The Recitations Of The Blessings, Actual

Thirty-plus people gathered together this afternoon. FS and JH had cooked up enough food to feed twice that number, and as everyone who joined us brought food or drink, there was plenty to go around.

First though, there was the traditional listening of Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant", It's not Thanksgiving until we listen to Alice's Restaurant.

Then we went around the table (actually three of those temporary tables lined up in a row) with the gratitude declarations.

From the oldest to the youngest, the number one declaration of gratitude involved family and friends. However, there were also a few other declarations of gratitude that encompassed a bit more.

SS, whose parents divorced when she was very young, was grateful that her parents were united in their commitment to have her attend college, and, after earning an academic scholarship to college, has only one more semester to finish before becoming the first member of her family to earn a college degree.

HJ, a naturalized citizen originally from a country in Central America, simply said "This country".

SK stated he was grateful that he was alive at this particular time, as it was the best time ever to be alive.

Several people mentioned how fortunate we all were not to have had to deal with the wildfires that have plagued California, or any of the other calamities, natural or otherwise, that have plagued the world.

And all of us were grateful for present company, and the food.

Oh yeah, the food.