Today's diary is written in many small bursts, because Casa Brillig is at Mr. Brillig's parents' house with his SIL and her family here, too. Eleven people and four dogs (two of whom both think they're alpha and growl warily at each other regularly) plus the preparation and consumption of much food make for a scattered day. Follow me below the orange sweet potato casserole after a word from our sponsor...
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For many of us, today was a day of food and family/friends. Last year Casa Brillig was at home, with just Mr. Brillig's folks with us. It was a quiet, simple day. This year, we're a bit louder, a little more crowded, but somehow we're all still relaxed. French toast and coffee gave us the energy to prepare enough stuffing for an army (one stuffed bird plus four loaf pans of additional goodness!) and to get the turkey in the oven. Everyone contributed to dinner, which was absolutely delicious. It felt like Thanksgiving should be.
BUT
Thanksgiving isn't a day of celebration for everyone. Our idyllic image of that "first Thanksgiving" ignores the systematic genocide of the indigenous peoples as white europeans and their descendants spread across the land. Today is a National Day of Mourning for many.
For others Thanksgiving is a day spent alone, either because of distance, isolation or loss. Many cannot spend the day at home because "home" is a word, not a place. For some, there is no meal to give thanks for. Some towns sponsor a community meal for those who don't have a place to be; my own has an individual who organizes a meal for 100+ individuals with the assistance of others.
Many this Thanksgiving are mourning the loss of lives, far too many lives, cut short by the very people sworn to protect and defend its citizenry. They - we - recognize a system that places differential value on each of us based on the color of our skin.
We are a country filled with inequity, from the obscene excess of the $35000 dinner for four offered at a NYC restaurant (which, to be fair, DOES include grandstand seating at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, a $6,000 Bloomingdale’s shopping spree, so maybe it's only $20K for the actual dinner ::snark::) to the far-too-many people who can only imagine a table filled with food. From those forced to work today or be fired from their minimum wage jobs to those whose work consists of spending their trust fund - the one those minimum wage jobs sacrifice for to fund. From education to medical care, access is divided into those with access to high quality systems, and those who have inferior or limited/no access.
I believe with all my being that each of us has something to be thankful for, no matter how small. Nurture that spark, and work to make next year one where all of us have more to be thankful for.
Let me end with the song I have used several times as my Thanksgiving TC, a favorite and finally a new recording of the artist performing:
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything
without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do
not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down.
From Yours Truly, brillig:
Excellent comment on the effects of fracking by Bob Johnson. From DisappointedDem's The Fracking Boom Just Went Bust.
Top Mojo for yesterday, November 26th first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you
mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary
FAQing Top Mojo.
1) Sounds to me like he thinks his time and his by ontheleftcoast — 181
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5) Jesus He's Dead Before the Door Finished Opening. by Gooserock — 95
6) Lawrence was quite thorough in his debunking... by markthshark — 87
7) My father in law recently served on a grand jury by sneakers563 — 84
8) The root problem is the dogs were presumed by ontheleftcoast — 76
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12) Part of the 'more' by Catte Nappe — 71
13) The entire thing has by Kristina40 — 69
14) Use This SIgn to Tape Over Theirs - - by johnnygunn — 65
15) Brave man. We should help him. by SouthernLiberalinMD — 65
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17) Have you played sports at even the collegiate by ontheleftcoast — 65
18) Bostic was a high ranking member on the LAPD by I give in to sin — 64
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22) same answer as so many by Lady Libertine — 62
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26) You have touched upon one of the central by David Harris Gershon — 57
27) So is by TheGreatLeapForward — 57
28) It was a kid by jfromga — 56
29) It was probably by Pirogue — 55
30) It. does. not. matter!!!!!!!!! by JoanMar — 54
31) Sounds like he longed for meaningful livelihood by Torta — 54
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