Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends in the U.S. and elsewhere! It is very nearly time to turn on the TV for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, form my dinner rolls and pop them into the oven.

This year, MJ and I will be driving down to the wilds of Homestead at the far southern end of the county, to share the day and some fine deep-fried turkey with some friends and their family. Don’t judge me harshly for not getting together with my own family – we do all the Jewish holidays (and there are quite a few Jewish holidays!) with them – but this one time, we’d like to have a fine and festive dinner without the side-order of indigestion (literally and figuratively) that usually accompanies a meal there. Maybe I’ll volunteer to do it at our house next year.

What am I thankful for, today? I am thankful that it is a fine 62 degree, sunny morning. That, just now as I put JJ outside in her playpen, I was treated to a scene of several species of parrots, Catbert, a couple of Spot-breasted Orioles (see tomorrow’s Friday’s Feathers post over at Flamingo Fotos), and a hummingbird, all enjoying repasts at the various feeders in my backyard.

I am thankful to see the light at the end of the long, dark tunnel that is the present greedy and despicable presidential administration. I am hopeful that whatever last-minute evils to the environment they attempt in these last few weeks can be undone without too much damage. I am thankful that our country (at least the majority of it) finally took off its collective blinders and threw the bums out – 4 years too late, if you ask me, but better late than never. I am thankful to live in a country where we can do that sort of thing without the loss of blood and life that frequently accompanies the process in many other places around the world. It’s not a perfect process, but it does work.

I am thankful for the love and support of my hubs, MJ, for a paycheck in the bank, a roof over my head, food on my table. For friends who love us and we love right back. For the freedom to hop onto the internet and tell you exactly what I think, without fear that someone will knock on my door and haul me away for my big mouth.

But now, I’ve got to go – the Parade’s starting! Have a wonderful day and let’s give Thanks for each other!