the preprandial goodies.  We had a lovely time, as always, and HH and I are ever-so thankful for our family.  Present for the festivities were the hosting couple, Dudette & WichiDude, of course, Wonderful GrandDaughter & Chew, and Hunky Husband & me.  (It is difficult to stretch a table clear up into New Hampshire, enabling the inclusion of Bogie & her Wonderful Spouse, sad to say.)

I hope that each of you had/is having an equally pleasant time--or as pleasant as is possible, under your circumstances. 

Reprise on (Joy's posting on) Refrigerator Magnets

Joy, of Joy of Six, posted on Refrigerator Magnets last week. Now, although I read Joy's postings frequently, she can tell you that I rarely comment--mostly because of an idiosynchracy in my computer/software that keeps me from being able to get the comment box to come up in under 13.5 minutes, most of the time. (Joy, if that isn't the number we came up with, feel free to throw another number in.)  The cited posting, however, although the cartoon failed to come up completely, got me to the comment box in a shorter period of time than usual; so I had to leave a comment.  Joy wrote about the abundance of "stuff" on her refrigerator and asked us to 'fess up and let her know that she was not alone in having a refrigerator buried under magnets.  I commented, thusly,...

Until a few years ago, I had nary a magnet on the frig. Still wouldn't except Hunky Husband brought one home from a trip, and I hadn't the heart to hide it away.

That comment goaded another friend into emailing me to ask what was so special about the magnet that HH gave me that I couldn't hide it away.  Well...mostly, I didn't want to hurt HH's little feelers.  He had thought to bring me a gift and I was (about to) dismiss it!  However, the magnet is cute, so I shall, herewith, post a photo. Note that the ceramic part hides a clip by which papers may be suspended.

P.S. As I went back to pick up the links at Joy's, the whole cartoon suddenly decided to download.  Now I get it! Cute!

View from My Keyboard

Sitting at my keyboard this morning, I see a beautiful sight peeking from above my monitor.  Our neighbors across the street, with several others along our street, planted an ornamental pear tree in their front yard.  During the spring, I don't much care for those trees.  They are too symmetrical, too uniformly flowered, too stinky; but, they come into their own in Autumn. Unlike the other types of trees around here (which you may have noted are bare in the Sunrise photos), the pear trees are still hanging onto their leaves--despite the high winds that we've experienced for most of the last couple of weeks.  Aaaahhhh!

Sunrise

 

Veterans Day

November 11th has been a special day, for as long as I can remember.  In Kansas City MO, where I spent the period November 1946 - August 1955, there was always a Veterans Day parade that culminated at The Liberty Memorial. I was privileged to march in many of those parades, starting at age 11, as a majorette. We froze our little legs off (although our uniforms were not nearly as skimpy as what performers routinely wear, these days), but it was for a good cause.  In addition, we were sometimes privileged to perform at the American Legion, in celebration of our war veterans.

During my employment by BDM Corporation (1981-1990), we observed the same holidays that the government employees observed; thus, getting Veteran's Day off as a holiday.

More recently, during my last 14 years of employment (1990-2004), our company [Cessna Aircraft Company] sponsored a special get-together of those of us who had served in any branch of the Armed Forces--war time, or not.  [For a taste of my service, please see Helicopters.] We worked on Veterans Day, but we took an hour or two off to get together for a speech, or two, to have cake and punch, and to exchange "old war stories".

To all who served our country, thank you.  Your efforts and sacrifices are much appreciated!

For more postings concerning Veteran's Day, please see:

Thanks are in Order, by Bogie; A Veteran Remembrance, by Pattie; and Veterans Day 2008, by Ronni.

Collaboration

I believe that we all need to collaborate on the national political/governmental level.  The following two paragraphs are lifted from a comment that I left at Ronni's.  The words are heartfelt.

"My feeling is that, those who did not vote for Sen Obama are not our enemies, they are not bad people. They are our friends, loved ones, neighbors, fellow Americans.

"John McCain gave the speech of his life, in which he acknowledge the need to come together--showing the statesmanship that, in my view, he should also have been showing during the campaign. Pres-elect Obama gave an eloquent, answering call. We need to join our new Pres-elect in figuring out how to work with people of all persuasions in setting America on a firm course toward better lives for all of its citizens, and better relations with other countries."

Now, the work begins.

In her comment on my previous posting, Hattie, of Hattie's Web, passed this along from President-elect Obama:  "...now the work begins."

One of the arenas requiring work is our agricultural industry and governmental policies affecting it.  Fred First has posted a thoughtful piece, Sun-Food Agenda:  Future's Food Footprint.  From Fred's posting:

"Below (from an interview with Time mag) is a snippet of Obama’s wholistic expression of hope for healthier foods, buildings, cities, transportation. What he grasps–in a way unfamiliar among our generation’s politicos–is the paradigm shift (read: change) that will be necessary to the very survival of our species. Whether he can make the kind of Manhattan Project for the Sun-Food Agenda (and in other sectors as well) happen in four years remains to be seen. But we can start. We can hope. We can work to be the faithful stewards Mr. Berry and Mr. Pollan encourage us to be. Yes we can.

'There is no better potential driver that pervades all aspects of our economy than a new energy economy. I was just reading an article in the New York Times by Michael Pollen [sic] about food and the fact that our entire agricultural system is built on cheap oil.

'As a consequence, our agriculture sector actually is contributing more greenhouse gases than our transportation sector. And in the mean time, it’s creating monocultures that are vulnerable to national security threats, are now vulnerable to sky-high food prices or crashes in food prices, huge swings in commodity prices, and are partly responsible for the explosion in our healthcare costs because they’re contributing to type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease, obesity, all the things that are driving our huge explosion in healthcare costs.

'That’s just one sector of the economy. You think about the same thing is true on transportation. The same thing is true on how we construct our buildings. The same is true across the board.' "

That is one insightful posting, Fred!  I would add that, one of the reasons for the production of monocultures is the requirement imposed by the large food industry organizations, that the raw ingredients supplied to them be uniform.  How often have we read of the requirements that fast food chains levy on their suppliers so that a "Big Burger" purchased in Des Moine IA tastes/looks/smells the same, and has the same mouth feel as, a "Big Burger" purchased in Florida or Timbuktu?

In traveling, I've always enjoyed finding restaurants/cafes/cantinas that feature local cuisine.  However, it is obvious that the mega-fast-food-joints don't find that this is what they can make money producing.  How do you want your food?  Consistent or varied?  Personally, I often find it too inconvenient to seek out the exception so, like millions of others, I fall back on the tried-and-true.  Shame on me.

Happy Election Day!

Today, I get to participate in choosing 32 different people to serve in various positions, including the Electoral College:  POTUS/VPOTUS, US Senate, US Congress, State Upper House, State Lower House, County Clerk, County District Attorney, County Sheriff, County Treasurer, County Registrar of Deeds, State Board of Education, County/City School District, and 20 District/Division Judges.  (Precinct party elections took place in August.)

Starting in 1960 (I was 22--we had to be age 21 or older to vote, in those days), I have voted in person and by absentee ballot, never missing voting in a general election.  All of my voting experiences have been made pleasant by the poll workers and officials.  (Perhaps I wasn't always thrilled by the results of the election.)  Armed by research and my sample ballot, I venture forth.  May we, each, have a pleasant experience at the polls this Election Day!

P.S. I won't delineate my choices; but, as in previous elections my votes go for candidates sponsored by various parties.  In today's instance, I vote for Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, and Independent candidates.

Fall Color at Cop Car's

In Freebies, I posted a photo of our Pampas grass clump.  That clump looks a bit different, now, so here's an update.

You may have noticed the yellow leaves on the concrete and grass, around the bicycle photo that was posted earlier, today. As is common, in Kansas, these leaves are cottonwood--our version of aspen, displays of which the mountains in Colorado (and other states) are famous. Most of the older trees (mostly brought in with the settlers in the 19th century) in Kansas turn yellow in the fall. However, being what we are, we people have planted trees and shrubs that turn our favored colors. Since I am jealous of Bogie's (New Hampshire) fall colors, I tend to plant things that produce reds in the fall. Many in the Wichita area have planted ornamental pears, chinese pistacios, and (my favorite) sweet gum trees. Below are photos of my sugar maple and group of dwarf burning bushes.

 

Bicycle Babu

In a comment to her posting, Riding with Bear, Bogie wrote about me, "...you will never make it as a motorcycle mama."  Why?  Because I used inappropriate terminology in my comment about the photo of Bear that she had posted.  (Poor me...I'm so picked on.)  Of course, I would have given it to Bogie, in spades, had she used inappropriate terminology in reference to anything having to do with aviation!!  At any rate, I acknowledge to not having what it takes to be a motorcycle mama.  However, I am a bicycle babu! [Bogie already knows; but, to keep the non-Yugoslavians from getting out their Serbo-Croatian dictionaries, Babu = grandmother.]  Herewith, I post a photo of my wheels.

Note that, quite cleverly, the basket is quick-release. This is handy because, 1) the basket is not normally on the bike--I can clip it on when I know that I'll need the basket, and 2) it makes things easy when I get to the store--I can un-hook the basket, take it into the store, and use it for gathering a few items!