Saturday, November 3, 2007

You Can Get Anything You Want...

It's that time of year again when the leaves have all changed color and there's a crispness in the air. Whether you call it Fall or Autumn doesn't matter to me I like either one.

By now the Halloween decorations are coming down and our attention shifts to the next holiday, Thanksgiving.

Notice I didn't say Christmas, although the retailers would have you believe it's just moments away. I wonder since I'm forty-one now and each year they (retailers) start pushing their goods on us earlier and earlier, by the time I'm ninety will they have backed up so far that they are now on time again?

In other words when I'm 50, trees, wrapping paper and snow globes will go on sale around the Fourth of July. At age 60 they'll be available on Memorial Day. That will be fun watching the Indianapolis 500 while blowing up a six foot inflatable Frosty the Snowman. When I'm 70 for St. Patrick's Day I can have corned beef, cabbage and cranberry sauce. By the time I'm 80 I can start buying decorations and presents for the next year before my credit card statement shows up in the mail from the previous year! Ah, but then comes 90, then they'll put everything on display two weeks before the big day, and at that point someone in marketing will say, "You know, if we started pushing this stuff a little earlier we'd sell a lot more of it."

But as Arlo Guthrie might say, "That's not what I came here to talk to you about."

You see Thanksgiving is a great holiday for many reasons. Just as the name implies, it's a time to look back on the past year(s) and thank God for all he has done in your life. I also love that it signals the beginning of "the eating season" It's so nice to be able to eat like a pig for the better part of a month and fall back on the old standby phrase, "January 1st I'll start watching what I eat." Yeah right.

But, what I really like is that at some point during this month I'm going to hear Alice's Restaurant. "Now it all started two Thanksgivings ago when my friend and I decided to..." If you want to hear the complete rendition by Arlo Guthrie click on the link. I tried to post the video directly, but have a feeling its too big of a file. It's a bit of an investment of time (18 minutes) but well worth it.

My brother Mark memorized it in its entirety and performed it as a humorous interp. speech while in high school. As kind of a by-product to his practicing on us (the family) I learned most of it as well. I always enjoy when, on occasion, he breaks into a bit of it.

9 comments:

Mel said...

*pointing at the eight foot deflated penguin on the floor*

You don't need to tell me that the Turkey gets ripped off of the attention it so rightly has earned!

Did we tote home an eight foot turkey? Nope.
But I do think you've helped me name the Penguin. LOL

This year there were Santa decorations out BEFORE there were decorations of the ooky-spooky kind.
THAT----was just sick and wrong! LOL

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Jeff, for the great memory. I sat here watching the whole "Alice's Restaurant," smiling, and it took me right back all those years ago when Mark performed it in high school. Wow! And, you are so right about the Christmas decorations being displayed long before Halloween even rolls around. Gawd forbid, we should think about the true meaning of Thanksgiving or Christmas when we're being guilted into buying, buying, buying . . . sad.

"The Babe"

katherine. said...

I had forgotten all about that little diddy...smile.

I LOVE autumn decorations and hate that we skip right over Thanksgiving all the time. The Christmas stuff was out mid-October. Our weather seems like it should be the Fourth of July....I canNOT get into Santa and all yet!

(which reminds me I need to buy tickets to the Christmas Tea at church this morning....)

(hmmm....ya think Mel's gonna name the penguin Arlo?)

Jeff B said...

Mel- Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
Looking forward to the name.

Mom- After hearing Mark recite it so many times it almost sound funny comming from Arlo.

Katherine- I think you may be onto something with the name.

Latharia said...

Oh, I love Alice's Restaurant!!!! Mah MO-tor-CYCLE!! :)

And ... our local light radio station started playing Christmas music on Friday. *rolling eyes in disbelief*

Catch you later. I have to work on invitations for our annual Christmas party. People are already asking when it's going to be.

Travis Cody said...

That's a great tradition! I haven't heard Alice's Restaurant in ages.

Jeff B said...

Latharia- Wonder what fireworks timed with will sound like LOL

Travis- Definitely a classic

Oswegan said...

Good post. I agree with how annoying the retailers have gotten with their Halmark holiday marketing.

I'm 41 too.

~Oswegan

Jeff B said...

Osewegan- Don't tell Halmark about August. To my knowledge it's the only card free month.