Today, most likely as I type this,  many American families have donned their elastic waist pants and are preparing to stuff their pie holes with more calories and fat than one human should ever eat in a single sitting under the guise of a Thanksgiving celebration. In New York, masses of people lined up in the cold to watch ginormous balloons go by, surely a subconscious re-enacting of the pilgrims parading through the streets with the severed heads of murdered native Americans on stakes (thanks Ella!) to show they conquered the land they stole from people who had been living on it for many many years before they brought their rigid beliefs and narrow viewpoints along with an inflated sense of entitlement to "a new land". Or as some of you may see it listed, "The Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade".

    Why do people do this every year on the fourth Thursday of November? Are you thankful for genocide, theft, rape, disease, violence and all those other great things that the Pilgrims stowed in the over head compartments of the Mayflower when they set off in search of a better place to live? Weren't the pilgrims attempting to escape religious persecutions themselves? Well what better way to get karma to ensure your survival than to declare indigenous people "godless savages" and then use violence to get what you want! Oh, and then to call themselves "settlers"...isn't that a hoot! The land they forcibly took would have been a hell of a lot more difficult for them to settle if the assorted native Americans, Spaniards and Africans hadn't settled there first! So once again, I ask you, why do people celebrate Thanksgiving?

    I've been asking my family members, who have not been listening to me for the last decade or so when I tell them every single year that I do NOT celebrate Thanksgiving, why they do. My insane mother's reason is that she really likes the foods. Well, she likes every single kind of food on the planet, so I asked her to be more specific. She told me that she just loves turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, etc etc etc...which lead me to ask her, "So mom, since the grocery stores sell those foods all year, why don't you eat them whenever you want?". Silence.

    My mother in law asked me 428 times this year alone what I was doing for Thanksgiving, and 428 times I told her the same thing, "we don't celebrate Thanksgiving". She stares blankly at me. I asked her why she does, it only seems fair. No answer. She just does, because "that's what people do" she told me. Her reason for celebrating Christmas or December 25 is the same.

    I've heard about every reason possible, my favorites being:
"It's a time to give thanks" So, you only give thanks once a year?

"It's a time to be with friends and family" So again, you only want to spend time with your family and/or friends once a year? Nice.

    I guess what I'm not understanding is, if you love your family and friends and you want to show them that you are thankful, why do you wait until the fourth Thursday in November? Shouldn't you do this as often as humanly possible? Daily even? Has anyone ever questioned the lies that have been fed to American school children for ages in regards to the "first Thanksgiving"? No? Just me? Well then, I'll let you get back to oblivious and uninformed feasting. Don't worry yourselves at all about this year's massacre of Indians over in Mumbai, just loosen your pants and heap some more food on your plate. It's what American's do today, right?

     Greetings and Salutations Friends and worshippers!! I only have 2 free seconds to rub together (anything after 2 will be billed to my credit card) to stop in and let you know that tomorrow Casa de Raven opens her warm and inviting doors for the season!

     I'll be heading up to the airport Monday afternoon to pick up my sweet friend from the wilds of Northern Michigan to [hopefully] help thaw him out and recharge his batteries before he returns to the snow at the end of the week. While I am aware that welcoming folks from the cold climates to bask in my warmth might be construed as cruel and unusual punishment, but I'm still going to do it!! Oh, did I mention that the weather is in the 80's?

   Here's a little taste of our tentative itinerary for the week:

Going to the beach to explore tide pools, frolic in the water and work on our tans

Hiking through beautiful canyons in search of treasures

A possible trip to Disneyland or Knott's to put our hands up and go Wheeee whilst screaming like girls. Ok, maybe not me screaming like a girl....

a possible trip to The Queen Mary for exploring and photographing

Making lots of GREAT food to share

Talking, smiling, laughing, dancing, singing, and other various and assorted forms of merriment including, but not limited to indulging my guest's every whim, making him feel warm and happy, and taking TONS of photos!!

    Ok, I'm off to bake cookies...make sure to book your stay at Casa de Raven early, we book up quickly around here!

The 43rd Annual Genbu-Kai  Karate Tournament

Women's 36-45 Kata Competition

GOLD MEDALIST!!!!!

yay ME!

    I was the only competitor in my age group with the testicular fortitude to go on to free sparring, so the head referee gave me the choice to stay in my division and take a gold medal for sitting there or join the women's 18-35 division and take my chances. I chose honor over glory and was taken out in elimination. I would rather fight and not medal than get a medal just for sitting there.

    My son earned himself a bronze medal for his kata and fought valiantly but didn't medal in free sparring either.

     We're awesome!

     We're tired...

      Thank you to my friends who sent me good luck wishes on my cell phone! Next tournament is the HUGE International tournament in February next year. I'll be full contact sparring in that one and also competing in kata. Hopefully something will be done about that pesky 18-39 year old women's division. Is it me, or is there something not right about a 39 year old woman having to spar with teenagers?