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First Course - Holiday Mixed Messages: Dancing (family & friends)...Mourning (Native Americans)
Take-out: turkey COVID with gravy
First Thanksgiving (what they didn’t teach me in school)
Which came first dept.: happiness or gratefulness?
Classic movie/TV diner/food scenes
Songs for giving thanks
Go ask Alice…she may tell you to feed your head…or kiss my grits…
Artistic license
Cartoon humor
Public service announcements
FIRST COURSE - HOLIDAY MIXED MESSAGES: DANCING (FAMILY & FRIENDS)…MOURNING (NATIVE AMERICANS)
I am thankful for my family - both immediate and far out (i.e., extended)...all the way back past my German and Irish heritage to my African/Woodstock Garden roots.
Triocular Vision
In the spirit of our current times, I like to use humor, music and meaning-filled images as three lenses through which to view life as it’s happening - not always as I’d like it to be - but in its raw state – from objectionable to ordinary to organic and all the way to orgasmic.
Dark Meat (the Yin side of Thanksgiving)
Please check out my other Thanksgiving post that addresses the “dark meat” side of this holiday: Thanksgiving: A Day of Remembrance & Mourning for Native Americans. You’ll find the link at the end of this post.
As I saw the first family Thanksgiving texts arriving, I searched for “Thanksgiving + humor + Robin + Williams” and found this video of my favorite comedian cooking with Martha Stewart.
K.I.S.S.
Children have always been part of my redemption story; so, here’s a simple thanksgiving song from our little ones – for us.
Remember, one Teacher reminds us to become like them. So does Gene Simmons and his other bandmates (seen here at a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade):
“Keep It Simple, Saints”
Veggie Tales
Alright, one more from Frank Zappa, in which he sings that if we call any vegetable they’re sure to respond. Hmmm…sounds similar to “when the men on the chessboard get up and tell you where to go.” After all, the mushroom is a vegetable…a magic one at that…
TAKE-OUT: TURKEY COVID WITH GRAVY
This year we opted for take-out. Not out of fear – as in “whoopee we’re all gonna die”…some day (see link at end to article about Country Joe’s support for veterans).
Instead, due to my ongoing lung issues that were complicated by COVID, I felt that sitting in a restaurant while coughing (coffin) could make other patrons uncomfortable. So we called in our order to a local eatery – Jonathan’s – and had a feast.
Patient with “Covid coif” doing my Aqualung-inspired breathing treatment…
Aqua-Bong?
Breathing Meditation 1
As I breathe in, I visualize “GRACE”…
As I breathe out, I visualize “WASTE”…
Buddhist Version
As I breathe in, I visualize “LIFE”…
As I breathe out. I visualize “DEATH”...
Click video to see and hear my breathing exercise/meditation. It’s stored in deep space in the Aqualung Nebula (the above device is part of a nebulizer medicine-delivery system).
What doesn’t kill you…makes you stronger (Nietzsche)
Humankind’s Genesis…the life is in the breath…
--a creative retelling using the movement arts
Alternate Breathing Exercise Soundtrack
--I selected this one for a few reasons: I’m a practitioner of Kundalini yoga, I love Pink Floyd and am a big fan of the movement arts. It’s all here.
--FYI: I’ll be doing a separate post on Sacred Pink Floyd and other mindful movement artists…stay tuned…IN…
COVID does have upsides:
· Last week I was admitted to Winthrop Hospital with a small bowel obstruction – Really, NO SHIT! – and the bug got me a private room. I felt like a celebrity. In fact, people had to wear formal wear – Blue “tuxes” and face masks and shields – just to come and see me. It felt like Mardi Gras.
· It would have been even more realistic if my doctor was Dr. John.
· I now have Aunty Bodies to protect me from the next round of Space Invaders.
FIRST THANKSGIVING (WHAT THEY DIDN’T TEACH ME IN SCHOOL)
--role-reversal racism makes the point
WHICH CAME FIRST DEPT.: HAPPINESS OR GRATEFULNESS?
“In my experience, if you are not radically grateful every day, resentment always takes over.”
― Richard Rohr, Breathing Underwater – Spirituality and the Twelve Steps
(more quotes from the book here) This book led me to the Steps and I’m forever grateful!!!
Forever Grateful Music Festival – “GratefulFest brings happiness…”
--blog post in celebration of my 73rd trip around the sun.
CLASSIC MOVIE/TV DINER/FOOD SCENES
Playing this game: Instead of show/movie titles, I’ve included some popular and some cryptic quotes. Let me know how many you guess before clicking the links.
--Note the cap insignia on one customer – lead actor’s a huge fan of this team
--see cartoons below
--OK, I’ll admit, this was a HARD one…
SONGS FOR GIVING THANKS
Alice’s Restaurant – Arlo Guthrie
--see article at end of post about Arlo and Howard Beach, Queens
Thank You, Jah – Rita Marley (his daughter carrying the vibe & message forward…)
GO ASK ALICE…SHE MAY TELL YOU TO FEED YOUR HEAD…OR KISS MY GRITS…
Alice/Mel’s Diner (Southern style – Mel learns to go with the Flo [sic])
Alice in Wonderland - 2010 – “Here’s Johnny…”
White Rabbit (turkey with mushroom stuffing – animated version). In UK, rabbit is a Christmas dish for the poor.
White Rabbit (another animated version of this great song)
White Rabbit – an Ate & Hashbury production
Killer Rabbit (OK, I’m taking a little humorous artistic license)
ARTISTIC LICENSE
For Pedro, Mike, Antoinette and other graphic artists…
CARTOON HUMOR
Counting your blessings and not your calories...
Cheers for Woody (pun intended)
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
College Students: We’ve got you covered for COVID…
High tuition for internet classrooms, no fraternity/sorority parties???…NO MORE…Enroll NOW:
5-Minute University (a low-cost, high-class alternative)
--advice from early in the pandemic – music is still is the best medicine!!!
Thanks to my sister Peggy for this cool remembrance…
“You probably know Arlo Guthrie as the singer-songwriter of “Alice’s Restaurant,” the epic 18-minute song every radio DJ plays on Thanksgiving Day. It’s likely you’ve gone up and down the dial while driving to visit family that day, and found it on every station, all day long. Or maybe you went to school in Massachusetts, and you know Arlo from his song of the same name, which is the official folksong of the state. And, at the very least, you know that Arlo’s dad, Woody Guthrie, wrote the iconic anthem “This Land Is Your Land.”
But this next part might surprise you.” Big Bow Wow, New Park Pizza, “A” train, Dylan comes to Howard Beach to visit Woodie…Did I whet your appetite? Read article for more…
Upcoming Posts: More images like the following in an upcoming post.
Please check out my other thanksgiving post that addresses the “dark meat” side of this holiday: Thanksgiving: A Day of Remembrance & Mourning for Native Americans.
#music #humor #Thanksgiving #RobinWilliams #JackNicholson, #AliceCooper #NativeAmericans #KISS #CountryJoeMcDonald #breathing #meditation #Genesis #PinkFloyd #Covid #Queen #DrJohn #WillFerrell #gratefulness #GratefulDead #RichardRohr #SlyFamilyStone #ArloGuthrie #JohnLennon #BobMarley #RitaMarley #GuessWho #LedZeppelin #TVShows #movies #FrGuidoSarducci #CDC
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