Happy Thanksgiving!

Tonight I went to the Beach where every Wednesday night there's a farmers market down one of the main streets. The night was filled with the sounds of conversations, a performing rock band that wasn't very good but added to the atmosphere, and with flowers. People were carrying around huge and gorgeous Autumn bouquets and there was the usual marketplace vision of dozens and dozens of white plastic buckets filled with bunches and bunches of flowers spotlighted in the early evening darkness (BTW, it gets dark so early now!). Vendors sold baked goods (pies looked especially good), organic fruit and vegetables, and one booth of special interest offered chili peppers of all kinds for sale.

I found free parking and I didn't even have to park illegally. I was returning to a bead shop that my friend, N. took me to once. She bought a wooden beaded bracelet and necklace. I was unimpressed, thought it was a waste of money at the time, thought I was hiding my lack of enthusiasm. She lost the bracelet and called me the next day saying that she threw it in the trash by mistake. I had a necklace that I wanted to fix tonight and I think I must have it either in the front seat of the car or I also threw it away by mistake. What is in it for people to throw away something of value by mistake, anyway? Guilt?

Well, tonight, I was down the street from my car and in the bead shop before I realized that I didn't have the necklace with me so I described it to the bead person. I have to give credit to these people, they're talented and patient. Thanks for the generosity with their time and expertise in helping me put together a necklace and bracelet that I absolutely love. Thank you again, so much, ladies.

A word about the beads, they are African trade beads, ceramic, tubular, and are like Murano glass in that the inside is the same pattern as the outside millefiore in Italian or million flowers. They are absolutely beautiful.

I don't think that Thanksgiving is a meaningful holiday because I believe that the Native Americans, the "illegal aliens," and the Blacks, not to mention the sacrificial turkeys and pigs were robbed. I know it is an occasion for families to get together and eat well and for all of us to give thanks, for me it is a time to feel guilty that things are not so equal and that some have very few things to be grateful for. I can think of the condition of the Earth and it seems like a time for reassessment rather than a selfsatisfied, eyes wide open blind gluttony. I usually cook my own specialty because I am vegetarian and the fall vegetables are delicious. Anyway, for what it's worth Happy Thanksgiving.