We'll be eating whatever the hell we want because we're at an all-inclusive in Punta Cana, DR. We have a group of 27. It's awesome booking a table for that.
I just read mostly, near a bar. It's covered, but open on both sides, so good cross breeze. One waitress is a cutie, but barely speaks English. A friend with us is a native Spanish speaker, so he talked with her for a few minutes. He looked at me: "Kevin, she's 18." I was quiet for a few seconds and finally replied, "Fuck it. Tell her we're 20." (We're both mid-50s.) So, yeah, almost everything. :P
As for reading, I'll highly recommend Larry Wilmore's "I'd Rather We Got the Casinos". Hilarious read and easy to digest.
We call the day Happy Gathering Day, since my cousin no longer wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving because her pastor said it was celebrating the genocide of the Native American population. We also agreed to have our meal on Friday for several years, until just not calling it Thanksgiving was fine, because Thursday was more convenient. Now we lost her to complications from her MS two summers ago.
Last year I was in Germany and visited my daughter in the city where she was studying and we had a traditional German meal at a nice restaurant. My husband was in the US having Thanksgiving with the rest of the family. In honor of my cousin I still call it The Happy Gathering Day.
This year due to health reasons I cannot travel, but my husband, daughter and I will be together in Germany having a traditional German meal at a nice restaurant in our German city. My daughter is coming on the train tomorrow, so we won't actually celebrate until Saturday. She has classes this week, since it is not a holiday in Germany.
Our Thanksgivings always had a mixture of typical African American and German foods, can we say red cabbage and greens, and we will be thankful that we can be together. And, I am thankful that we do not have any MAGA uncles to argue with, but we do argue and disagree and agree to disagree and still love each other. We also always play a rousing game of Scattergories, which my cousin loved. We might play it this weekend in honor of her. We found an online version.
My mom will have Thanksgiving in the US today with the rest of our family. My nephew whom I used to cook with once he went to Chef school, and his sister will be cooking this year without me. Yay for them.
In Germany Thanksgiving is not celebrated. I learned it was called "Erntedankfest" which translated means "Harvest Thanks Feast", they have already begun celebrating the many different parts of the Christmas holidays.
I am thankful that someone leaked the Witkoff recorded call where he is telling his Russian buddy how to manipulate Trump in Russia's favor. Waiting to see if anyone in the Democratic party will call it the treasonous act that it is. I hope this adds to the demerits Trump is racking up with his MAGA crowd.
I am grateful that Ukraine and Europe are doing their own thing with the pretend "peace" plan that DT thinks will get him a Nobel Prize, because he does not understand anything about anything except grifting.
I am thankful that Aftyn Behn in Tennessee in very red territory, is doing well enough to have moved up to 4 points below her republican opponent. If she can move up some more and defeat him, Mike Johnson won't have to be overworked, because he will lose his power in the House.
I am thankful for Jeff since he keeps me both informed and laughing and I enjoy the shared community he has created here with fellow witty people.
I would like to share 2 witty things from other Substacks here as well.
Lucian Truscott with a holiday poem called A Mar-a-Lago Thanksgiving.
Paul Krugman shared this Thanksgiving clip from the Original Addams family show or movie, which he prefaced by saying, "I never realized how woke this movie was" https://youtu.be/tJE3KDxTbWI?si=YHihz0OTQ_yhAFYi
Greetings and much happiness at your “gathering”. Sorry to hear about your cousin. MS is torturous…have a couple friends who have it.
There is a lot to be thankful for but Lucian’s poem which I read earlier, is great. Didn’t know he had it in him!
Grateful for Jeff’s humor and for Mrs.Spouse’s input (and patience) for his daily dialogue which keeps us on our toes and gives us a hearty laugh and a touch of reality.
I’m out of the loop on your health situation Linda, hoping it’s not something serious!
Today is a day of faux history, I shared Pauls post with friends and family earlier this morning. Wednesday’s words ring true to me as well… as a plane with chained men, women and children left near the place where real Native American history is well documented at Fort Snelling, and MSP airport.
My kids live 3-4 hours away, we are supposed to celebrate tomorrow, but 4-6 inches of snow may hinder my presence.
Enjoy time spent with loved ones, is all this day should be about, be well!
Thanks Patrick! I hope you enjoy your Gathering with loved ones as well. During covid we did group Signal calls. I love that one can screen share in Signal. We played the online version of Scattergories, our family holiday game.
My health situation is that I cannot travel on a plane, and no longer train trips. Will find out at the end of January how I am doing.
🙏 for good health Linda. I have RA and now travel by air with wheelchair assistance which has been a blessing bc I can no longer walk long distances and more.
Every night as I fall asleep (or try to) I say the fist part of the Serenity Prayer however many times I feel the need and end with “my Mantra” “Serenity, Courage and Wisdom”
Oh yes, thank goodness for FaceTime❣️ Our middle daughter is scheduled for surgery December 26th and have FaceTime on our agenda to assist with family visitations. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. Will keep you in my thoughts.
I LOVE that clip from the Addams Family movie. Thanksgiving never made sense to me except as a time to be thankful. As a young kid I had questions. Lots of them. Such as how can one "discover" a place when there's already other people there? I wouldn't get the answers that would be true, so I tuned out about it. And so it goes on ... might wants to make right: steal, con, scam, murder, make disappear ...
I'd like to make something other than turkey every year, but tradition is strong in the wife; she won't hear of it. I did convince her to go with prime rib for Christmas, though. I shudder to think what that's going to cost this year. Maybe pasta instead, we'll see. In any case, enjoy.
WHEN I did my big 12-14 people dinners (usually for family the day after Christmas since each group had to go to 'their' family) so I'd host OURS (the Gallachers) with our added Germans and 2 sets of Italians. Since we'd already been sated with Turkey for Thanksgiving I too wanted something 'different so I came up with game hens. Hubby was appalled when I cooked ONE PER PERSON, as were some of the other family members, asking why I didn't cut them in half (down the breastbone). Had THEY ever tried that? Nope: you get what I gave you, lol. It was the basting with orange or peach marmalde which truly made them spectacular. Luckily by then I had my TWO (count 'em) double ovens so could easily fit 'em.) Far easier to roast as well - than my 22lb Thanksgiving turkey. I also had my 'special' mashed potatoes (with sourcream and cream cheese whipped in, a wee bit butter and dusted with paprika then back in the oven, ROASTED but in wine in a deep pot on top of the stove (for a long time) 3 packages of whole button mushrooms thoroughly cleaned and left intact - YUM, buttered and browned with breadcrumbs Asparagus spears - and that was only the first course. THIS year my lovely neighbour made both a turkey AND a pork roast ON THE GRILL - they were both absolutely melt-in-one's mouth delicious. I brought my cooked from scratch (with orange) cranberry sauce - plus the desserts and other sundries.
Jeff Amazing Ye remember The Native Americans especially on this day. What does aborio rice taste like? The risotto sounds delicious. Have a Great Day! 💚
Snort giggle. I didn't even know what aborio rice was a thing. I read the comments below & found out it was a joke. I'm so gonna look for it in my Mexican town now ya know. I'm thankful for you, who makes us laugh, console us when the daily absurdity of it all is just too much. Happy Thanksgiving, from 2 sort of old Americans living in & voting from Mexico.
A truly wonderful summary of the best. I am thankful for you and this inspiring community of like minded people. Onward and cheers from Barcelona! ✌️💙🍻
Happy Thanksgiving, Susan! I don’t imagine you’ll have a turkey dinner today, but some tapas would make a great Thanksgiving dinner. Love you, and safe and fun travels!
Happy Birthday! Compleanos - methinks? (at least that's been in some of the cards I've gotten from some of my Spanish speaking friends). :) Hope it truly WAS and IS the trip of a lifetime and you're having an absolute fantabulous time. I never got to do mine - but can certainly enjoy yours vicariously. :)
I’m thankful for all the hard work that goes into writing daily Substack articles from educated, rational, intelligent people. Thank you Jeff, for the daily laughs and creative content. Cheers to everyone who is celebrating today.
Jeff-Thank you for the delightful Thanksgiving greeting. You always do your research and bring the receipts! You are a national treasure. Please thank Ms. Spouse and your family for standing by you!
Jeff, you're the only writer I know of who can simultaneously rain gratitude or battery acid on whoever deserves it. It's the best party trick. Happy etc to you and Ms. Spouse.
Happy Thanksgiving. Among the many things I’m grateful for (family, friends, cat, health, etc.), I am grateful for you and your writing. I look forward every day to reading your email which always manages to bring a bit of light into my day.
Today is the day that we list all the things that we are thankful for. I am thankful for Jeff , not only today but every day. His musings keep me sane during these dark times. Also, I hope Trump chokes on a turkey bone. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
I’m thankful for all those contributing to food banks to help feed those in this country in need of the help the government used to provide. Not just today, but everyday! No one in this wealthy country should go hungry because the 1%ers need more yachts!
I have a book recommendation: "End Times" by Peter Turchin. "Cliodynamics", a fancy name for history mechanics. The theme is how arrogant, richer-than-God autocrats upset the democracy balance we normal humans want just because; it is how every empire aspired to greatness never made it past 400-500 years, at least in democratic form. I recommend it highly.
I'll be making braised short rib risotto for thanksgiving dinner, to honor the native americans who introduced aborio rice to the pilgrims
We'll be eating whatever the hell we want because we're at an all-inclusive in Punta Cana, DR. We have a group of 27. It's awesome booking a table for that.
How's the weather?
Mid to upper 80s during the day, low to mid 70s at night.
Same in Palm Springs, CA.
Jeff I hope you're taking really good care of yourself. Y
How could he not? All Inclusive! Everything you could want, almost.
I just read mostly, near a bar. It's covered, but open on both sides, so good cross breeze. One waitress is a cutie, but barely speaks English. A friend with us is a native Spanish speaker, so he talked with her for a few minutes. He looked at me: "Kevin, she's 18." I was quiet for a few seconds and finally replied, "Fuck it. Tell her we're 20." (We're both mid-50s.) So, yeah, almost everything. :P
As for reading, I'll highly recommend Larry Wilmore's "I'd Rather We Got the Casinos". Hilarious read and easy to digest.
We call the day Happy Gathering Day, since my cousin no longer wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving because her pastor said it was celebrating the genocide of the Native American population. We also agreed to have our meal on Friday for several years, until just not calling it Thanksgiving was fine, because Thursday was more convenient. Now we lost her to complications from her MS two summers ago.
Last year I was in Germany and visited my daughter in the city where she was studying and we had a traditional German meal at a nice restaurant. My husband was in the US having Thanksgiving with the rest of the family. In honor of my cousin I still call it The Happy Gathering Day.
This year due to health reasons I cannot travel, but my husband, daughter and I will be together in Germany having a traditional German meal at a nice restaurant in our German city. My daughter is coming on the train tomorrow, so we won't actually celebrate until Saturday. She has classes this week, since it is not a holiday in Germany.
Our Thanksgivings always had a mixture of typical African American and German foods, can we say red cabbage and greens, and we will be thankful that we can be together. And, I am thankful that we do not have any MAGA uncles to argue with, but we do argue and disagree and agree to disagree and still love each other. We also always play a rousing game of Scattergories, which my cousin loved. We might play it this weekend in honor of her. We found an online version.
My mom will have Thanksgiving in the US today with the rest of our family. My nephew whom I used to cook with once he went to Chef school, and his sister will be cooking this year without me. Yay for them.
In Germany Thanksgiving is not celebrated. I learned it was called "Erntedankfest" which translated means "Harvest Thanks Feast", they have already begun celebrating the many different parts of the Christmas holidays.
I am thankful that someone leaked the Witkoff recorded call where he is telling his Russian buddy how to manipulate Trump in Russia's favor. Waiting to see if anyone in the Democratic party will call it the treasonous act that it is. I hope this adds to the demerits Trump is racking up with his MAGA crowd.
I am grateful that Ukraine and Europe are doing their own thing with the pretend "peace" plan that DT thinks will get him a Nobel Prize, because he does not understand anything about anything except grifting.
I am thankful that Aftyn Behn in Tennessee in very red territory, is doing well enough to have moved up to 4 points below her republican opponent. If she can move up some more and defeat him, Mike Johnson won't have to be overworked, because he will lose his power in the House.
I am thankful for Jeff since he keeps me both informed and laughing and I enjoy the shared community he has created here with fellow witty people.
I would like to share 2 witty things from other Substacks here as well.
Lucian Truscott with a holiday poem called A Mar-a-Lago Thanksgiving.
https://open.substack.com/pub/luciantruscott/p/a-mar-a-lago-thanksgiving?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Paul Krugman shared this Thanksgiving clip from the Original Addams family show or movie, which he prefaced by saying, "I never realized how woke this movie was" https://youtu.be/tJE3KDxTbWI?si=YHihz0OTQ_yhAFYi
Greetings and much happiness at your “gathering”. Sorry to hear about your cousin. MS is torturous…have a couple friends who have it.
There is a lot to be thankful for but Lucian’s poem which I read earlier, is great. Didn’t know he had it in him!
Grateful for Jeff’s humor and for Mrs.Spouse’s input (and patience) for his daily dialogue which keeps us on our toes and gives us a hearty laugh and a touch of reality.
I’m out of the loop on your health situation Linda, hoping it’s not something serious!
Today is a day of faux history, I shared Pauls post with friends and family earlier this morning. Wednesday’s words ring true to me as well… as a plane with chained men, women and children left near the place where real Native American history is well documented at Fort Snelling, and MSP airport.
My kids live 3-4 hours away, we are supposed to celebrate tomorrow, but 4-6 inches of snow may hinder my presence.
Enjoy time spent with loved ones, is all this day should be about, be well!
Thanks Patrick! I hope you enjoy your Gathering with loved ones as well. During covid we did group Signal calls. I love that one can screen share in Signal. We played the online version of Scattergories, our family holiday game.
My health situation is that I cannot travel on a plane, and no longer train trips. Will find out at the end of January how I am doing.
🙏 for good health Linda. I have RA and now travel by air with wheelchair assistance which has been a blessing bc I can no longer walk long distances and more.
Every night as I fall asleep (or try to) I say the fist part of the Serenity Prayer however many times I feel the need and end with “my Mantra” “Serenity, Courage and Wisdom”
It helps❣️💕
Hollie I am glad that you can do that. I have accepted that I cannot fly right now. I am grateful for being able to see family on a screen.
Oh yes, thank goodness for FaceTime❣️ Our middle daughter is scheduled for surgery December 26th and have FaceTime on our agenda to assist with family visitations. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. Will keep you in my thoughts.
I LOVE that clip from the Addams Family movie. Thanksgiving never made sense to me except as a time to be thankful. As a young kid I had questions. Lots of them. Such as how can one "discover" a place when there's already other people there? I wouldn't get the answers that would be true, so I tuned out about it. And so it goes on ... might wants to make right: steal, con, scam, murder, make disappear ...
Oh, its exhausting sometimes.
OMG. I could eat that. I bet Ms. Spouse is thankful for you.
Happy Thanksgiving to all in this little bubble of sarcastic sanity!
Native Americans also introduced food so the pilgrims wouldn't starve.
Happy Thanksgiving Mr.and Mrs. Spouse and the rest of us too!!
Little did they expect what was to follow for the next three hundred years.
I'd like to make something other than turkey every year, but tradition is strong in the wife; she won't hear of it. I did convince her to go with prime rib for Christmas, though. I shudder to think what that's going to cost this year. Maybe pasta instead, we'll see. In any case, enjoy.
WHEN I did my big 12-14 people dinners (usually for family the day after Christmas since each group had to go to 'their' family) so I'd host OURS (the Gallachers) with our added Germans and 2 sets of Italians. Since we'd already been sated with Turkey for Thanksgiving I too wanted something 'different so I came up with game hens. Hubby was appalled when I cooked ONE PER PERSON, as were some of the other family members, asking why I didn't cut them in half (down the breastbone). Had THEY ever tried that? Nope: you get what I gave you, lol. It was the basting with orange or peach marmalde which truly made them spectacular. Luckily by then I had my TWO (count 'em) double ovens so could easily fit 'em.) Far easier to roast as well - than my 22lb Thanksgiving turkey. I also had my 'special' mashed potatoes (with sourcream and cream cheese whipped in, a wee bit butter and dusted with paprika then back in the oven, ROASTED but in wine in a deep pot on top of the stove (for a long time) 3 packages of whole button mushrooms thoroughly cleaned and left intact - YUM, buttered and browned with breadcrumbs Asparagus spears - and that was only the first course. THIS year my lovely neighbour made both a turkey AND a pork roast ON THE GRILL - they were both absolutely melt-in-one's mouth delicious. I brought my cooked from scratch (with orange) cranberry sauce - plus the desserts and other sundries.
zing💥😛
😂
Jeff Amazing Ye remember The Native Americans especially on this day. What does aborio rice taste like? The risotto sounds delicious. Have a Great Day! 💚
Snort giggle. I didn't even know what aborio rice was a thing. I read the comments below & found out it was a joke. I'm so gonna look for it in my Mexican town now ya know. I'm thankful for you, who makes us laugh, console us when the daily absurdity of it all is just too much. Happy Thanksgiving, from 2 sort of old Americans living in & voting from Mexico.
Sounds yummy, enjoy!
That sounds incredible! Can't go wrong with braised short ribs. They're their own food group, you know.
Yum 😋
Try using Farro! It’s easier to cook up, higher in protein and yummy with whatever you put in!
Yum!
Great list of things to be thankful for and couldn’t agree more! I love this substack and the people on it! Thank you for having us Jeff!
I also love this Substack and all of my reading and writing buddies that are on here too!
Agree wholeheartedly. Thank you Jeff!
A truly wonderful summary of the best. I am thankful for you and this inspiring community of like minded people. Onward and cheers from Barcelona! ✌️💙🍻
Happy Thanksgiving, Susan! I don’t imagine you’ll have a turkey dinner today, but some tapas would make a great Thanksgiving dinner. Love you, and safe and fun travels!
Thanks Sharon! I hope you have a beautiful day.
Have some tapas and an ale on us.
¡Ooh - Barcelona! Have a ramble on Las Ramblas, and find a tapas made of pava! A great way to celebrate Thanksgiving!
Bar-the-lona, no less! Jealous! ;)
This has been the experience of a lifetime for sure…overwhelming! My birthday present to myself! Practicing my bad Spanish!
Happy Birthday! Compleanos - methinks? (at least that's been in some of the cards I've gotten from some of my Spanish speaking friends). :) Hope it truly WAS and IS the trip of a lifetime and you're having an absolute fantabulous time. I never got to do mine - but can certainly enjoy yours vicariously. :)
I’m so grateful to be able to do this. It is beyond my wildest dreams. Thanks Elizabeth!
I’m thankful for all the hard work that goes into writing daily Substack articles from educated, rational, intelligent people. Thank you Jeff, for the daily laughs and creative content. Cheers to everyone who is celebrating today.
And Jeff, we are all thankful for you…
Fuck those fucking fucks.
Jeff-Thank you for the delightful Thanksgiving greeting. You always do your research and bring the receipts! You are a national treasure. Please thank Ms. Spouse and your family for standing by you!
Jeff, you're the only writer I know of who can simultaneously rain gratitude or battery acid on whoever deserves it. It's the best party trick. Happy etc to you and Ms. Spouse.
Happy Thanksgiving. Among the many things I’m grateful for (family, friends, cat, health, etc.), I am grateful for you and your writing. I look forward every day to reading your email which always manages to bring a bit of light into my day.
Today is the day that we list all the things that we are thankful for. I am thankful for Jeff , not only today but every day. His musings keep me sane during these dark times. Also, I hope Trump chokes on a turkey bone. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Thank you for your attention to the attention to this matter!! 😝
He will be having burnt steak and ketchup to load his diaper with. (Dopey don)
dopey DOZEY don.
Thank you, Jeff and fellow Substackers, we're in this shit show together 🫂.
Happy TG to you and Ms. Spouse! You are a light of humor and wisdom shining out over the dark and disturbing sea of fuckwits!
I am thankful for Uncle Jeff!!
and somewhat co-dependent 😬⁉️:)
😅 guilty as charged.
I’m thankful for all those contributing to food banks to help feed those in this country in need of the help the government used to provide. Not just today, but everyday! No one in this wealthy country should go hungry because the 1%ers need more yachts!
My neighbors put out coolers w/a ‘food pantry’ sign… 🧡
Amen, Sistah!
Yes! We all should feast & share abundance. ❤️🤍💙
I have a book recommendation: "End Times" by Peter Turchin. "Cliodynamics", a fancy name for history mechanics. The theme is how arrogant, richer-than-God autocrats upset the democracy balance we normal humans want just because; it is how every empire aspired to greatness never made it past 400-500 years, at least in democratic form. I recommend it highly.
This is wonderful, Jeff. And we're all thankful that you continue to verbalize what we're all feeling. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
We're all thankful for you and your with, Jeff. You are my morning laugh. I love your names for our POS presnit.
Hoping Prez Shit-for-Brains will forever be haunted by those names. Thanks, Jeff.
I’m thankful for your insights, humor, AND my daily Hegseth giggle. Hugs to you and yours.