Tag: thanksgiving

Novemb…Christmas!

raining17Leave a comment

People. It is the beginning of November.

This past Saturday, November 7th, I was walking past a coffee shop when I heard a man say, “Merry Christmas”. I was in disbelief – Thanksgiving hasn’t even happened yet, are we already in the period of Santa hats and Christmas music?

What was even weirder was how the other member of the conversation responded. There was no mention of the fact that it is almost two months until the ever-popular Christmas itself, or that we still haven’t celebrated Thanksgiving.

With a month left until Turkey Day, and Halloween right behind us, we are already diving straight into the Christmas celebration. Already, it is near impossible to walk into a store without hearing Mariah Carey blasting for the hundredth time.

Now I’m all for celebrating the holidays – it’s a joyful time, so why not cherish it? But I don’t understand the urgency, the need to skip over holidays just to begin celebrating Christmas as soon as possible.

In the seasonal isle of any given store, there are going to be a few Thanksgiving decorations, sure. But the majority of that isle is going to be chock full of blow up reindeer and twinkle lights. And that’s fine, except for the fact that it’s not Christmas season yet!

It’s November. It’s not even Thanksgiving. You guys are ridiculous.

Photo Credit: sammyadebiyi.com

Trudging Along

raining17Leave a comment

However enjoyable Ojai Valley School is, by the time a break rolls around, I am more than ready for some time off. The longest stretch is from the start of school to Thanksgiving break, and with that break in a week, I’ve almost made it through.

At the beginning of the year, I’m filled with motivation, and I’m sure that I’ll make it through the year easily. However, at this time of the year, I’m dragging along, barely getting my work done.

It’s not just me though, which is why a break is much-needed. Teachers have been piling on the work lately, so students are overwhelmed, and aren’t doing as well. Luckily, if we make it through this last week, we will have reached the reward.

Although Thanksgiving break is only a week, it will be rejuvenating. I’m grateful that I get to go home and see my friends, as well as sleep in my own bed. Short and sweet, and I’m looking forward to it.

Photo Credit: http://www.harriswholehealth.com

 

Thanksgiving

instalocker
Photo credit to http://alt-gcs.com/
Photo credit to http://alt-gcs.com/

Thanksgiving is at the bottom of the favorite holidays list. Somewhere the meaning was lost and people don’t think about the history behind it, they just think of it as the day before Black Friday. This holiday doesn’t have decorations, unless you count Christmas trees. It’s just to pass time between Halloween and Christmas. Just a reason to get a few days off.

Some think of it as a punishment. Having to eat the same dried out turkey, flavorless mashed potatoes, and bread all covered in somewhat good gravy, year after year. It’s not an exciting holiday, there are no gifts or fun activities. Just sitting at a table with family for hours. Then, after dinner, having to do all the dishes.

But just think – the reward for all this is a week off of school and a huge sale the next day. It’s like a boring desk job. Being miserable while working but enjoying the large amounts of money you make.

Thanksgiving Pie

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

Let’s be honest. The best thing about Thanksgiving is the food. Particularly, the traditional pumpkin and pecan pie. Personally, these are my two favorite kind of pies. So when Thanksgiving rolls around and I have an excuse to eat pumpkin and pecan pie everyday for a week straight, I’m pretty happy.

Pumpkin pie though can be tricky. The stuff you buy at the supermarket is terrible. You’ve got to go either with homemade pumpkin pie, or buy it from a bakery not situated next to the deli and cheese sections. This Thanksgiving I had the best pumpkin pie I’ve had, well, ever. It was made by a friend of ours, who runs a small local bakery in Boulder, Colorado. Her pumpkin pie was absolutely amazing. It practically melted in my mouth. The crust was perfectly flaky. And she topped it off by sprinkling streusel on top of it.

It was perfect.

Now to pecan pie. It’s so good. Perfectly sweet, with a little bit of crunch to it. My family has always made pecan pie for thanksgiving. We have a family recipe that never seems to fail. This year, my dad and I made four pies. I don’t know why we made that many, but we did. Unfortunately we burnt two. We ate one by ourselves, and I brought the fourth pecan pie back to school with me to share with my roommate.

Well as it turns out, my roommate doesn’t like pie. Of course, she’d never actually tried it before (we all do that). So last night I forced her to try the pecan pie I had brought back to school with me. Well it turned out she hadn’t even tried pie crust before, which she thought was pretty. Then she tried a bite of the actual pie.

The only thing she said for the next couple minutes was “Oh my God.”

And she kept eating.

That just proves my point that pecan pie is one of the best. And Thanksgiving is a pretty good excuse to make a lot of them.

Big Day is Coming!

enternity1030Leave a comment

As the Thanksgiving break is coming, most of my friends are already planning on their “Back Friday” shopping schedule.

Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving, and it’s one of the major shopping days of the year in the US.

The term “Black Friday” can be traced back in the 1960s. “Black” refers to stores moving from the “red” to the “black,” back when accounting records were kept by hand, and red ink indicated a loss, and black a profit. Ever since, the Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as the unofficial start to a holiday shopping season.

As the retailers began to realize that they could draw big crowds by discounting prices, Black Friday became the day to shop, even better than those last-minute of Christmas sales. On “Black Friday,” most retailers put their items up for a BIG sale on the morning of Thanksgiving, or inform their customers through emails days before the actual event.

On Black Friday, crowds of people will line up in front of the malls or stores waiting for the opening. Many retailers open up at 5 am or even earlier to hordes of people.

At the same time, those people who prefer to shop online also get the deals. Many online retailers also have pre-Black Friday or special Thanksgiving sales.

Anyways, get ready for the break and this BIG DAY!

Thanksgiving Dog Adventures

callmemaybe321 Comment

Alright guys I’m really coming up with nothing to entertain, but if you like dogs enjoy these pictures. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!

Click the link ^^^ , but don’t listen to the message it is portraying. Turkey is delicious.

So for months I had been talking with a friend about how our dogs should have a “play date” because we both though they’d get along.

Over break we decided to get them together with our other friends’ dog.

I feel like I am talking about myself in like 1o years when we all have children getting together…. anywho we took the dogs to the park and let them meet each other and then off to the dog park to run around and play with sticks.

Now enjoy these pictures of dogs drinking water and playing with sticks. 🙂

Silly Ella drinking water like a person (above)

Kai “The Best Dog Ever” Shiffman trying to attack the water

He decided the water was no threat and that he could then drink it

Very proud of his stick which he is guarding from a greedy Ella who took every stick from Kai

Dog Couture

Archie wanted to sit up front

Well folks this sums up how the end of my break went.

I just wrote a blog about our dogs playing in the park and allowed you to look at pretty pictures……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..dots are interesting.

Have a good one!

Thanksgiving Break

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

Tomorrow is the final day before Thanksgiving Break, and the school is riddled with anticipation. A suitcase sitting in the hallway of the dorm, flight plans being turned in… The school is packing up.

For me, Thanksgiving break is the first time I get to see my brothers, after three months of eery calmness from not having them around.

Thanksgiving break is also a time for me to see my dad, and for us to spend time as a family.

This Thanksgiving, our plans our secret. My dad has sorted out one of his “Papa Adventures,” and according to him it will be the biggest one yet. I’m excited, but you know. It’ll either be really good or really bad. Hopefully it’s the former.

Last Thanksgiving break was a bit of a nightmare. My mom took me and my brothers down to Denver for my brother’s hockey tournament. Spending a week in a hotel room with two little brothers is NOT fun. Emphasis on the not.

For one, they don’t feel the need to have any sort of manners, whatsoever, when around me. It’s just lovely. The hotel room did not smell good by the end of the week.

I’m excited about this Thanksgiving because even though we will all be in a hotel room, we won’t be at a hockey tournament. Which is a huge improvement.

And as soon as I know what the “Papa Adventure” is, I’ll let you know.

Finally Relaxed

r3t5nomLeave a comment

kmd
All the stress is gone after the last two weeks. I had one of the most stressful two weeks that I have had in a long time. But with the help of my teachers and friends I was able to pull through and go off to my Thanksgiving break nice and relaxed.
eee
Being home provides a form of comfort that you could never find anywhere else. Family and friends are two of the most important and amazing parts of my life, and seeing them is great. I love home.

ff

Thanksgiving is a great time to remember what is most important in life, whether it is family, friends, food or money haha.

I really love this holiday!!!

s
What do you think about Thanksgiving?

Being Thankful

venturatrekerLeave a comment

One year ago I was in Israel, two years ago I was at Midland.  Two years seem like a long time, but I can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing.

Last year living in Israel my Thanksgiving meal consisted of yogurt, bread, cheese, water and an orange.  I was in Gadna, a mock IDF basic training program to test and place potential soldiers.  I did not even know it was Thanksgiving until later that night when one of my friends, who had spoken with his parents had told me.  There was still no other place in the world that I would have wanted to be.

Two years ago I was at Midland.  At Midland for Thanksgiving you don’t get to go home. Instead you family comes to you and a huge Thanksgiving afternoon and meal takes place with about twenty turkeys and over two hundred people.

This year I will be home, with my family and the people I love and will be eating TOfurkey.  In just two years things have changed so much and each year I find myself exactly where I want to be.  On Thanksgiving, that is what I am really thankful for.

secret snow flakes

weirdjennyLeave a comment

After the Thanksgiving is the Christmas, which means my favorite event is coming, The Secret Snow Flakes.

The event is that everyone at the school needs to draw a name tag from the bags, and give the person you get a gift everyday in one week. No one knows who they will get. They might get someone who they never talk to or someone they are already close to.

However, if some students told other people who their secret snow flakes are, it will ruin the whole event, because the person who receive the gifts is supposed to guess who is his or her secret snow flakes at the end of the week. However, no matter the person keep his or her secret or not, the main point of this event is to bring the entire community together.