Friday Findings
I’m a curious soul – with a wide range of nerdy and geeky interests, ranging from space exploration to theological concepts. I often find interesting items when stumbling about on the internet – and on Friday’s I like to share my findings with you!
Happy Day After Thanksgiving! To continue the celebration, today’s Friday Findings are dedicated to Thanksgiving (well, mostly Thanksgiving!) finds – so grab some turkey leftovers and enjoy!
The Real Spirit of Thanksgiving
Four Thanksgiving holidays.
That’s how many Thanksgivings a grandma who texted the wrong teenager, and the unintended teenager who received the text, have now spent together. This is a wonderful story about what Thanksgiving really is all about – the reminder to be grateful for what God has blessed us, and the opportunity to practice beautiful hospitality to others. For a heart-warming story, take a few minutes to read this: Are You Coming to Thanksgiving Dinner?
Thank You, Dorcas, for Inventing Green Bean Casserole
I’m not a great cook. And, I don’t cook often. But I do try to at least put on a decent spread for Thanksgiving. I have a set of tried and true recipes that I use – ones that I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to mess up to badly…..Sweet Potato Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Turkey Breast, Sister Schubert’s rolls, and Green Bean Casserole.
Green Bean Casserole fairly shouts “THANKSGIVING”!! The green beans, the cream of mushroom soup, the French Fried Onions! But did you ever stop to wonder who thought up the casserole?
Well, you can stop wondering. It was Dorcas.
The Smithsonian website recently featured a beautiful article about Dorcas, who passed away in October of this year. If Green Bean Casserole is a staple in your house at Thanksgiving, then take a moment to read this article, honoring Dorcas, and be thankful for her creativity: With Extra Fried Onions, Please
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Facts
One of our Thanksgiving morning traditions is to stumble into the living room in the morning, and watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade together, as we cook and bake for the day’s feast. It’s such a huge tradition in our house, that this year we have recorded the parade so that we can watch it on Saturday when we gather to celebrate Thanksgiving.
From watching Miracle on 34th Street (which I’m doing right now, as I write this) to putting a trip to NYC during Thanksgiving on my “someday” list, I’ve always been fascinated with the parade. As such, I loved reading this article on 16 Little Known Thanksgiving Parade Facts: Love the Balloons
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Balloons – A Children’s Book
I’ve not yet listened to this, but I hope to find a chance to do so – it’s a children’s book about the Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons, that fly above the streets of NYC, during the parade. If you have little ones that enjoyed watching yesterday’s parade, they might also enjoy listening to this book, read aloud by Rocco: Balloons Over Broadway
National Dog Show – Thanksgiving 2019
Our other huge Thanksgiving Day tradition is to watch the National Dog Show, which comes on TV immediately following the parade. We love watching all the different breeds, strutting around the ring as the judges evaluate and determine who is best in each breed, and best in show. Our favorite part, are the commentators, with their odd sense of humor as they try to make what could be a very long and boring show, really pretty entertaining.
This year, Thor the Bulldog won best in show! Check out the story, here, and add this to your Thanksgiving Traditions next year! Thor is the Perfect Name for this Dog
Buddy the Elf
And, our last Thanksgiving Holiday tradition is to watch the movie Elf, as we lie around the living room in a food coma from all the Thanksgiving yummies, or while we decorate the Christmas tree.
I love Elf – it cracks me up every time I watch it. When I came across this article about an Elf-themed room at the Wyndham in NYC, I immediately added it to my “Places to Visit” list. It’s awesome. SANTA I KNOW HIM
Thanksgiving Knowledge, Kid-Style
To wrap up this Post-Thanksgiving Edition of Friday Findings, I leave you with this great video from the Washington Post, of interviews with kids about Thanksgiving. Chuckle a bit, and then go grab the last piece of pie. I know you want it. 🙂
