Here's to Marty "Big Ruff" Frobisher, who, in 1578 established Canada's (and North America's) first Thanksgiving Feast.
Marty established the first two foundation stones of what would become the semi-impressive Inukshuk of Canadian Identity - public expressions of pointless gratitude, and wandering around the north looking like a nook-nook.
Herewith my annual (if somewhat tardy) list of things to be Thankful for if you're stuck in Canuckistan.
- We're not on the UN Security Council. Stephen "Stephen" Harper finds out that ya can't tell the world to bugger off, and have your cake, and eat mixed metaphors too. News to Stephen: The Bush era is over.
- The Loonie is almost worth a dollar again. This brings back memories of the mid to late 70's when trips to New Hampshire for cheap booze and... never mind.
- Rob Ford may turn the Peter Principle totally tits up and become Mayor of Toronto. Why be grateful for this? Well, Rob will be the biggest shambling monstrosity of a non-team player to ever get that office. Toronto has a "weak mayor" system, which demands consensus building and compromise. If Rob ever came near a consensus he'd punch it in the throat. Rob is so unpopular with council that even other conservatives will not sit next to him for fear of getting Ford "cooties". I foresee a three year circus with ponies, followed by a generation of city cons in the wilderness.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have won their first two games of the season. I am not a Leafs fan, I am grateful because these two wins have set up the bandwagon for one heck of a bringdown. Schadenfreude by the end of Oktoberfest!!!
- You guys have Sarah Palin. We don't.
- In all seriousness. Joe Fiorito. I am grateful to live in a town that has him as a writer.
- Single Payer Universal Health Care. You might want to give it a look.
- I am grateful for Korean Canadian Traditional Thanksgivings. This is how we do ours:
Get all the kids and adults in the house (in our case - seven kids and three adults) up at an ungodly hour in the morning. Wash everything.
Do it again.
Cook a lot of things - including a 20 pound Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, corn, asparagus wrapped in bacon. Slice and prepare fruit (strawberries, melons, grapes). Marinate ribs in Asian pears.
Wash the whole house again.
Wait for your wife's older sister to arrive with her household(three more adults and nine kids). Watch the adults as they cook more stuff - fish and pork tempura, rice rolls, buckwheat noodles with sliced vegetables, squid, shrimp. Make three kinds of salad. Take the kids out for a walk through the local ravines to kick at leaves.
Come back, drink assorted beverages. Barbeque the ribs; carve the turkey; set three or four tables for food, and three or four tables for eatingt. Eat. And eat. Do the dishes. Sit down to desert and fresh ground and brewed coffee. Do more dishes. Ice cream. Pumpkin pie. More dishes, more coffee. Kids too tired to put on a promised talent show, so sack out in the living room and watch movies.
Suggest to in laws that they stay overnight. Try to insist on it. Pack up half of leftovers and pack up the cars. Stand in the driveway and wave.
Count your blessings. The first being that you found such a wonderful person to share your blessings with.
Kiss your kids goodnight.
Life is good.