Thanksgiving Dinner From A Dumpster With A Parrot

Dumpster fruits and vegetables by Crane-Station on flickr, taken in the Spring.

African Grey Parrot Nikko by CraneStation on flickr.

I am fascinated with all things social engineering from the 1950s, and especially the 1960s, because I am at an age where I remember the exact playground I was standing on when I learned that Bobby was killed.

Today I looked up the Instructional Video titled Dining Together-1950, and then I did a little editing, to bring that video up-to-date.

This is a story of a holiday and home living in a declining economy. Helping make ready a celebration Diving dumpsters is part of the fun life for many people today. Especially for one of the nicest days of the year – Thanksgiving. There is happiness in the air, and the smell of turkey thankfulness and gratitude, even though people are struggling. Mmmmm, that does look good. Thanksgiving is a day for the best of everything. And friends our parrot invited to dinner.

We remember the pilgrims had only rough tables on which to serve the first Thanksgiving feast, yet it was shared with friendy indians [not quite sure what to say here]

It is good to share a holiday with friends dumpster with other poor people. And it is good to have friends a parrot who likes to come to live in our home. Good manners parrots make people happy, and good [parrot] table manners make eating together a happy time. We are thankful for our home [and our parrot] and our happy meal. We are glad we have a good parrot table manners and know whereat to do with a napkin, how to use scrape the bird feathers off of a spoon first in and eating soup easily, without noise.

It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without turkey [or a delicious ham steak with glaze from a dumpster]. We know mother knows how to cook it, and father knows how to carve it. It is fine to sit-up and watch it being carved. You would know this is a holiday plate.

At the first Thanksgiving dinner the indians didn’t eat turkey with a fork, but it is easy to learn to use one the right way to take small mouthfuls. And how to butter and eat bread in small bites so we never have to talk with food in our mouth. It is good to have learned to chew with lips closed and know when to take a drink. Good table manners keep our meals happy meals and those who eat with us happy. Learning to use a knife the right way takes practice, yet each time we do it becomes easier.

What to do? with a knife and fork even when finished using them is part of eating well. Holidays are days to Be glad, and all good manners are ways to make people glad. We like to offer help, or to help when asked. It is nice to talk with others, and to know when to wait and listen. We are glad to eat neatly without … [?] Holidays are fun. And it is good to be part of a celebration, it is fine to have learned so much, and to have so much in hour home to make holiday celebrations happy. Now could you wish for more? The End.

We are so blessed today to have had a delicious and nutritious meal. Our scavenged meal was a wonderful gift for which we are so very fortunate and thankful. We wish that there was a way, so that every person could eat a delicious and nutritious meal on this day.

Depression During The Holidays: Some Suggestions

Depression/The Blues by Joana Roja under Creative Commons on flickr.

The holiday season is generally a time to rejoice, be thankful and count the many blessings, large and small, that we have. For many people who suffer from depression, however, the joyful season can actually magnify feelings of emptiness and decreased self-worth.

For people who may be experiencing depression, I would like to share some suggestions.

A Mayo Clinic article.

Do the best you can. (perfection is not attainable)
Give yourself the gift of positive self talk (don’t repeat negative message from the past that are not true)
Truly believe in yourself, including your goodness and self-worth
Accept that life is not perfect. Injustices and suffering occur. It is normal at times to feel angry and to grieve. Get help on how to manage these feelings.

The CDC reports a 6.6% rate of depression among adults. Co-existing conditions that can exacerbate depression include: obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma [2,3], arthritis, and cancer [3]) and among those with unhealthy behaviors (e.g., smoking, physical inactivity, and binge drinking [2])

On the last note in the paragraph above, binge drinking will not drown any sorrows. All of the sorrows will still be present, with a hangover to boot. Alcohol is a depressant. Speaking from experience I would rather be sad and sober and dealing with the transient sadness, than sick and ashamed because of uncontrolled drinking.

That said, Psychology Today has ten suggestions:

1. Keep your expectations balanced.

2. Don’t try to do too much.

3. Don’t isolate.

4. Don’t overspend.

5. It’s appropriate to mourn if you’re separated from or have lost loved ones.

6. Many people suffer depression due to a lack of sunlight because of shorter days and bad weather.

7. Watch your diet and remember to exercise.

8. Be aware of the Post Holiday Syndrome.

9. Plan ahead.

10. Learn forgiveness and acceptance.

If you tend toward a baseline of depression (like I do), The Psychology Today article elaborates on the ten suggestions; click on the link if you are interested in learning more. If you are a person who has experienced tragedy or loss during the holiday season, please reach out to someone. I find that if the ‘someone’ is anonymous, it is easier for me to open up. The bottom line is, no one is alone.

What works for me is to identify and be thankful for the many blessings that I do have, and then bundle up in some warm clothing and go for a peaceful walk in the woods. I also find music to be very helpful.

I would like to wish everyone a peaceful and gratifying holiday.

PS: When all else fails you can try some Sad, Sad Larry: