Adopt the Troops for Thanksgiving

Good morning everyone, and Happy Saturday once again. And Brrrr! it’s cold out there! All week long, I’ve been making oatmeal for breakfast instead of a granola bar or a bowl of cold cereal, trying to make sure I was warm enough on the inside before venturing out. Of course, in a couple weeks, I’m sure I’ll be wondering what I was complaining about when 35-40F seems like the tropics. When my friend moved here from Spokane some years ago (who I’ll be hanging out with later today), I warned her about winters in Chicago, that standing in the dark on an elevated, exposed train platform will grow hair on your chest. (And it will too, due to evolution!) I’ve never been a fan of our winters, and I’m a native with a natural hard-voweled accent to back it up. (Think Dennis Farina here, not the SNL “Da Bears” skits.) As my friend calls it, I’m preparing for the “rip your face off!” wind chills and a predicted mega blizzard; at least I get to be in a warm car and not on that aforementioned platform.

But, I am a big fan of the holidays, so the colder weather signals fun times ahead, even if, against my best intentions, we spend a little more than our budget allows and gain a few extra pounds. I’m not a Black Friday shopper – we did that one time and never will again. Seeing a small child get run over by a shopping cart and and then not even getting the advertised flat screen – the only thing we went for – told us right there and then the frenzy really stretches on the Black and is not something we want to be a part of. There will probably be a couple video games under the tree, I’ve been hinting about a gun metal watch that looks like a coiled snake bracelet, and I’ve been trying to score a set of tickets for the big Pink Floyd concert next summer, but we’re not big on presents. That’s for what we call Giftmas, with Yule being what all the decorating is about. Next weekend, I’ll be busy decorating, which I do it at that time so my Thanksgiving is as bountiful and as easy peasy as possible. I spread out the work like caterers do, so that on that Thursday morning, I’m not stuck in the kitchen all day and exhausted, or worse, going instant on damned near everything and serving a bunch of flavorless, food-like substances. (Instant mashed potatoes? Ewwwww! Even small children can make the real stuff, using a hand/stand mixer instead of a masher like many restaurants do. And you get the skins in there on top of it!)

So, with the holidays ahead, what plans have you already made? Have you been stocking up your cupboards, scoring the sales? Confirming your guests? Rearranging furniture? Decorating? At this time of year, there are so many people who would be elated to have a traditional meal, and not just the homeless paraded on the news. Many of us have friends who have nowhere to go. They may have no families, or their families disowned them, or they just live too far away. Several of the dinners I’ve put together over the years have been “Misfit Thanksgivings”, inviting our friends over who would otherwise be alone. We have a small family of three, and I always cook way too much, so why not? Thanksgiving is supposed to be a happy gathering of sharing our bounty and our love with others. We don’t have a dining room, or even a dining room table, but with a little creativity, we can handle about ten people here and go buffet style.

Can you handle an extra guest or two? If you are willing to open your home to someone you don’t know (I know that’s kind of a scary notion) and live near a military installation, you can call and ask about inviting those who can’t afford to travel or have no families to visit. There isn’t (yet?) a national system like this, but the idea is growing. The nearest one to us is Great Lakes Naval Base about 45 minutes north of Chicago, and I’ve read around they’ve matched families to sailors for just that purpose. It would be a wonderful way to genuinely thank them for their service, and it doesn’t doesn’t really cost you anything or take time out of your day. It’s certainly a much better alternative for them than sitting alone in the barracks. Sure, DFAC serves up a nice spread, but it just isn’t the same as relaxing on the couch with a second helping while watching the tube and sharing stories. Besides, who couldn’t stand to make a new friend?

As a side bonus for us, since meal sharing is communal and many wars have been settled over good food and drink, it’s another easy way to show the rest of the world we Pagans are pretty normal people. And what’s more, these young men and women aren’t going to bring issues to the table. You know what I’m talking about: Crazy Uncle Bob on another bender (who’s only entertaining for the first thirty minutes), your guilt-tripping Aunt Gertie who whines and hates everything, your brother-in-law Tim who found Jesus (in the sofa cushions?) and preaches the gospel of Hannity, or your holier-than-thou Cousin Bradley, who just earned his second doctorate while saving the world in some third-world country (and you know this, because he’s mentioned his great accomplishments at least ten times within the first hour). If anything, you’ll at least have someone interesting to talk to who showed up by choice and not out of a feeling of obligation.

Just thought I’d pop another idea into your heads there. I was thinking about that all day yesterday, and so I searched around looking for a group that’s already doing just that. Nothing on the notion seems to be firm, but it really should be. I remember reading an article a year or two ago about a bunch of stranded passengers trapped at O’Hare for several days, and folks in nearby suburbs were posting Craig’s List notices about picking these trapped souls up at the airport and letting them crash on their couches or even opening up the guest rooms. If folks can do that for complete strangers at the airport, certainly they can share a single, bountiful meal with those who help us all sleep better at night.

And now onto couponing news!

Well folks, I’m busy as ever with all the coupons coming in for the Clip for the Troops! campaign, and the Gods have blessed me with a little help in the way of time. My Friday schedule at the day job has been switched to starting and staying a little later, which is fine by me. You see, I’m one of those crazy early birds up before dawn even on the weekends, so when the guys left for work yesterday morning, I had the place to myself for a couple hours – nice and quiet, with no distractions. Not only was I able to get some sorting done from last week’s bounty (I require that for crunching numbers!), but it’s why I was also able to do a quick post yesterday for Veteran’s Day and say a couple hellos on Teh Faceypagez. I asked for help, They provided, and I’m very grateful for it. And, I got home just in time to catch the premiere episode of Pagan Warrior Radio. Very cool!

Now tomorrow, there will be three inserts, including a special one from General Mills. (Who couldn’t stand to stock up on cereal?) One of the features that caught my eye was the canned veggies. Now I’m not a fan of the canned stuff over fresh or even frozen (canned peas? Ewwwww! Slimy!), except when it comes to corn. Canned corn, for some reason, ain’t that bad, with some brands (like the kind at Trader Joe’s) tasting better than the frozen kernel variety, as it tends to get on the mushy side when cooked. And, for those of you who do a little extra shopping for food pantries, canned veggies are certainly better to donate than no veggies at all.

So yes, the food coupons are back in full force, so if ever you’ve wanted to get in on the couponing craze, now’s the time. And while you’re getting all clip-happy, send your discards and expired ones to my attention. We have quite a few overseas installations on our adoption list these days, and it’s getting bigger every. single. month! Send your unwanted manufacturer coupons to:

PNC Military – Clip for the Troops
Attn: Lori Dake
PO Box 306
Chicago, IL 60690-0306
United States

The postage is getting a little expensive, so feel free to drop a buck in the mix to help with that. Each packet costs me $4.95 to mail, and for October, I sent out five. By the way things are going, I’m counting on at least six for November, if not more! And as always, THANK YOU for your help!

Welp, I gotta jump in the shower before my friend stops by. We’re going to visit a local toy store for some prezzie shopping and probably grab some falafel for lunch. Mmm… falafel! Which begs to question: Can I use falafel in the stuffing instead of corn meal? I saw a recipe that calls for White Castles (sans condiments of course), so I guess anything goes these days!

Take care!

PS. Yes. Seriously. White friggin Castles in Thanksgiving stuffing.