Thanksgiving in a strange place

Last Thanksgiving’s post, with my feeling about the meaning of the holiday.

Last Thanksgiving’s video. Very literalist. I like grammar.

This is a strange place. And I pretty much never ever guessed I’d be spending Thanksgiving in this particular city, but there’s a lot to be thankful for, this year. Exit from bondage. My parents are both still with us. An expected job offer that turned out to have created a place of healing for me that I couldn’t have imagined. Revelations about what G-d wants for me. Rediscovery of a forgotten capacity to act and create. Joy.

So here’s this Thanksgiving’s video. It was somewhat inspired by jazzbaby1’s comment that there’s only one song to play for Thanksgiving. It’s a bit, cryptic, I suppose, especially the first part, if you don’t know the original words to the tune, but if you do, like probably every U.S. school child, you might find it a bit funny. And there are words in the second part of the video. Nothing special, and ymmv if you don’t get the puns or allusions. In sum, just my weird sense of humor and my love for the creations of Richard Armitage: especially “lover” and “fighter.”

I’m not sure if this city, which seems so strange, is my “place just right,” but I’m “turning, turning,” again, and so grateful.

Best wishes to all who celebrate the holiday. I join you all in giving thanks for the myriad gifts and surprise of the last year, in praying for blessings and joy for the coming one, and in seeking to do more to serve my neighbors as the opportunity presents itself. May all who are hungry be fed; may all who are lonely find friends.

~ by Servetus on November 24, 2011.

27 Responses to “Thanksgiving in a strange place”

  1. Servetus, yes I got a chuckle out of it and was touched by it, too. Judy’s ethereal vocals (why has it been so long since I have listened to her?) on a classic American tune, and lots of some of my favorite RA characters. Including Guy all dirty and sweaty–me likee. And Portah embracing his daughter. *a little tear* Thank you for this, my dear friend.

    In spite of some setbacks this year, I still find plenty for which to be thankful. The riches of friendship are one of those things. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!! 😀

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    • yeah, somehow “place just right” fit really well with Lexi in her father’s arms. (tearing up, too).

      Enough is as good as a feast, as Ma says in the Little House books, and so I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, friend.

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  2. A really lovely video and lovely sentiments, Servetus!
    Cheers! Grati ;->

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  3. Happy Thanksgiving! May we all appreciate our blessings whatever forms they come in!

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  4. Great song, great shots…great vid, Servetus! Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!

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  5. Thanks to you all for the good wishes. 🙂

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  6. The video was wonderful! Both touching and humorous. Happy Thanksgiving.

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  7. Here’s hoping you enjoy yourself this Thanksgiving and always! Your videos are always a pleasure to watch.
    As my turkey leftovers have been gone for a month, I will have to wait until Christmas for my next taste of turkey.

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    • Thanks, Phylly. “I’ll be home for Christmas,” so I suspect I’ll be on the hook for that meal. Maybe I can mail you some leftovers. Although there are so many great ways to eat turkey leftovers, I almost don’t want to let the guests for the meal eat the turkey. I see them digging into those slices and think, “but what about my hot turkey sandwiches?” 🙂

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  8. Your video is lovely and I’m familiar with the tune but not the words. I only know the Sydney Carter version which we were taught in school.

    Have a very Happy Thanksgiving. xxx

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  9. I really like your video. Happy Thanksgiving! *HUGS*

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  10. I love that line of Guy’s at the beginning. I recognised the tune, but Lord of the Dance is the only version I know, from the Irish Riverdance.
    Lovely video.

    PS ymmv? Still haven’t been able to work that one out!! 🙂

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    • ymmv= “your mileage may vary,” a standard disclaimer in car advertisements in the US; metaphorically “some people may like this more than others”

      When we were kids, it was “Shaker Song” or “Simple Gifts.” Then sometime in the late 1980s “The Lord of the Dance” hit the US (or that’s when I perceived it) and everyone forgot about the Shaker context. I put the line about “Lord of the Dance” in there at the beginning to be ironic but didn’t think people would necessarily get it. A bit like vidding Porter and Masuku’s fall into the river with “’tis a gift to come down where you want to be.”

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  11. A lovely and funny video tribute!

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  12. […] I finished the Thanksgiving vid I’ve been playing around with a Guy of Gisborne vid that’s about half done now. Doing […]

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  13. […] Somewhat late last night I realized that I’d forgotten all about my traditional Armitage Thanksgiving vid. The first one, “Armitage thanks,” is here, along with some comments on what this holiday means to me. The second, a sort of tongue-in-cheek take on the ubiquitous song, “Simple Gifts,” is here; it was created while I was struggling with coming down in my “place just right.” […]

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  14. […] as a child, and my simultaneous love and discomfort for this most American of U.S. holidays); 2011 and a Thanksgiving / John Porter fantasy; 2012 (when I was thankful for the ceasefire in Gaza); […]

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  15. […] from previous Thanksgivings are here: 2014 (includes the Armitage Thanksgiving vids), 2013, 2012, 2011, […]

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