Giving Thanks this week

Did you know that had the South won the Civil War we would not have a Thanksgiving Holiday?
Lincoln declared a national Thanksgiving holiday in 1863 and after that all we hear about is the Pilgrims in New England who arrived there in 1620 while on their way to Virginia. An earlier attempt to settle in Maine in 1607 by the Popham Colony had failed as had the Lost Colony of Roanoak Island in North Carolina (1587). However, the first successful colony to settle was in fact Jamestown in 1603. The problem is, Jamestown is in Virginia which was a Rebellion State during the "War of Northern Aggression" (as the South saw it) or the "War to Preserve Union" (from the Northern perspective). Had the Confederacy won they would have pissed all over Lincolns holiday and founded their own based on Jamestown and we would know very little about the New England settlers of Plymouth Plantation.

Since we do have Thanksgiving on Thursday, here are some things I am thankful for;

1) The amazing cooking skills of my mother AND father-in-law. (Can you guess who is making dinner on Thursday?)
2) That the slate portion of my roof didn't get any new leaks this year.
3) That the sink hole in my back yard that was once a well hasn't got any bigger.
4) That there were no new stray cats that adopted the wife. (Three is enough!)
5) We didn't have to buy ANY new power tools this year, whether I wanted to or not.
6) I didn't strike any more fingers with a hammer - yet.
7) My plumbing has held up for the last 6 months.
8) I haven't electricuted myself despite several close calls.
9) I haven't fallen off the roof.
10) My squatter pigeons only number 6.
11) There is only one squirrel in my 3rd floor "attic" (alas it may be no longer. That's another story.)
12) That only a 5' section of my alley retaining wall collapsed this week.
13) That the new neighbors renting across the public alley from us may not actually be assholes.
14) Most importantly - this (she went to see Santa today)

Without which I may have packed this ambitious project in several years ago! It sure is nice knowing you have someone to leave it all to....

Now, in your best Elvis impersonator voice, repeat after me
"Thank you. Thank you very much."