Giving Thanks.....

Or, Welcome to a Belated Thanksgiving Day post.

This Thanksgiving, I welcomed not one, but two people for their first Thanksgiving. Unlike previous years where we just sit on down to the turkey and all the trimmings (isn't this always the way it's stated: turkey and all the trimmings?) my non-first Thanksgiving guests and I all tried to explain the meaning of the holiday. We actually tried to begin the meal by saying what we were 'thankful for,' but didn't get very far since everyone was hungry. (Personally, I was thankful that I brined the locally sourced, free range turkey I bought at the local farmers' market, since it was easily the best turkey I've ever made.)

In any event, we had a great meal and great time, and not much thought was given again to the holiday, except trying to tell the guests that everything we did was "traditional," including whooping it up with the neighbor's karaoke machine.

It wasn't until Friday night, when a friend was over and we discussed the holiday, that a meaning emerged. My friend thought about the holiday for a second and said, "Well, it doesn't really seem like an American holiday, since giving thanks just seems so, well, modest and humble."

And, it does. And, unlike other US holidays, it's not overly patriotic or militaristic. It truly is a gem of a holiday. What could be nicer than giving thanks?

A few days later, NPR's Talk of the Nation had a story regarding wealth in the US. In this piece, which, admittedly I half listened to since I was multitasking, the complex 'class system' of the US was discussed, along with the lifestyles of the super wealthy (think domestic help: not the cleaning person once a week, but household staff that you lose track of).

While this isn't the newest subject on the planet, another reporter/audio talking head person was discussing wealth here, too. She mentioned something to that fact that if you think of it, most of us are wealthy compared to many places in the world. We have safe, clean, well lit places to live, clean running water, food on a table, etc. etc.

It actually sounded less hackneyed when she stated it, but the sentiment is worth remembering.

Another November Holiday

Do you know what tomorrow is? I'll bet you that you don't! It's America Recycles Day (by America, I'm assuming that they mean the United States.)

Like a lot of folks, I've been thinking a great deal about recycling, and cutting my carbon footprint. I guess when we think about the three "Rs": reduce, reuse, recycle, they are in order of priority, which is REDUCE. It does seem to go against the grain of the US ethos (especially during this increasingly early holiday season) to talk about reducing. Of course, I sell stuff, which doesn't exactly gel with getting people to reduce. (Of course, some of my stuff is already recycled, and is long lasting, so you won't have to buy another handbag, scarf, or wallet any time soon!)

What's interesting, well, to me, is that November 15th's day is sponsored by big corporations, like Coca-Cola, Dell, and Staples. I'm sure they mean well *ahem*, but they sure ain't telling anyone to reduce. If you want to see more about this day, check out the National Recycling Coalition's site.

Anyway, good on them! Now, if Baltimore could just get its act together picking up our recycling, we'd be all set!

So, I've taken the recycling pledge, and here's my badge to prove it!

Taste of Tbilisi

Ok, now, didn't get you still photos of Tbilisi, but maybe this moving ones will give you a bit an an overview on how lovely it is!

And, for those closely following the news, many of the gorgeous buildings are on Rustivelli Blvd, the main drag of Tbilisi, where the Parliament is, and where the protests, and the ensuing crack down, took place.

Always on my, my, my, my, my, my, my mind!

Ok, this has nothing to do with Three Stone Steps, or silk scarves, or eco-chic, or Phnom Penh, or recycled anything. This is more along the lines with the protests, crackdown (cue: song from London Calling, Working for the Clamp Down) in Georgia. Georgia, and Tbilisi was a place I found lovely and lovable. Elegant and crumbling. Great, hospitable people who would do anything for you. Few, if any, other travelers. A wonderful city in a wonder country. So, it is with tears in my eyes, literally, that I've been scouring the web for stories coming out of that country about the protests and the ensuing crushing of the peaceful protests. I wrote a friend in Tbilisi this morning, and asked her how she was holding up. With typical Georgian elan, she was just sort of resigned to this sort of stuff happening, but what really bothered where was the press blackout. Here's what she wrote:

what is really upseting me is that
they closed 2 telecompanies..
one of them was
really tough with government but people loved
that channel as they were most
objective! so the soldiers with guns
and masks on their faces entered that
telecompany and just ordered them to stop broadcasting
 _ I was watching it while
that was going on! they put those
journalists on the floor (as they tell it
after) and took their mobile phones
and only after some time let them out from
the building.
and also, yesterday i had cnn and euronew
 _ and today i had no this channels
anymore!
so we are in information vacuum!
and pardon me but that sucks!
right now i'm home _ schools are closed for minimum till monday.. and i'm really
gald i still have internet!

But, I'm trying to remember the Tbilisi and country that enchanted me when I was there a
little over a year ago.   To that end, please enjoy the following photos, and if I can figure out what can
be done from the outside world, well, I'll post that, too.

[Ok.  For some unknown reason, I can't figure out how to post more of my lovely photos from lovely Georgia, but
in the words of another Beatles song, we will work it out!]